Caramelized Red Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini

Blake and I were at a wedding in Crested Butte a few weekends ago.  The food was amazing! In particular the rehearsal dinner had this little appetizer that we all couldn't get enough of.  They were perfect little finger foods for nibbling on while enjoying a glass of wine. I think they paired especially well with a hefty glass of red wine! I asked the cocktail waitress what was on the crostini and my guess was almost spot on.  Not only caramelized onions, but caramelized red onions which I've never made.  The white creamy spread was nothing but my favorite, goat cheese!  I have a whole post on Caramelized Onions that will help you folks that have never done it.  It's not hard, just takes a little time that is well worth it!

Ingredients:

-1 long loaf French bread

-2 medium red onions

-2 (5.3 ounce) pyramids of spreadable goat cheese (make sure not to get the crumbles)

-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

-1/8 cup olive oil for brushing, or olive oil spray

-microgreens or fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

-salt and pepper to taste

How-To: Growing Sprouts

Did you know you can grow your own sprouts, in your kitchen, in a mason jar?  It's basically that easy and only takes about 10 days until they're ready to be thrown on a salad or sandwich.  The most popular sprout may be alfalfa which is what I grew my first time around.  Come to find out though there are many many different seeds that can sprout into these crunchy edible garnishes.  And each of them have a different flavor whether it be zesty, spicy, earthy, you name it.  You can grow leafy sprouts, bean sprouts, and even nuts! Give it a shot.  You can get sprouting seeds at health food stores including Whole Foods, your local nursery (mine had 3 varieties) or you can order them online from Sprout People.

What you need:


-1 Tbsp of sprouting seeds
-1 quart-size mason jar with ring
-1 - 6 inch x 6 inch square of cheesecloth (I doubled mine in thickness)

Light, Fiery Black Bean, Roasted Corn and Jicama Salsa

This another recipe from new favorite cookbook, Skinny Dips. I was afraid to use the seeds and ribs from the serrano chile because I had a bad experience once.  In hindsight it probably could have used the full kick of the entire chile.  I guess I should have listened to Diane :)  This is a great light and fresh dip for chips or a topper for turkey burgers.  That's what I did with the leftovers! 

Ingredients:

-1 large (or 2 medium) ear of fresh corn, husk on

-2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

-1 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt

-freshly ground pepper

-juice of 2 limes

-1 tsp ground cumin

-1 tsp ground coriander

-2 tsp packed brown sugar

-1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

-3/4 cups peeled and diced jicama

-1/4 cup diced red onion

-1 serrano chile, including seeds and ribs, finely minced

-2 green onions, sliced

-1/3 cup chopped cilantro