Tomato, Apricot & Ricotta Flatbread

Here’s another recipe from my latest Cooking Light magazine (two in a week!) I thought peaches were in season but for some reason Publix didn’t have any, so I substituted apricots instead. 

You could grill your flatbread, but since it was pouring rain the other night when we made this, we just baked ours in the oven.  It was ready in less than 15 minutes.

Tomato, Apricot & Ricotta Flatbread: (adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup ricotta cheese
• 2 T finely chopped green onions, divided
• 1 T finely chopped fresh oregano
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ t black pepper
• 1 package naan breads (like Stone Fire)
• 1 medium tomato, sliced (we also had a baby tomato from our garden we threw in since it was ripe)
• 1 apricot, pitted and sliced
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 T fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/8 t sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drizzle 1T olive oil over the naan and cook in the oven for about 5 minutes.  

2. Combine the ricotta with the other 1T olive oil, 1T green onions, oregano, and pepper. 

3. Remove naan from the oven and spread ricotta mixture evenly over.  Top with tomato and peach slices, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. 

4.  Put back in oven for 5-10 more minutes or until the flatbread gets to your desired crispness. 

5. Sprinkle with remaining 1T green onions, bail, and salt.  Enjoy!  

Thanksgiving 2014 – Baked Brie with Apricots & Almonds

 

My mom normally makes baked brie for Thanksgiving, but since her oven was occupied with the turkey on Thanksgiving, she asked that I make it at my place.  The puff pastry came in a 2-pack, so I used the extra to make a decorative lattice crust on top. 

It’s actually pretty easy to make, but you can impress your friends and family with a fancy looking dish! 

Baked Brie with Apricots & Almonds

Ingredients:

• 1 large wheel brie cheese (I used a 28.2 ounce size)
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 cup apricot jam
• 1 egg

Directions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  While it’s heating up, toast your almonds until slightly browned (keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn).

 

2. Spray your cooking dish and spread out the first sheet of puff pastry.  Place the brie on top, then spread the jam on top, and sprinkle with dried apricots and almonds.

 

3. Wrap the sides of the pastry around the brie wheel.  Cut your other sheet into long, even strips. 

4. To make your lattice crust, lay half the strips across the brie vertically.  Fold back every other strip, and then place another strip going across horizontally, perpendicular to the others. 

5. Unfold the strips and fold back the opposite ones this time.  Lay another strip horizontally.  Keep repeating the process until you have a lattice top (the photo below from Gimme Some Oven explains it in more detail). 

 

5. Tuck the ends of the lattuce under.  Whisk one egg with 1 T water, then brush the egg wash over the top of the puff pastry.

 

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with crackers, apple slices, or anything you like dipping in cheese!