Yummy Appetizer

We've been lounging around all week, barely making it out of our pajamas. Bill's on vacation, I've done the bare minimum of laundry, and the kids have had hours of TV/Xbox time. We're all quite content.

I happened to catch a segment of the Today show earlier in the week that showcased this recipe. I had to try it and it was delicious. I thought I'd share.

This is what it looked like.

A close up...

I guess I could have made them look prettier, but I didn't know what chiffonade* meant.

Oh, and I also forgot the whole olive oil-brushing-drizzling thing and they were still good.

Here's  the recipe. Enjoy!

 Mock mascarpone crostini
-Melissa d'Arabian

Ingredients

• 1 baguette, thinly sliced
• Olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
• Kosher salt
• Mock mascarpone cheese, recipe follows
• Roasted red peppers, peeled and sliced
• Fresh basil leaves, chiffonade*

   Mock mascarpone

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vanilla greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

For the mock mascarpone, in a small bowl cream together the cream cheese, yogurt and vanilla extract with a hand until well blended. Refrigerate if a firmer texture is desired. Use in recipes as an inexpensive alternative to mascarpone.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the bread slices lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Bake in the oven until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Allow to cool. Spread the toasts with mock mascarpone cheese and top with roasted red pepper slices, basil, olive oil and salt.

Serving Size

4 servings