Once in a while, a dish is so delicious that you remember it long after. Years ago, Carrie Chang Talwar of Nuuanu served this appetizer that is still quite memorable.
Talwar toasted slices from a baguette until crisp; in Italian, this is called a crostini. While premade crostini can be purchased at most stores, often they are too small. Luckily, it’s easy to make your own: Simply cut slices from a baguette. You will need to heat the oven for this dish anyway, so why not make your own toast?
Talwar dressed her homemade crostini generously with blue cheese, topped with walnuts. After broiling, the bites were drizzled with honey. The combination was brilliant.
Not a fan of the assertive taste of blue cheese? Use goat cheese or a milder Boursin instead. Any type of nut adds flavor and crunch. You can adapt the recipe, but don’t skip the drizzle of honey. It pulls together the range of flavors.
These tasty crostini are a delicious way to add a bit of indulgence during these stay-at-home times. You’ll want to eat more than one.
BLUE CHEESE, WALNUT AND HONEY CROSTINI
- 4 slices French bread, each 3/4-inch thick
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons blue cheese (substitute goat cheese or any creamy cheese)
- 3 tablespoons walnuts (substitute pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts)
- 2 tablespoons honey
Heat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Brush olive oil on both sides of each slice of bread, then place on foil-lined tray. Bake until top is toasted, about 3 minutes. Turn bread and bake another 3 minutes. Remove from oven; turn oven off.
Spread blue cheese on crostini. Roughly chop walnuts and place on cheese. Set oven to broil and return crostini to oven. Broil until cheese melts and nuts are slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven. Drizzle with honey and serve warm. Makes 4 crostini.
Approximate nutritional information, per slice: 330 calories, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 520 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 11 g sugar, 10 g protein.
”Easy Kine” features simple dishes that start with commercially prepared ingredients. Lynette Lo Tom is excited to hear your tried-and-true suggestions. Contact her at 275-3004, email lynette@brightlightcookery.com or via Instagram at @brightlightcookery. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
