Pear-Ricotta Crostini
“Sometimes, delicious takes time.” – The Vegan Mary
Stress Scale: ✅✅✅ | Prep Time: 30 min | Total Time: 50 min | Yield: 20
INGREDIENTS
1 baguette
For Ricotta
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (or for 1 hour in continuously hot water)
1/2 block firm tofu, pressed
2 t nutritional yeast
2 t garlic, minced
2 T lemon juice
1 t white vinegar
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Spiced Nuts
1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
¼ cup water
1 t brown sugar
½ cinnamon
½ nutmeg
5 Bartlett pears, quartered and then sliced into ¼ inch slices (closer to 3/16 if you really wanna geek out)
3 T + 2 T agave, maple syrup or honey, divided
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ t flaky salt
DIRECTIONS
In small bowl, mix water and spices together.
Pour mixture into skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a bubble.
Add in nuts, stir to coat completely. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant. The water should be evaporated.
Spread nuts in a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut baguette into ¼ inch thick slices. Brush one side with olive oil. Toast slices of baguette (oil side down) in hot oven for 10 mins or until the slices are a golden brown. Remove bread from oven and let cool.
Turn oven up to 425°F.
Place sliced pears on parchment paper-lined sheet. Drizzle with 3T agave/maple syrup/honey. Sprinkle on thyme leaves.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
While the pears are baking, prepare the ricotta. Press tofu (to remove excess water) in a tofu press. No press? No problem. Simply wrap tofu block in paper towels. Press on all sides of tofu, changing paper towels as needed until they are no longer leaching water from the tofu. (No need to maintain the block shape, so feel free to use some muscle here.)
Pulse cashews and pressed tofu in high speed blender. Add in vinegar, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice. Pulse once again. Once mixture reaches desired consistency (think thick and creamy), add in lemon zest. Pulse to mix. Set aside.
Nuts should be cooled, place them in a small bowl. Add 2 T agave/maple syrup/honey and give them a stir to nicely coat.
Your hard work is done! Now it’s time for assembly.
Spoon about 1 T of ricotta on to each slice of bread. Top with pear slices. Finish off with about 1 t of your walnut mixture. Finally, sprinkle with flaky salt.
TIP: This recipe has a few steps, but these little bites of heaven are so worth it. Just remember, take it one step at a time… maybe with some wine.
