Holiday Appetizers... or anytime really

Back in October I took a trip to Bozeman with my friend Tamara. It was a quick trip and we made quite a few great meals.  My home girl, Sienna, came down to visit from Great Falls.  She is my homie; we have spent our life together and she is as close to me as my own sister.  We love enjoying ourselves and we love making delicious foods; and this visit was the first time in a long time that we had a throw down in the kitchen.  I have already shared one the recipes for our throw down in a previous post and now I want to share something that she made with you - which is reflected in the photo above.

Sienna's Salad Bruschetta with Artichokes and Brie

Ingredients:

1 loaf of Artisan Bread, a nice crispy crust kind
1 can of Artichoke Hearts, drained
1 14 oz round brie
1 bag of mixed green salad
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
a pinch of salt
a few dashes of ground black pepper

Whisk all of the above in a small bowl

For the rest.  Step  1: Make the Vinaigrette and set aside.  Step 2: Add the bag of mixed greens to a salad bowl.  Step 3: Drain the liquid from the can of artichokes and give them rough chop up and set aside. Step 4: Slice the Brie in 1/4" thick slices and set aside.  Step 5: Slice the bread evenly, about a 1/2 inch thick.  This should yield about 1 dozen slices.  Turn the oven to broil.  Put the slices of bread on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for about 1 minute each side.   Now, do not walk away from the oven because if you do - you will burn the hell out of the bread.  Depending on your oven it can take 1 minute to toast to a nice golden brown or it can take 30 seconds or it can take 2-3 minutes.  I did not realize that my oven would take 30 seconds and I burnt the hell out of the bread.

Step 6: Once done toasting, keep the bread on the cookie sheet and add evenly to each slice artichokes and add a slice or 2 of brie to the top.  Put it back in the oven and broil for about 1 minute.  Again, watch it so it doesn't burn. Once the brie is slightly melted and not quite golden brown in color, take out of the oven and set aside to cool.
Step 7:  Give the balsamic vinaigrette a quick whisk and poor on top of the greens.  Give it a nice toss so the greens are evenly covered in the vinaigrette.
Step 8: Transfer the bread to a serving plate and add the greens to the top of bread and poor yourself a nice glass of wine, if you have not already, and enjoy.
I had made this the other day as an appetizer, but my friend mentioned that it would also make a nice light lunch or dinner along side a piece of grilled meat.  And since Sienna made it the first time, I have made it a half dozen more times.  I have used arugula and spinach instead of mixed greens and one time, I used apples instead of artichokes.  Either way, it's darn delicious and makes a great addition to my arsenal of apps.  Thanks Sienna!