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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Pesto Berry Balsamic Flatbread with Goat Cheese

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There's a lot going on in this flatbread. And, to be honest, I probably wouldn't have ever come up with the combination myself. However, while on a business trip in Ottawa (that's in Canada for all you Geography-challenged readers...I consider myself one!), I had a very similar dish at a restaurant our group headed to for dinner one night. In addition to a rather fabulous berry mojito, I also devoured--and I mean devoured, no crumb left behind--this flatbread. 

Between the cucumber, the pesto, the goat cheese, the berries, the balsamic, the tomatoes, the almonds, the jalapeno...you have some craziness happening.On paper, the description might seem a little overwhelming, but together, the unlikely combination will have you cleaning your plate! Though the original recipe called for strawberries, I used raspberries. Everything else in the recipe stayed pretty true to what I enjoyed at Mambo. I think they went a little heavier on the jalapeno--I remember it having more a kick--but this version seemed to be the best balance of flavors.
Two additional notes about this recipe. First, I made my own flatbread. I used Joy the Baker's recipe and it couldn't have been easier. I love that it has a short rise time and that you "cook" your flatbread in the skillet. I know I'll be whipping this up frequently for an easy dinner or appetizer...flatbread is about as versatile as you can get! Second, a special shoutout and thank you to my mom's friend Brenda who recently gave me this awesome handheld chopper. I used it to chop up the jalapeno and cucumber and it was 100x easier than doing it by hand or dragging my giant food processor out of the cabinet. Great product and a bonus arm workout with the little lawn mower like pullstring ;) Thanks again Brenda!
This crazy flatbread will please your palate, I promise! Let me know if you give it a try, or what spin you put on it!

One Year Ago: Hot Bean and Cheese Dip
Two Years Ago: Veggie Bagel Sandwich

Pesto Berry Balsamic Flatbread with Goat Cheese
dish inspired by Mambo Lounge in Ontario, Canada

Ingredients:
-2 pieces of flatbread (purchased or homemade)
-1/2 cup pesto (purchased or homemade)
-1 small cucumber, peeled and finely diced
-1 jalapeno, seeded, chopped, and finely diced
-1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
-1 pint raspberries
-4 oz. goat cheese
-1/3 cup sliced almonds
-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Spread each flatbread with pesto. Top each with finely diced cucumber and jalapeno. Sprinkle with tomatoes and raspberries.
2. Top with almonds and sprinkle with chunks of goat cheese.
3. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, reduce balsamic vinegar until thick and syrupy. Drizzle balsamic over each of the flatbreads.
4. Cut into pieces and serve immediately.