Simple & Refreshing Summer Desserts

July 7, 2021July 28, 2021 vanva2 Comments

While I have a fair amount of baking recipes on this site, in truth, I don’t bake much in the summer. Instead, I prefer quick and easy cool treats for us to enjoy that take advantage of the fresh fruit available. Also, I don’t eat much dairy – only bits of parmesan and feta – so this rules out a lot of ice cream. I favor granitas (italian ices), batidos or agua frescas (fruit drinks) and desserts made with coconut milk. I realized many people out there might be like me and might want some refreshing ideas. What follows are some of my own recipes, as well as recipes I’ve collected from others that we often make for summer evenings. The beauty is no oven, ice-cream machines or molds are required. Simple and refreshing.

Most flavors are grounded in Italian and Latin American flavors reflecting our home and preferences, but some such as the Chai tea latte popsicle are from other cultures that we truly enjoy. A few ideas are from cookbooks that I love: Everyone’s Table by Gregory Gourdet and Bottom of the Pot by Naz Deravian.

Granitas:

What I love about granitas is that they are relatively easy to make – you blend them and then leave them in the freezer until you are ready to enjoy. They are very healthy, as well, as it is simply fruit and water. If you add sugar, you can sub out stevia for those who are sugar conscious. Honey is also a tasty substitue. I take advantage of using very naturally sweet fruits (i.e. pineapple, watermelon), fresh mint from the garden and limes to make most of my combos. My basic recipe is as follows:

6-8 cups of fresh fruit, chopped
2 tbs lime juice (or 1 lime)
2 tbs honey or 1/4 cup sugar
fresh mint (2-4 tbs)

When you blend it together, spread it into a 9×13 baking pan and freeze for an hour and 1/2. Scrape the ice and then put back in the freezer. Set the pan out for 15-20 minutes before serving, so it thaws to the best texture.

Granita ideas:

Watermelon Mint Granita – if you have a bunch of leftover watermelon, this is is fast and easy to put together. It is my favorite of all time.
Pineapple Mint Granita – simply use canned or fresh pineapple.
Lemon & Rosemary Granita – Omit the lime juice and honey. Instead use: 3 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 1 and 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tbs lemon zest. Three sprigs rosemary.
Strawberry Mint Granita– 1.5 lbs of hulled strawberries. 1/2 cup sugar (to taste). 2 tbs lemon juice, instead of lime.
Melon & Mint Granita – Use cantalope and increase the honey/sugar to desired sweetness.
Coconut Granita- I literally use a can of coconut milk, lime juice, and sugar. It’s ridiculously easy.

Quick Coconut Milk “icecream”

This is a great substitute for those who are dairy free, lactose intolerant or don’t have an ice-cream maker. Like granitas, I utilize a 9 x13 baking dish and the freezer. Generally, this freezes within an hour, and better than granitas, no scraping necessary:). The basic recipe is as follows:

1 can coconut milk
3 cups of frozen fruit
sugar to taste, if desired. I would begin with a 1/3 of a cup and build to desired level of sweetness.

Coconut Milk Icecream ideas:

Mango & Cardamom – add three crushed pods of cardamom seed.
Pineapple & Cardamom – add three crushed pods of cardamom seed.
Papaya & Pineapple – use a combination of these frozen fruits and a dash of lime juice.

Ice Pops or Popsicles

What I love about these is that they can be as simple as pouring some fruit juice in to a mold, or you can make it more elaborate or alcoholic for a summer evening refresher. I like silicone molds, which you can find online for around 8 dollars, but of course, the molds from dollar tree will work just as well in a pinch.

Popsicle ideas

Icy Popsicles: The basic recipe is 2 cups whole fruit (frozen or fresh), 1/4 cup honey or sugar, and coconut water/orange juice/lime juice water as needed for blending.

Strawberry-Watermelon – 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup watermelon, 1/4 cup sugar or honey. Lime juice as needed.
Mango-Papaya – 1 cup mango, 1 cup papaya, 1/4 cup sugar or honey, orange juice as needed.
Any fruit juice – simply add to the molds and freeze.
Strawberry Rose – 1 lb stawberries, mint leaves, splash of rosewater, honey & 1 bottle of rose’ wine (source: Bottom of the Pot)*

Creamy Popsicles:

Orange Mango Coconut Yogurt – 4 cups frozen mango, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 can coconut milk, 1/4 cup honey or sugar
Peach Yogurt – 2 ripe peaches, 1 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup honey or sugar
Pineapple Chia Seed – 1 can coconut milk, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup chia seeds
Chai tea latte – use a commercial concentrate base of chai tea latte and combine with almond milk, regular milk or coconut milk to desired taste.

Batidos or Agua Frescas

Fruit drinks are a refreshing treat for anytime, and of course, you can add a little alcohol in the evening for some fun. In Costa Rica, they are known as batidos, but in much of Latin America – agua frescas. I love watermelon batidos when I am dehydrated or tamarind when I am constipated or sluggish. They are better than juice because you still have the fiber and vitamins from the cut fruit.

Regardless when you get them in restaurants they are usually made with pulpy syrup base. The old school way is a machete and blender. They can come made with water or with milk. The basic recipe for a batido is essentially 1 cup fruit, 1 cup water OR can evaporated milk (or coconut milk if dairy free), 1/4 sugar or honey. From there, you can add other layers.

Here are some ideas.

Tamarind & Orange Blossom – 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup tamarind paste, 1 tsp orange blossom water. You make this over the stove and store in the fridge as a syrup. When ready, combine with five cups of water. Alcohol: tequila. (Source: Bottom of the Pot)*
Pina Colada – Pineapple juice, 1 can crema de coco (coconut cream), ice and blend. Alcohol: rum
Papaya: 1 cup papaya, 1 can evaporated milk (or coconut milk if dairy free), 1/4 sugar or honey.
Peach Lassi – 2 ripe peaches, 3 tbs honey, lime juice (1 lime), 1 cup yogurt (Source: Everyone’s Table)*
Limonada de coco – 1 cup cream of coconut, 2 1/2 cups crushed ice, juice of 3 limes, 2 tbs sugar Alcohol: rum
Cucumber Limeade – blend cucumbers and strain with lime juice and sugar. So refreshing.
Other great fruits – watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry, pineapple, strawberry, mango – or any combination.

*If you haven’t please check out these amazing cookbooks: Everyone’s Table by Gregory Gourdet and Bottom of the Pot by Naz Deravian.

Appetizer · Mediterranean · Side dish · Spanish

Easy Romesco Sauce

June 29, 2021June 29, 2021 vanva2 Comments

For those of you that don’t know, Romesco is a rich, multi-purpose sauce made of roasted red peppers & tomatoes that goes amazingly well with fish, vegetables, and spread on a great quality bread. It is traditionally thickened with almonds and bread, and the result is a garlicky, smoky masterpiece that you will find pairs with everything, especially eggs.

To make this traditionally, you would roast and char the tomatoes & peppers, however, what follows is a quick and easy cheat, where I let others do the work for me. Also, I skip thickening it with bread so those in my family avoiding gluten can eat without thought. Regardless of how you make it, make sure to give the sauce time to rest before serving.

You will need:

1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
5 roma tomatoes
1 cup almonds, roasted*
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar

Steps:

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange almonds on baking sheet and lightly roast for 6-8 minutes. *If you are busy, you can skip roasting the almonds, although roasting them brings out their flavor more.
In a food processor, chop almonds until they are fine. Then, blend garlic, almonds and tomatoes until it is a paste
Add in red peppers, parsley, paprika, salt & pepper. Add in vinegar, then olive oil, a little at a time until smooth and the desired consistency. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and allow to fall to room temperature when serving.

Store in the fridge. Anyone else keep their fresh herbs in a glass of water in the fridge?

Serving ideas: This is great with fish, eggs, steak, and grilled vegetables such as eggplant. Personally, I love it smeared on a crusty baguette or ciabatta with a little olive oil. Often, we use it at breakfast. A common breakfast I make in the morning is chicken sausage (usually sundried tomato) with some tomato and sweet potato topped with romesco. This is great for those who are watching their intake of carbs or fat, or looking for a healthy start to the day.

Italian · Mediterranean · Side dish

Ciambotta (Italian Ratatouille)

June 16, 2021July 7, 2021 vanva3 Comments

This was a favorite of my mom’s to make during the summer with her garden zucchini and squash, and it is one of our favorite vegetable dishes now.

In the summer, we have several go to recipes for eating our vegetables, such as pisto Manchego, Caponata or Ciambotta. All involve fresh vegetables, and differ in the spicing and process. Here, rather than roasting, everything is simplified and cooked in one pan, because I am, at heart, a lazy homecook.

My children love this, and often ate this during phases when they wouldn’t eat much other vegetables. They thought it tasted like pizza, which I suppose makes some sense. It is fairly easy to throw together, and very satisfying. Feel free to sub out diced tomatoes for fresh, if you are busy. But of course, it is best with fresh tomatoes and a good quality parmesan.

I have had several versions of this, but this remains my favorite. Ciambotta is best in the summer with fresh vegetables and basil. You can dress this up a bit by adding a little red wine (during the cooking of the garlic & onions), or a bay leaf to add depth, or my personal favorite – adding an old parmesan rind to mixture for extra flavor. Adding potatoes is also a traditional way this is made. Personally, I am often very lazy and don’t add potatoes or eggplant, as they make the preparation longer.

Another idea is to blend this up and make it a sofrito or base for future dishes and sauces. It is surprisingly versatile. If I have fresh basil, I prefer to use it. However, if I have dried herbs, I like this with oregano. Serve this with fish, or some Italian sausage for an excellent meal.

You will need:

2 zucchinis, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 summer squash, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 small onion or 2 small shallots (I prefer these), sliced thin
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 lb of campari or roma tomatoes cut into bite size pieces OR 1 can of diced tomatoes.
3 tbs Olive oil
fresh basil or oregano (2 tsp of dried herbs if you do not have fresh)
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Good quality parmesan (the older the better)
Optional ideas
splash of red wine* (optional)
1 small eggplant, chopped* (optional)
3 small scrubbed potatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces (optional)
parmesan rind (optional)

Steps:

* Only if using eggplant or potatoes. You will need an extra half an hour to prepare these ingredients, so if you want to include them, begin your prep here. Slice the eggplants and arrange them on a tray. Sprinkle them with salt and leave them for about half an hour to release their liquid. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Chop into bite-sized pieces. Chop potatoes into small pieces and cook for 15 minutes before adding it to the stew, this will prevent the rest of the vegetables from becomming too soggy while waiting for them to cook down.
Coat a skillet with olive oil and heat on medium. Saute onions in olive oil several minutes until they soften. Add garlic and saute for two more minutes. Grind or add a little salt to the onions and garlic to release moisture. Deglaze with a little splash of wine if you have some on hand.
Add zucchini and squash (and potatoes and eggplant, if using) and mix it well with the onion and garlic. Add red pepper flakes, basil/oregano and a little more salt to taste. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Add in tomatoes (and parmesan rind, if using) and cook down for about ten minutes to fifteen minutes until everything is reduced and soft. You don’t want to overcook the squash or zucchini, so there should still be firmness.
Top with fresh grated parmesan.

Appetizer · Mediterranean · Spanish

Pisto Manchego

June 16, 2021 vanva1 Comment

Pisto Manchego is a typical ratatouille found in Spain. Like Caponata, it is meant to be spread onto bread. Often, it is served with egg, almost like a shakshuka.

You will need:

1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion whole
5 cloves of garlic with skin on
2 zucchini
2 red bell peppers
1 eggplant
4-5 tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine*
Salt and black pepper

Steps:

Grill/roast the all the vegetables under the broiler until charred. This can take from 20-25 minutes. You will need to check frequently, and rotate the veggies.
While they cool, you can remove the charred skin off the vegetables. Core and seed the peppers and cut into bite-sized pieces. Halve the eggplant and cut into bite-size pieces. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Chop the zucchini and tomatoes.
Preferably in a cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic, red pepper, oregano and cumin. Saute for 2 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. Add the remaining vegetables.
Cook – Bring to a boil then simmer until the vegetables are all tender and the sauce has thickened. Season with additional salt and black pepper.

Appetizer · Mediterranean · Spanish

Eggplant Fritters with Honey (Berenjenas con miel)

June 16, 2021June 17, 2021 vanva1 Comment

This recipe is typical of Southern Spain. It is best served fresh and hot. It serves 4 people for a Tapas/Appetizer portion. This would be delicious served with a white wine with some minerality such as pinot grigio or an albariño.

This is great during the summer, and is meant to be eaten immediately. However, you do need to have the eggplants soaking for an hour before you intend to fry them up and serve.

You will need:

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch discs
Flour
Honey
Olive Oil
Salt

Step one:

Peel the eggplant and cut it into circular slices about 1/3 inch thick. Put them in a bowl, add enough milk to cover, and put a small plate on top to hold them down. Let soak for 1 to 2 hours; drain. The purpose of the milk is to draw out any bitterness.

Step two:

Cover a plate with plenty of flour mixed with a sprinkling of salt. Working in batches, turn the eggplant slices in this so that they are entirely covered with flour, then shake them to remove the excess. Deep-fry in sizzling but not too hot oil, turning the slices over as soon as the first side is brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with a drizzle of honey.

Appetizer · Central American · Italian · Mediterranean · Side dish

How to Eat Your Vegetables

June 16, 2021July 10, 2021 vanvaLeave a comment

I’ve been thinking a lot about food and improving health, in general. This is a great pastime when I am procrastinating and avoiding my day job, which if I am honest is pretty often. I am sure you are well versed in the benefits of vegetables, so I will spare you. But do consider adding more into your life, because they will make you feel better, and I think returning to basics has been really helpful this year for me, mentally and physically.

I was born in the early 1970’s – a time where convenience and heavily processed food was the norm. This really clashed with how my great grandmothers and grandmothers cooked. Now, we understand the wisdom of eating fresh produce, and food that is in season. But for decades, the idea of microwave or canned food persisted. Do you remember the weird, sadistic trend of disguising vegetables in foods that kids would eat, like brownies?

When I was a kid, I would go to my other friend’s houses, and would always be shocked by the lack of vegetables, or the ones at the table were drowning in velveeta, boiled within an inch of their life, or was simply canned corn thrown in a bowl, like a sad afterthought. The only exception was my neighbors from Taiwan, where beautifully cooked vegetables took center stage. I was fortunate to eat there on a regular basis, because their daughters were close in age to me.

While I don’t want to pass too much judgement (people were busy, it was a different time), I was very lucky to have good practices and habits set in place by family. My rule of thumb when kids were young and I was very busy was to always make sure at least a salad was on the table. Now, I try to have multiple servings and options, especially in spring and summer when vegetables are very fresh. But I do believe that many people aren’t quite sure what to make, or need some inspiration. So I thought it might do some good to list out favorite vegetables side-dishes for you to enjoy and get inspired by. Most of these derive from Italian and Spanish cooking, but the winter vegetables, I picked up from neighbors whose dishes I admired.

Quick and Easy:

Tomatoes & Feta – Heat oven to 350 degrees. Take campari tomatoes or slice a larger fresh tomato and place in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil & top with feta. Top with a little salt and ground pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
Cucumbers & Feta – peel, deseed and slice two cucumbers. Slice 1/2 small red onion thinly. Add a little salt and pepper. Mix 2 Tbs red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil and some fresh mint leaves. Blend to emusify and drizzle over cucumbers and onions. Add feta or goat cheese. *If you don’t have mint, this is also lovely with fresh basil or oregano.
Quick Caprese – slice tomatoes and top with drizzle of a good olive oil and some basalmic vinegar. Grind a little salt and pepper on top. Add a slice of fresh mozzarella and some fresh basil. Top with basalmic glaze, if you have it.
Sliced cucumbers – Peel & Slice 3 peeled cucumbers wafer thin on a mandolin and thin put them in a strainer. Add salt and let it sit in the strainer for 10-20 minutes. Squeeze all moisture out of the cucumbers and place in a bowl with 2 minced cloves of garlic. Add 1 tbs of white vinegar and salt to taste. Dilute with a little water if needed. This is best served chilled.
Curtido – This is mostly as a side for pupusas, but we love to use it as an all purpose slaw for barbecue, hot dogs, or crabcakes. I often serve it with fish for some crunch and dimension. We also add chiles, but that is optional.
Grilled zucchini & summer squash – if you have time for the grill, this is fast and easy to put together.

Vegetable Spreads:

Caponata – this is best made ahead and chilled. This is salty, sour, sweet, and decadent, all at the same time.
Pisto Manchego – like Caponata, this is great spread onto a bread. Has roasted flavors & cumin notes.
Roasted Red pepper Dip – this is great with pita and one I used to always bring to the break room.
Romesco – this is probably my favorite staple, and is often in fridge and ready to go for eggs, bread, or fish.

Takes a little time, but worth it:

Greek salad – this is a favorite in our family, and we make it on a weekly basis in summer. We always bring it to cookouts.
Ciambotta– this is favorite of our children. They used to call it pizza vegetables, and had no idea they were eating so many vegetables.
Eggplants and honey – you have to soak the eggplants for an hour, but once they are ready. these are quick and easy to make.
Grilled chile-lime corn – Preheat your grill. Partially shuck your corn and remove the corn silk. Put the husks back and dunk in cold water for ten minutes. Shake water off, and rub corn with butter and if you want some spice i.e. chili-lime seasoning or elote seasoning. Place husks back over the cobs, and grill for ten minutes. If you don’t want spice, salt, pepper and paprika will do.

In the winter:

Maple sweet potatoes – this is so delicious in the dead of winter.
Roasted potatoes, brusell sprouts and asparagus – I often make this in fall in a large baking sheet.

Appetizer · Italian · Mediterranean

Caponata

June 16, 2021July 4, 2021 vanva1 Comment

Caponata is an awesome summer dish native to Sicily and Southern Italy. It is a prime example of something that does not look very appealing, but tastes like gold. Ideally, you make a large batch and then keep in the fridge, to chill. It is far better chilled on a hot summer day. Spread it on your bread while you socialize with family and friends and wait for dinner. Although recipes vary, as all good ones do, I love it with a lot of capers.

This is a recipe that I have enjoyed over the years, but didn’t have family knowledge to know exactly how to make. Years ago, I tried out a few, and found this one was close to what I was looking for.

1 ½ pounds eggplant (1 large), roasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 red bell peppers, diced
Salt to taste
1 pound ripe tomatoes, (preferably romas), or 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes (in puree)
3 heaped tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted green olives
2 tablespoons plus a pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (more to taste)
freshly ground pepper to taste

Steps:

Roast the eggplant in the oven, allow to cool and chop coarsely.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet and add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook together for a minute, until the garlic begins to smell fragrant, and add the peppers and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, until just about tender, about 8 minutes. Add another tablespoon of oil and the eggplant, and stir together for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. The eggplant will fall apart, which is fine. Season to taste.
Add the tomatoes to the pan with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and they smell fragrant. Add the capers, olives, remaining sugar, and vinegar. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are thoroughly tender and the mixture is quite thick, sweet, and fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. If possible, cover and chill overnight. Serve at room temperature.

Adapted from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016445-caponata

Appetizer · Mediterranean · Recipes

Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Dip

July 28, 2019November 15, 2019 vanva1 Comment

I found this recipe in a Mediterranean cookbook, and decided to use it for our annual Oscar party. It was ideal because I was looking for a good dip to use that was vegetarian, but delicious. It is very versatile, and very easy to make. I would definitely use it as a spread for sandwiches, as well.

You will need:

2 red sweet peppers
1 onion cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup feta cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh oregano
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Serve with pita chips, bread, or vegetables.

Too Busy?

Instead of roasting the red peppers yourself, use one cup of purchased roasted red sweet peppers, drained

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the peppers in half and deseed and destem. Place the pepper halvess cut side down on the sheet. Arrange the onions and garlic on the baking sheet with the pepper halves. Brush vegetables and garlic with some of the olive oil.
Roast the vegetables for 30 to 35 minutes until the pepper skins are blistered and the onion is tender. Remove them from the oven and wrap the vegetables up in foil. Let them stand for 15 minutes. Peel and discard the skins from the peppers.
Add the peppers and onions to a food processor or blender. Squeeze the garlic from peels into the blender, as well. Add the remaining olive oil, and all of the remaining ingredients. Blend/pulse until nearly smooth.

Italian · Mediterranean · Recipes · Side dish

Orzo & Feta Salad

July 14, 2019November 15, 2019 vanvaLeave a comment

This is a very refreshing salad to bring to a party or serve at lunchtime. We used to have a grocery store that made an excellent version of this, and the recipe that follows is the inspiration. I also borrowed heavily from a version that Gia DeLaurentis makes. The beauty is you can add or sub in any ingredients you want. For example, there are versions with fresh tomatoes or garbanzo beans – whatever inspires you.

Recipe level: easy

Serves: 6

Time: 20 minutes

You will need:

1 1/2 c. orzo
4 c. Chicken broth
1/4 cup red onion, minced
3/4 cup feta
1/2 cup sweet pepper, chopped fine
Sundried tomatoes, chopped fine
1/4 c pitted kalamata olives, quartered

For the dressing:

1/2 c. Red wine vinegar
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
3 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 c. Virgin olive oil
1/2 c. fresh basil
1/4 c. Fresh mint

Step one:

Boil the chicken broth and add the orzo. Make sure to stir, because orzo can get starchy. Cook for about seven minutes and then drain and set aside.

Step two:

Assemble the dressing and then toss with drained orzo.

Step three:

Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Appetizer · Mediterranean · Recipes

Goat Cheese & Basalmic bread

February 24, 2019June 16, 2021 vanva2 Comments

Here was an experiment that began with a delicious baguette and left over goat cheese. This turned out nicely and we paired it with some Chianti. For this particular situation, I chose to lay it out on a baguette, however slicing and toasting the bread into Crostini would be ideal for a party.

You will need:

Fresh baguette
8 oz goat cheese
Handful of spinach
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup mozzarella or fresh sliced mozzarella
Basalmic glaze (you can make it or buy it)* recipe below

Step one:

Cut baguette in half and place on a baking pan. Preheat oven to 350. Brush with a little olive oil.

Step two:

Heat olive oil on medium high heat. Cook down onions for at least 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook down until onions are caramelized (around 15-20 minutes total).

Step three:

Add mozzarella on your bread. Add onions and tomatoes. Add goat cheese and fresh cracked pepper. Place in oven and cook for 8 -10 minutes.

Step four:

While bread is cooking in the oven, slice spinach and gently sauté over medium heat using the same pan you used for the onions. Cook until tender and set aside.

Step five:
Sprinkle spinach on top of the bread and drizzle with glaze. Enjoy!

To make a homeade balsamic glaze:

Bring 2 cups balsamic vinegar and 1/2 cup brown sugar to a boil and reduce heat for twenty minutes.