When we were traveling through Tuscany, Italy, we had the opportunity to get a tour of the region from an Italian friend ours who knew the area like the back of his hand. Not only did we get to see some beautiful places, like these amazing hot springs, but Rafaele also showed us how to make some simple Italian dishes that tasted better than anything we’ve ever had in a restaurant.
On one of the nights, he served us sliced fresh apricots with this creamy cheese and a basil leaf. The most simple, yet delicious little bite! I knew I had to recreate it once I got home.
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I made a few little tweaks to the dish we had in Italy. I grilled the apricots and used Violife Vegan Cream Cheese – one of the best in my opinion (Kite Hill is also fantastic!) I couldn’t decide between a sweet or savory version so I made both!
For the sweet version, I added some vanilla and maple syrup to the cream cheese, topped it with some toasted hazelnuts and drizzled with maple syrup.
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For the savory version, I mixed fresh basil and a little salt with the cream cheese, and then topped it with some toasted almonds and balsamic drizzle.
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Both were fantastic and the colors were just beautiful! I will add that I don’t have a grill, so I used a cast iron pan to “grill” the apricots and it worked great!
4 ripe apricots (make sure they are ripe as they will be sour otherwise) Olive oil or avocado oil 2/3 cup plain vegan cream cheese, divided in half 2-3 Tbsp freshly chopped basil Sea salt to taste 1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla extrast 1/2 tsp maple syrup Cinnamon 1/4 cup hazelnuts 1/4 cup sliced almonds Balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze Maple syrup NOTE: You can also do all 8 halves one way. Just double the amount of ingredients.
Ingredients
Instructions