Onion, Date, and 'Brie' Crostini

Now I'm getting creative with leftover dates - these crostini (which simply means "little toasts", in Italian) are delicious, using vegan cream cheese in place of the Brie to mimic the cheese's smooth, creamy texture.

Place 12 (1/2-inch thick) slices of French bread baguette on a baking sheet and broil for two minutes on each side until toasted (that's about 6-ounces of bread total). Set aside.

Melt a 1/2 tsp. vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add one and a half cups thinly sliced onion, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and one small minced garlic clove; cook for ten minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and saute for 4 minutes until the onion is starting to brown. Add 1 teaspoon raw sugar and saute 2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (Annie's Naturals makes a vegan version without the anchovies!).

Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons chopped dates and 2 ounces (about 1/4 cup) vegan cream cheese (such as Tofutti), stirring until combined.

Place about2 teaspoons of the onion mixture on top of each bread slice. Return to the oven at 300 degrees fof 4 minutes. Each crostini is 70 calories.

Cost:
French bread $1.29
onion $1.04
rosemary $2.99
vegan cream cheese $2.99