Lentil Crostini with Goat Cheese Spread

Michael's sister got him a cookbook for Christmas and this is the first recipe we tried (with a few modifications). It's an interesting twist on bruschetta. The lentils took me quite a while to cook because I accidentally put the burner on low instead of keeping it simmering. Since then, I've also learned that green lentils take a bit longer to cook than black ones. Other than that, this is an easy recipe! Oh also, this recipe makes a lot of pieces - about 2-3 dozen depending on how thin you slice the bread. We just cooked all the lentils at once (still have lots of leftovers) and baked only the amount of bread slices we wanted for that dinner. You can also prepare only a small amount of goat cheese spread at a time and save the rest for later. Of course if you're making appetizers for a party, go ahead and make them all!

Ingredients

LENTILS:

• 1 1/4 cups dry beluga (aka. black) lentils (we used green b/c they were cheaper)
• 4 cups water or vegetable stock (we used the stock, but I don't think it makes that much difference)
• 1-2 tsp salt

CROSTINI:

• 1 whole-grain baguette, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• olive oil (as needed)
• salt (to sprinkle over pieces)
• garlic powder (to sprinkle over pieces)

CHEVRE-CHIVE SPREAD:

• 8 oz. fresh goat cheese (less if you won't use the whole baguette)
• milk (a splash)
• 1 large bunch chives, snipped (easiest with kitchen scissors)
• salt (to season)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Put lentils in a large saucepan and cover with water (or stock). Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until lentils are tender but not splitting/falling apart. Add salt to prevent lentils from splitting. Remove pot from heat, drian, set aside.
3. Meanwhile, brush the bread slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Put the pieces on a baking sheet and bake for 10-20 minutes until golden.
   
4. Combine goat cheese and a spalsh of milk (just enough to make the cheese spreadable). Add the chives and stir to combine. Season with a bit of salt if desired.
5. Assemble each piece by spreading the chevre spread and adding a spoonful of lentils. Garnish with the snipped chives.