Artichoke & Caramelized Onion Flatbread

Ingredients:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 t. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup quartered artichokes (canned, drained)
• Cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste
• A few fresh sprigs of thyme for topping
• Optional: drizzle of balsamic reduction (bottled, or you can make your own by heating balsamic vinegar on the stove until it is reduced by 2/3)

Crust:

• 1/2 cup chickpea flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup fine almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
• 2 T. tapioca starch, potato starch, or cornstarch, plus more for sprinkling on baking sheet
• 1/4 t. fine sea salt
• Cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 T. coconut oil, chilled
• Scant 1/4 cup cold water

Cashew Sauce:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 1 hr in warm water
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1 T. nutritional yeast
• 1/8 t. salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 t. fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Start caramelizing the onions. Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, then the onions. Stir every few minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan as the onions start to brown and stick. If they look like they are too dry and are burning, reduce the heat slightly and add a little more oil or a splash of water. When the onions look like they are almost done, add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and continue to cook. The whole process may take about 30 minutes, so I recommend making the crust while the onions cook, pausing and stirring every couple of minutes. When the onions are almost completely brown, remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F and dust an 8-inch tart pan or baking sheet with starch. Combine the dry crust ingredients in a bowl and add the coconut oil and water, stirring and breaking up any large clumps of coconut oil with the edge of a spoon. Press crust dough into the bottom of the tart pan or press it into a small circle on the baking sheet (like a pizza crust). Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges of the crust start to turn golden. Let cool in the pan or on the baking sheet (you will return it to the oven after adding the toppings).
3. Combine all of the cashew sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
4. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F. Prepare the flatbread by spreading 2-3 Tablespoons of the cashew cream on top of the crust, leaving about 1/2 inch of crust exposed (you will have quite a bit left over, but reducing the ingredients would have made it impossible to blend), then add a generous amount of caramelized onions and artichokes. Return to the oven and bake for about 8 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove from the pan and transfer to a flat plate. Finally, top with a light sprinkle of sea salt, cracked black pepper, and fresh thyme. Add a drizzle of balsamic reduction, cut into quarters, and serve!