Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese on Cucumber
"Quick, easy, and healthy appetizer....
Make it quick and easy or use very simple creative peeling techniques, tweak the method of spicing, and use icing tips to create a great visual service!!! See notes throughout recipe for options. (Below instructions find the easiest version and the most visually pleasing version!)
For a healthy alternative: use neufchatel cheese, lower-fat cream cheese, or a combination of cream cheese and fat-free sour cream.
Salmon mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated until service."
- Ready In:
- 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Serves:
-
6-8
ingredients
- 3 large cucumbers
- 16 ounces smoked salmon
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- dill, to taste
- chives, to taste
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
-
Optional
- white pepper
- additional smoked salmon
directions
- Peel cucumber. (Nota Bene: For a visual effect, use different peeling techniques -- my favorite: use zester to peel the cucumber, cut at intervals around the cucumber, then slice. Save peelings to garnish the serving plate.).
- Slice to taste. (Nota Bene: Your choice of slicing will affect the flavor greatly, in my opinion, so cut different sizes and sample for yourself! If you use thicker slices, take a small spoon out of the top in order to give a nice place to secure topping.).
- Arrange cucumbers for service and salt/pepper lightly to taste.
- Blend or fold salmon and cream cheese. (Nota Bene: reserve some bits of salmon for garnish atop each.).
- Add chives, dill, salt and pepper to taste. (Nota Bene: For visual effect, I recommend blending salt only into mixture, adding pepper atop plain cucumber instead, then sprinkling dill and chives on top. Also try sprinkling dill, then adorning each with small torn pieces of smoked salmon and then adding chives atop.).
- Dollop desired amount atop each cucumber slice. (Nota Bene: use icing bags with decorative tips to create lovely dollops.).
-
QUICK AND EASY:
- Peel and slice cucumber.
- Arrange cucumbers for service and salt/pepper lightly to taste.
- Blend or fold salmon and cream cheese.
- Add chives, dill, salt and pepper to taste.
- Dollop desired amount atop each cucumber slice. (.
-
DINNER PARTY:
- Cut tips off of cucumber and zest cucumber at regular intervals. Save peelings to garnish the serving plate.
- Slice cucumbers just thick enough to allow you take a small spoon out of the top in order to give a nice place to secure topping.
- Arrange cucumbers for service and salt/pepper lightly to taste.
- Blend or fold salmon, cream cheese, and salt/white pepper to taste. (If you are not using additional salmon, reserve a small bit to use atop each.).
- Top each cucumber with a dollop of mixture using decorative icing tips.
- Sprinkle with dill to taste.
- Top with remaining or additional smoked salmon. (Try cutting very thin slices of salmon and rolling into florets and then standing them upward atop each.).
- Sprinkle with chives.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>I am university student and quasi-housewife to my workaholic significant other, who is a phenomenal cook and serious foodie as well. We enjoy undertaking complicated cooking projects to help wind down after a long day...most days we don't get to eat until close to midnight, thanks to his work schedule, our gym time, and our cooking projects. </p>
<p>Our current food interests have been on curries, steak, shellfish, and healthy desserts. The ethnic theme has mostly been Indian and Creole. We like incorporating a lot of spice and experimenting with rare or exotic ingredients.</p>
<p>But we enjoy our wine (we keep a journal) and time together as we cook. When time allows, we will enjoy a nice after-dinner drink (tailored to our dessert choice of course), usually a spicy sipping rum like Zaya or Zacapa or a glass of cognac or tawny port. So we enjoy experimenting with desserts to suit or incorporate various spirits or dessert wines. And trying to find some healthy options so we can enjoy our wine or *****tail with a little less guilt! </p>
<p>But we do love to indulge! And love entertaining family and friends to sample new creations or enjoy some our famous concontions. </p>
<p>Currently, I am experimenting with creating a recipe list that incorporates the philosophy of the best facets of different diet plans while maximizing the benefits of combining the nutritional content of the foods with the health benefits of various spices in order to create nutritionally balanced meals. Just for fun and some interested friends. I'll create a recipe list when I have made more progress.</p>
