Smoked Salmon Canape's

Smoked Salmon Canape's

These appetizers are quick, tasty, easy to prepare , and easy on the waistline.  I serve the smoked salmon dip on cucumbers, because I like crunch and taste, but you could also put it on crackers, (per request from husband, H).

Ingredients:

8 ounces fat free cream cheese or Tofutti Better than cream cheese, room temp

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbls creamy horseradish (more if you like it a bit more spicy)

1 large shallot, minced

3 Tbls capers, rinsed and dried

2 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias

1 English (seedless) cucumber, sliced into rounds

2 Tbls minced fresh dill, plus more for snipped garnish

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Just so you know: Tofutti has no butter fat, no milk; just soy and other good stuff.

When you're trying to cut down on fat and calories, you can go with the fat free / light/ soy substitutes, as long as you have big, powerful flavors to offset what can be bland tasting diet plate dishes. Like we have here with the salmon, capers, shallots, and horseradish.

Here's how it's done:

With your vegetable peeler, peel lengthwise slices of peel off of the cucumber, making stripes around it.

Slice the cucumber into rounds, approximately 1/2 - 1 inch thick. (It has to be thick enough to hold a spread). Lay the cuke slices out on a stack of paper towels and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Let this hang out for a good 20 minutes, blotting with dry paper towels as the moisture comes to the surface.
This does two things; first, it seasons the cucumber. Second, it helps eliminate some of the moisture in the cuke. If you put a dip or spread on top of an unsalted, wet cuke, it will slide right off. Probably into your lap. Or, your mother in law's lap. Or your boss's lap. No bueno.

While the cukes are giving up some of their excess water, get out your hand mixer and go to town on the spread. 

Chop up the smoked salmon into small pieces.

Rinse the capers under cold water and drain.

Thinly slice the green onions, on the diagonal, just because it looks pretty.

Mince the shallots.

Finely chop the dill.

Into a bowl, put the cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, dill, and shallots. Mix it up until smooth and creamy.

With a soft spatula, fold in the salmon, capers, and green onions.

TASTE and re-season, as necessary.

Line a bowl with a gallon size zip top bag.

Put the filling into the bag.

Zip it up, squeezing out the air. Now, snip off a corner of the bag so you can pipe the spread onto the cuke rounds.

If this step sends you into panic mode, no worries. You can skip it and simply spoon the spread onto the cukes.

If not panic stricken, go ahead and pipe some filling onto the now blotted dry cukes.

Top with fresh chopped dill, fresh cracked pepper, and serve.

Ingredients:

8 ounces fat free cream cheese or Tofutti Better than cream cheese, room temp

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbls creamy horseradish (more if you like it a bit more spicy)

1 large shallot, minced

3 Tbls capers, rinsed and dried

2 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias

1 English (seedless) cucumber, sliced into rounds

2 Tbls minced fresh dill, plus more for snipped garnish

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Method:
1. Peel lengthwise slices of peel off of the cucumber, making stripes around it. (Just because it's pretty).
2. Slice the cucumber into rounds, approximately 1/2 - 1 inch thick.
3. Lay the cuke slices out on a stack of paper towels and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
4. Blot cukes with dry paper towels as the moisture comes to the surface.
5. Chop up the smoked salmon into small pieces.

6. Rinse the capers under cold water and drain.

7. Thinly slice the green onions, on the diagonal.

8. Mince the shallots.

9. Finely chop the dill.

10. Put the cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, dill, and shallots into a bowl. With a hand mixer, mix it up until smooth and creamy.

11. With a soft spatula, fold in the salmon, capers, and green onions.

12. TASTE and re-season, as necessary.

13. Line a bowl with a gallon size zip top bag. Put the filling into the bag. Zip it up. Squeeze the air  out.     14. Snip off a corner of the bag.  Pipe the spread onto the cuke rounds.

15. Top with fresh chopped dill, fresh cracked pepper, and serve.