Smoked salmon cucumber bites
Cool cucumber rounds topped with lemony dill cream cheese and a curl of smoked salmon, the fancy little snack that’s really just slicing and spreading.
- 15 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.17 a serving
- 150 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: It’s ready in 15 minutes, start to finish.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- ½ lemon, zested
- 1 English cucumber
- 4 oz smoked salmon
- 1 tbsp capers, drained (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 pinch black pepper
Each serving has about 150 calories, 8 g protein, 6 g carbs and 11 g fat, and costs about $2.17 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No English cucumbers? Cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the cream cheese, dill, lemon and pepper together in a bowl until smooth.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Dolly’s tip: Cold cream cheese stays lumpy. Leave it out for 20 minutes, or mash it with the fork first.the cucumber into rounds about ¼ inch thick and them dry with a paper towel.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Dolly’s tip: Dry rounds hold the cream cheese. Wet ones make it slide off.Spread a little of the cream cheese on each round.
Tear the salmon into small strips and curl one onto each round.
Food safety: If you’re pregnant, heat deli meat, hot dogs, salami, pepperoni and smoked salmon until steaming hot, 165°F, just before eating, or leave them out. Eaten cold, they carry a small risk of listeria.
Top with a couple of capers and eat them right away, or keep them in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop plans snacks along with the week’s dinners, puts what you need on the same grocery list, and walks you through each step.
