Last week I hosted a game night at my house for some of the parents’ from my son’s Coop Preschool. We are starting a new tradition to get together as parents once a month (or more) and just socialize, bond and make new friendships.
It was a lot of fun, wine was flowing, moms were relaxed and there were more snacks than we could possibly eat. I didn’t have much time to prepare anything in advance and felt like something light and refreshing.
We have been having unbelievably gorgeous weather in Seattle and when the warm sun is shining this early in the Spring, all I want is light food.
This little cucumber and lox appetizer was born out of my desire to make something super light and being pretty short on time. It’s easy, super healthy, low in Points Plus, Gluten Free, Grain Free and can be made ahead of time.
I picked up Persian Cucumbers from Trader Joe’s along with a 4-ounce package of Wild Smoked Salmon, some dill and a tub of organic cream cheese.
These bites came together very quickly and held up perfectly in the fridge (uncovered) until all the ladies arrived a couple of hours later. They were a big hit and gone before we even started playing our first game so clearly a success.
NOTES:
- If you can’t find Persian Cucumbers, I suggest substituting an English Cucumber and cutting much thinner rounds (1/4″ thick) because they will be so much larger in diameter.
- I used Wild Smoked Salmon – specifically Wild Nova Smoked Alaskan Sockeye Salmon from Trader Joe’s. It comes pre-sliced and is a great value.
- I only wound up using 5-ounces of the 8-ounces of Dill Cream Cheese so that is what I calculated for the Weight Watchers Points Plus through eTools. I saved the rest. Don’t try to make less though, particularly if you are planning on piping the cream cheese. It’s very difficult to work with exact amounts when piping (always better to have more) and you may use a bit more depending on the size of your cucumbers so be sure to re-calculate if this is the case.
- If you are not familiar with how to use a Piping Bag, Martha Stewart has a very quick tutorial that covers the basics.
- ALTERNATE ASSEMBLY: If you don’t have a piping bag, I suggest using a butter knife or cheese spreader to spread the Dill Cream Cheese on the cucumber rounds first. Then layer the smoked salmon on top and finish by lying a piece of the fresh dill on top of the salmon.
Everyday Maven
Yields 15
1 Points Plus Per Serving -- Individual Serving is 3 Pieces -- Recipe Makes Approximately 45 Pieces (depending on size of cucumbers)
20 minPrep Time
20 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound organic Persian cucumbers, washed, ends trimmed and sliced into 3/4" rounds
- 4 ounces pre-sliced Wild Smoked Salmon (See NOTES)
- 1 8-ounce package organic cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves plus more for garnish
- pinch kosher salt
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean cucumbers, trim ends and evenly cut into 3/4" rounds
- Cut the smoked salmon into evenly sized pieces so that they will fit on top of the cucumber rounds. Place the cucumber rounds on a serving tray and top with the salmon pieces. Use up all the salmon. I put about two pieces per cucumber round.
- Combine the cream cheese, dill leaves, salt and pepper in the body of a food processor or blender. Process until well combined and softened.
- Use a piping bag (I used Wilton Tip #21) to evenly distribute the Dill Cream Cheese onto the rounds. (See NOTES if you do not have a piping bag).
- Finish by placing a small sprig of fresh dill on top of each round and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve and Enjoy!
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