Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites

What a stunner these little appetizers turned out to be. I've seen appetizers done with a spoonful of dip dolloped on top of a cucumber slice. They always seem too precarious to me; like the filling will more likely end up in your guest's lap than their mouth. The method in this recipe of cutting the cucumber slice for stability, then scooping out the middle to make a cup for the filling solved that problem. The fact that they're low carb, bright, interesting and flavorful will make them a go-to app for years to come. 

I didn't significantly change the recipe which I found over on Nom Nom Paleo. They've got some gorgeous recipes, check them out.

Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites

Recipe adapted from Nom Nom Paleo, serves 6

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb, wild caught salmon 
• 3 English cucumbers, peeled and cut crosswise into ¾-inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use no-sugar added Duke's brand)
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus garnish
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet/dulce)
• olive oil
• salt

Spicy Mayonnaise

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. On a parchment, or foil-lined sheet pan, place the salmon. Drizzle with olive oil, and season liberally with salt on both sides. Roast 18-20 minutes until salmon is cooked to medium doneness. Let rest for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, paprika and Tabasco. Flake the cooked salmon into the mayonnaise mixture, add the shallots, chives and gently combine. Adjust seasoning to taste. Refrigerate the mixture until you're ready to fill the cucumber cups.

No more than two hours before serving, prepare the cucumber cups. I did not have a melon baller but I found a rounded 1/4 teaspoon worked just as well. Be careful you don't go through the base of the cucumber.

Check the seasoning again, as I find the flavor sometimes dulls in the fridge. Add the salmon salad into the cups. I used two small spoons to do this. Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Finished appetizers displayed on a "silver" tray.

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas morning breakfast should be easy AND special, right? Around Thanksgiving I saw a recipe using store-bought crescent rolls and pumpkin butter to make a variation on a cinnamon roll. I thought apple butter would suit Christmas really nicely.

Feel free to make your own cinnamon roll dough, here's a link to Martha Stewart's recipe. You can also use store-bought or homemade apple butter. I was lucky enough to have homemade on hand. Served with maple bacon, scrambled eggs and cooked apples, it made for a perfect Christmas day breakfast.

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tubes crescent rolls (mine had 8 crescent rolls per tube)
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, unroll the first tube of crescent rolls, keeping the dough intact. Pinch together the seams. Spread half of the apple butter evenly across the dough, followed by half the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Roll the shorter end towards itself, this will create more layers of swirls. Follow the same steps above for the second roll. You can refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cut each roll into 1 1/2 inch slices and place closely together (around a 1/2 inch from the other rolls) on your sheet pan. Bake until browned and cooked through, approximately 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm or room temperature. Serve with extra apple butter at the table.

This was a magical Christmas for my little one.