From charcuterie boards to dips, the sky’s the limit when it comes to appetizers! Do you have an easy, go-to recipe for appetizers? Our friend Laura Ashley Johnson , who is a Registered Dietician, a shared a great appetizer recipe with us that is simple, yet fancy. Perfect for parties, family get-togethers, game day snacks or movie night with that special someone – these healthy Salmon Cucumber Appetizers are easy to make and will have everyone asking for more!
Many people hesitate to create their own recipes, especially for appetizers, because they have this idea that they must look or taste a certain way. Whether you are looking to upgrade a favorite appetizer recipe to be healthier or you’re bored of the same old, same old, we have some tips for you to make your own appetizers. Put on your apron – it’s time to get creative!
Choose Your Foundation
The first step to building an appetizer is to choose a base. In Laura Ashley’s recipe, she opted to use our Poco Bites® Cocktail Cucumbers. They are just the right size to pop in your mouth and don’t require any utensils to eat.
When selecting a base, you want to make sure that it is sturdy enough to hold the toppings. Something flimsy is going to make the whole experience of eating the appetizer disappointing if the entire thing ends up on your shirt or in your lap.
Our Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers also make an excellent base for appetizers. They can be cooked and still be sturdy enough to hold whatever you decide to put inside them!
Pick Your Protein
A protein-rich ingredient should be a main component of an appetizer, particularly if you are serving them as a snack or finger food at a party. It helps to keep guests feeling fuller longer and can help aid in delaying the effects of adult beverages.
For Laura Ashley’s appetizers, she used two different proteins: salmon and cream cheese. While using two different proteins may seem overkill, the combination of flavors and textures is important to please everyone palates.
Add Color
Combining a variety of colors is an easy way to boost the aesthetics of your appetizers and also incorporate more nutrition! In Laura Ashley’s recipe, the beautiful color of the salmon is complemented by the green from the Poco Bites®. Our Sangria® Medley Tomatoes come in a rainbow of different colors, textures and flavors. They make beautiful and tasty toppings to many appetizers.
Mix Textures and Flavors
As mentioned before, the combination of flavors and textures is important. Depending on the toppings or your overall flavor goals for your appetizers, you can include just about anything if the taste profiles match.
The recipe for Salmon Cucumber Appetizers has some incredible textures and flavors happening. First, you get the crunch from the cucumber that is extremely pleasing. Then you get that creamy texture from the cream cheese with a hint of salty flavor from the smoked salmon. To top it all off, there is the everything bagel seasoning that provides a little bit of crunch, and a hint of different flavors from the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dehydrated onion and flaky salt.
Building your appetizers is achievable when you pay attention to what flavors and textures pair well together. All of our veggies have their own guides that give suggestions as to what they go well with to help you get started. Give some of the above ideas a try next time you are craving a new appetizer creation and you just might be surprised by just how delicious and nutritious it can be! If all of that seems overwhelming, we’ve done some of the work for you… You can check out all of our appetizer recipes and pick the ones that will be your new go-to appetizers!
For Laura Ashley’s full Salmon Cucumber Appetizers recipe, click here.
For more healthy snacking advice and tasty recipes, make sure to sign up for Pure Flavor’s® monthly newsletter.
