Cucumber Canapé with Tonnato Sauce and Tomato-Basil Salsa →

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Crunchy, refreshing English cucumber and briny, creamy Tonnato Sauce topped with tangy tomato-basil salsa come together to make this quick and delicious appetizer. This is the perfect choice to serve alongside Shrimp Cake Appetizers. Give them a try. Your guests will thank you!

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Cucumber Canapés with Tonnato Sauce and Tomato-Basil Salsa
Serves 6 or more

Ingredients:

  • 1-English cucumber sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds (12 slices for 6 people)

  • Tonnato Sauce (recipe below)

  • Tomato-Basil Salsa (recipe below)

Preparation:

  1. Slice the cucumber.

  2. Top with a teaspoon of Tonnato Sauce (ideally leftover from the Veal or Roast Pork Tonnato you recently served.)

  3. Top with Tomato-Basil Salsa

    Make the Tonnato Sauce
    Ingredients:

    1/4 cup mayonnaise
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    3 ounces of can tuna in olive oil (use half the tuna and oil in a 6 ounce can of Italian tuna in oil)
    1/2 anchovy fillet (if you love anchovies add an extra fillet!)
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (to taste)
    1 tablespoon drained, rinsed capers

    In a blender, purée all ingredients, including oil from tuna can, until smooth. Taste and season with black pepper and salt to your taste.

    Make the Tomato-Basil Salsa

    Ingredients:

    1 large tomato seeded and chopped

    1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped red onion

    1 tablespoon chopped or torn fresh basil

    ½ jalapeño minced

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

    salt and pepper to taste

    Mix the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least a half-hour for the flavors to meld.

Salmon Spread →

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What to do with leftover salmon? With very little effort, you can make delicious Salmon Spread to smear on your morning bagel or toast or to use on crackers or cucumber rounds with a tomato/red onion garnish as appetizers. This recipe uses a 1:1 fresh-cooked salmon to cream cheese ratio instead of the usual 1:2 ratio of smoked salmon to cream cheese. If the spread is too thick for your taste, or if you want to use it as a dip, add some sour cream or crème fraiche to achieve the consistency you like. You can further thin the mixture out by adding a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream at a time to the mixture until you reach the dip consistency you want. This makes a flavorful, rich, creamy dip for chips or veggies. You’ll never have to wonder what to do with leftover salmon again.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Makes about ½ cup
Ingredients:

  • 4-5 ounces of cooked salmon (not smoked salmon)

  • 4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature

  • 1 or 2 tablespoons of sour cream or creme fraiche (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

  • 1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 teaspoon capers

  • ¼ teaspoon Tabasco

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Preparation:

  1. Break apart the salmon with a fork and mix together with all the ingredients except the cream cheese.

  2. Cut the cream cheese into 4 or more small chunks and mash and mix them together with the salmon mixture.

  3. Mix less if you want a chunkier spread. If you want a smooth spread, put the mixture into a processor and process it to your desired consistency.

Other Salmon Spread sources:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/233564/the-best-smoked-salmon-spread/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/smoked-salmon-spread-recipe3
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/smoked-salmon-spread-1273462