Here’s a delicious appetizer that lightens up the more traditional high-calorie spread, courtesy of Mary Jean Christian, RD, coordinator of the UCI Health Diabetes Program.
Start by using cucumbers or cherry tomatoes instead of crackers or chips. The spread with salmon and low-fat cheese provides additional nutrition in the form of protein and omega-3 fats.
Salmon Spread with Vegetables
Ingredients
- ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon nonfat milk
- 4 scallions (white part only), sliced
- 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
- ¼ cup whipped cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives or dill
- English (hothouse) cucumbers
- Cherry tomatoes
Directions
Filling:
Process cottage cheese and milk in blender or food processor until smooth.
Add scallions, salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice and a pinch of white pepper. Process until smooth and creamy.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
Fill each vegetable “cup” (see below) with about 2 teaspoons of the salmon filling. Garnish with the chopped chives or dill.
English cucumbers:
Wash and slice into ¾-inch thick rounds, discard ends. Scoop out some of the seeds, leaving a small amount of flesh to form a round cup. A small melon ball tool works well for this task.
Cherry tomatoes:
Cut off a small slice from the bottom of each tomato to prevent it from rolling around on the serving dish. Slice off the stem side and scoop out the seeds to form a small cup.
Nutritional Information
Each serving: 3 pieces
- 60 calories
- 3 g fat
- 150 mg sodium
- 5g protein
- 1.975 g total carbohydrates
- Less than 1 g sugar
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