Spicy Sweet Salmon Bites Appetizer

To say my family LOVES salmon would be an understatement! Whether its grilled, smoked or raw in a sushi roll or poke bowl, we eat it all! I was excited to join the Cedar Bay Grilling Company Blogger Recipe Challenge and today I am sharing my appetizer recipe submission for Spicy Sweet Salmon Bites! Let me add that the blend of flavors in this salmon appetizer FAR EXCEEDED my expectations, which were pretty high to begin with!

I typically make a bit more than we can eat in one meal, but only some of my family enjoys leftovers of any kind. To get around this, I look for ways to use leftover ingredients disguised in other dishes. (SHHHH! Don’t tell!) So I would like to share my idea for using leftover salmon! Now I wouldn’t only make this with leftover salmon, I would grill some specifically to make the Spicy Sweet Salmon Bites because they are THAT good and make an impressive appetizer! This night, however, just my husband and I were home for dinner so I knew we’d have leftovers and that I would be making a salmon appetizer for us the next day.

Disclosure: As part of the recipe challenge, the Cedar Bay Grilling Company provided 2 Cedar Bay Planked Salmon Full Fillets in Sugar & Spice and Applewood with Orange & Ginger to use for recipe creation.

The Cedar Bay Sugar & Spice Cedar Planked Salmon was wonderful and easy to prepare. The fillet is kept frozen and I defrosted it overnight. Then I grilled the fillet on the included plank, according to package instructions. Cedar Bay Planked Salmon Full Fillets are available for purchase at Kroger, Publix, Hannaford, Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Meyer, Ralph’s, Giant, Giant eagle, Stop n Shop and Roche Bros.

Ingredients for Salmon Appetizer:

• Cedar Bay Sugar & Spice Cedar Planked Salmon, cooked and cooled
• 4 oz Whipped Cream Cheese
• 1-2 TBSP Fresh Herbs, finely minced – Oregano, Parsley, Chives
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 10 Campari Tomatoes (alt. Belgian Endive Leaves or Cucumber Slices)
• Citrus Candied Jalapeño Slices

Remove cream cheese from refrigerator about 20 minutes prior to starting so it will begin to soften. This will make it easier to combine later.

TIP: If you are pressed for time, you could use store-bought flavored cream cheese, like a Fine Herbs Shallot & Chives variety, found in the cheese section of your grocery store.

Begin making the salmon appetizer by slicing off the tops of the tomatoes and gently scoop out the seeds. Place the seeded tomatoes upside down on some paper towel and allow the remaining liquid from the tomatoes to drain out. Next, take your left over salmon and flake it into small pieces. Keep the size of the tomato in mind and make sure they are not too small, but just big enough to sit on top of each one.

Finely mince your fresh herbs. I found that fresh oregano, parsley and chives were a tasty combo. Combine to the softened cream cheese, then add salt and pepper, to taste.

Wipe off any excess moisture from the tomatoes. I sliced off a very think layer at the bottom of each tomato, allowing them to stand on their own, without wobbling over. Begin filling each one with the herbed cream cheese. Spoon a bit of salmon over the cream cheese and top with a one slice of the Citrus Candied Jalapeños.

While creating this recipe, I tried a couple of other variations, where I used a small endive leaf as a cup to hold the herbed cream cheese, salmon and jalapeño. Another great option was to use a large cucumber slice. I have one family member that doesn’t care for tomatoes, so I made some with the cucumbers and it was just as big of a hit!

Lastly, another option is using small endive leaves as a “cup” instead. It was a tasty option, but to be honest, they were hard to position on a platter without falling over.

Seriously, this salmon appetizer was THE perfect addition to my platter. Great for company or a date night in. I promise, you will not be disappointed!

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