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Food styling always make the party. whether its perfectly executed or a failed attempt, its always a hit! As Easter approaches and you are creating your Easter brunch menu, check out this whimsical twist on traditional appetizer.
These smoked salmon cream cheese filled sweet peppers not only taste delicious but also resemble adorable carrots, adding that festive touch to your holiday spread. Let’s dive into this delightful recipe that combines the smoky richness of salmon with the creamy goodness of cream cheese.
Let’s talk about the ingredients…
I never used to be a fan of peppers, but these mini sweet peppers have converted me. Their perfect balance of sweetness still keeps them feeling like a vegetable. They are fantastic when chopped up in salads, sliced for stir-fries, or used to stuff with delicious fillings like the one here.
When choosing your bag of peppers, opt for one that contains the most orange peppers to keep with the carrot theme for Easter, using yellow as a second option.
Two 8-ounce Blocks of 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese
I try to cut corners calorie wise where I can without compromising taste. This is one one if occasions where you can totally do that. IMO, you won’t even notice!
What are capers you may ask? To be completely honest, I didn’t know exactly what they were until I started writing this blog post. Capers are unripened flower buds of a perennial bush native to the Mediterranean. They are most well known, to me at least , for being used in Chicken Piccata recipes.
They are savory, pungent and intensely salty. A little bit goes a long way. I tend to be sensitive to salt, so in this recipe I choose to not add any additional salt for seasoning, but you can certainly taste and add to your liking.
The star of the show in this recipe is obviously the smoked salmon. Smoked Salmon is smooth, velvety, slightly smoky and salty making this ingredient the most flavorful addition to this mixture.
You can can find packages of smoked salmon in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I personally like the Trader Joe’s Wild Sockeye Smoked Salmon because of its 4-ounce packaging and its reasonable price point.
Red Onion and Cucumbers
When you think of a bagel with cream cheese and lox, what toppings do you automatically think of? Thinly sliced red onion, cucumber and tomato. Now, I chose to not add the tomato in this recipe, because I always find tomatoes to make mixtures a bit watery. I believe I made the right decision for this one.
Fresh Dill & Chives
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Elevate your Easter festivities with these charming smoked salmon and cheese-filled sweet peppers that not only tantalize the taste buds but also add a playful element to your holiday table. Enjoy the delightful combination of smoky salmon, creamy cheese, and vibrant veggies – a perfect treat for both kids and adults!
Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Stuffed "Carrots"
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Grapefruit Spoon optional
- Gallon Ziplock Bag
- Scissor or Kitchen Shears
Ingredients
- 1 Bag Mini Sweet Peppers Look for a bag that has the most orange peppers
- 2 Blocks 8oz 1/3 Fat Cream Cheese
- 4 oz Package of Smoked Salmon
- 1/4 Cup Red Onion sliced
- 1/3 Cup Cucumber sliced
- 1/4 Cup Capers
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Chives chopped
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Dill chopped
- 3 Sprigs Fresh Dill for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and cut the sweet mini peppers: Slice in half leaving in the stems. Using a grapefruit knife remove the seeds.
- Prepare the filling: In a food processor, add all ingredients except the sweet peppers and pulse until smooth.
- Assemble the "carrots": Add the mixture to a galloon ziplock bag. Twisting the bag, move the filling to one side of the bottom of the bag. Cut a small hole at the tip end allowing this to become your tool to fill your peppers.
- Fill each prepared sweet pepper with the cream cheese mixture starting from the top to the bottom.
- Garnish with dill: Insert sprigs of dill into the cream cheese at the top of each pepper, ensuring they stick out like vibrant green carrot leaves.
- Arrange and serve: Display atop kale leaves on a serving platter, creating a visually appealing "carrot patch."
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