A favorite (and incidentally healthy) hors d’oeuvre is smoked salmon. Whenever I am at a cocktail party or reception, I head straight for this first.
Parties are not the only times we can enjoy smoked salmon, however. This pink delicacy makes a great lunch, especially for those of us watching our waistlines. You can incorporate smoked salmon, neufchâtel cheese, light sour cream, capers, dill, red onion and multi-grain crackers for a filling and refreshingly different take on lunch for any day of the week– not just a special occasion. Round off the meal with a few cornichons (the tartness is a fabulous complement to the salmon), a cup of cherry tomatoes and a couple of sweet clementine oranges for dessert, and you’ve got a great and satisfying mid-day meal for about 350 calories.
Let’s do a break-down of this luscious and surprisingly inexpensive lunch:
Smoked Salmon:
Use 2 oz of smoked salmon for your lunch portion (I know that doesn’t sound like much, but trust me– this is a lot in terms of smoked salmon). Smoked salmon generally comes in 4 oz and 8 oz packages, with the 4 oz packages being around $7.00.
NUTRITIONAL INFO (per 2 oz serving): 83 calories, 0 g fat, 3 g fat, 13 g protein.
Dilled Neufchâtel Caper Spread:
INGREDIENTS:
3 oz Neufchâtel cheese, softened
4 tablespoons light sour cream
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup capers, drained
1/4 cup fresh dill
DIRECTIONS: Stir all ingredients together in bowl until well blended. Makes approx. 3 servings.
NUTRITIONAL INFO (per serving): 103 calories, 4 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 2 g protein.
Multi-Grain Crackers:
I recommend Kavli 5-grain crackers because they taste great and are satisfying as well as being fat-free and very low in calories. There are two crackers per serving and the serving is about the size of a slice of sandwich bread.
NUTRITIONAL INFO (1 serving Kavli 5-Grain): 60 calories, 11 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 2 g protein.
Cherry Tomatoes:
One cup of cherry tomatoes is a filling and contrasting texture and flavor to the rich smoked salmon and dilled Neufchatel caper spread. Pair this with 2 tablespoons of your favorite dressing, if you wish.
NUTRITIONAL INFO ( 1 cup cherry tomatoes): 31 calories, 7 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 1 g protein.
Cornichons:
These are bitter little French gherkins that you can find in specialty stores, cheeseries, Whole Foods, and some better supermarkets. Their tart taste complements cured and smoked meats and fish superbly. Be sure to check the ingredients because you don’t want a cornichon with sugar in it– that makes it sweet. The sour cornichon is best with this meal. One serving of about 4 cornichons is about 10 calories, so feel free to eat as many of these as you like!
Clementines:
Of course, you may use any fruit for your dessert, but I prefer clementines because they’re so sweet, easy to peel and downright fun to eat. They remind me of being a kid.
NUTRITIONAL INFO (1 clementine): 35 calories, 7 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 1 g protein.
Tags: capers, cherry tomatoes, clementines, dill, healthy lunch idea, kavli crackers, neufchâtel cheese, smoked salmon
