How is this Monday treating you?
How about not having to think about lunch and opting for some stuff on toast, as Trevor's mother would say?
Just grab slices of a good bread, toast it and have one with cilantro pesto topped with avocado and the other with tablespoons of the most incredible smoked salmon spread ever?
Funny I should propose cilantro and salmon, and add the word incredible to the fish spread. It turns out I truly hate fish, really, really, really find it impossible to pass. I did hear you gasp btw. The horror, I know.
It's a universally loved protein, and here I am, writing about how I can live without it. For ever and ever.
Before getting to the cilantro part, let me explain why I will advocate this smoked salmon spread, with capers, lemon and hot pepper sauce till the day food blogs become obsolete: because ever since the first time I made it, circa 1996, I only got rave reviews, so ardent, so full of exclamation points, that there really is no need for me to taste it to know that I'm passing you one of those recipes.
About that cilantro, innocent looking green leaf that tends to brings out a love or hate relationship in people. Turns out I have a great feeling with it as long as it's a balanced amount. Put too much into it, and I get transported to the Chesapeake Bay, to a little restaurant near the water, where me and my older brother ordered a thai soup, my first time eating that type of hot bowl, full of ingredients I could hardly distinguish, or pronounce at the time, and that, after taking a big spoonful of it, nearly choked myself unable to swallow it.
Guys, it had so much cilantro it was like taking a gulp from my grandmother's diorissimo eau de toilette.
While I was trying to order something else, drinking glass after glass of cold water, my brother was happy to eat both bowls of soup, claiming the cilantro was the best part. So, from my experience, it's a love it or hate it situation.
Now, I found a way to eat this fragrant herb, which is one of a kind, and that is combined with certain ingredients; then it becomes extraordinary.
Did you know that it's amazing with raw almonds and roasted garlic in a pesto? I didn't either, but it is. This creamy pesto is a treasure of a recipe, one that I make a lot and eat it with any pasta for a quick meal. Me and pasta, we're best friends. Me + pasta + cilantro pesto, best friends forever.
Did you know that it's amazing with raw almonds and roasted garlic in a pesto? I didn't either, but it is. This creamy pesto is a treasure of a recipe, one that I make a lot and eat it with any pasta for a quick meal. Me and pasta, we're best friends. Me + pasta + cilantro pesto, best friends forever.
Before we go any further with the smoked salmon spread and the creamy cilantro pesto, there are some recipes and links I want to share with you. Because Vintage Mondays here mean I get to unload the massive amount of information I read throughout the weeks, besides the vintage recipes I always have for you.
- In the food section, some stellar recipes to try from my pinterest board:
Mamoul Cookies from Bakeaway with Me
Cheese and Olive Straws from Food Wanderings
Artichoke Risotto from David Lebovitz
Smoky Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches from The Red Apron
Pasta with Saffron and Cauliflower from Back Road Journal
Carrot Cake Cheesecake from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Fig Newtons from A Sweet Spoonful
Wine Smoothie with Mango and Pineapple from Daily Dish Recipes
- In the social media section, I read SO much about SO many things, that I feel like I really don't know much of anything anymore. But here are some interesting links:
5 useful Google Authorship Infographics from Search Engine Journal
Get over One Hurdle and Create Awesome Content from Search Engine Watch
10 Ways to Write Clear Recipes from Will Write for Food
4 Tips for Writers Who Aspire to Greatness from Boost Blog Traffic
How to Write an Article for SEO from Side Income Blogging
- In the all-the-other-stuff section, some random links:
Gorgeous rustic kitchens with brick, stone, concrete and wood.
DNA survey finds all humas are 99.9 % alike... just as I thought I started to know who I was meant to be, it turns out I was 0.1% from being either Bill Gates or Adolf Hitler too...
Piqui-Niqui, caterers using origami. Even if you don't understand spanish, the pictures show some amazing origami work!
I like to think we have many opportunities in life. Take a look at this.
What's your most embarrassing moment? Can you beat these?
OK, so now that you're laughing, hopefully, let's get down to our food business here.
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Ingredients
For the smoked salmon spread:
- 8 oz. 225g smoked salmon
- 8 oz. 225g cream cheese, at room tº
- ¼ cup chopped green onions or scallions
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- ¼ cup drained capers
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh dill
- Black pepper (to taste)
For the cilantro pesto:
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- ½ cup almonds4 garlic cloves (roasted**)
- ¼ cup freshly grated asiago cheese
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- A few gratings of lemon zest
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 or 4 Tbs evaporated milk (or cream)
- Salt and black pepper
For the assembly:
- French bread (sliced and toasted)
- Avocados
- Extra capers
- Extra chopped cilantro/green onions/dill
- Olive oil and lemon juice
- Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
For the smoked salmon spread:
- Put half the salmon, the cream cheese, green onions, milk, worcestershire sauce, and smallest amount of tabasco, lemon juice and zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Process until well blended.
- Taste, and add more tabasco if needed and some black pepper. Add the rest of the salmon and pulse using on/off turns, until blended but some large pieces of fish remain.
- Transfer to a bowl, add capers and dill, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- ** to roast garlic cloves: put unpeeled cloves in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and bake them for half an hour in a 150º oven.
For the cilantro pesto:
- In the bowl of an immersion blender or a food processor, process all of the ingredients until a paste forms. Check seasonings.
- Transfer to a bowl or plastic container, carefully add a thin layer of olive oil on top, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the assembly:
- Cut the avocados in slices and arrange the toasts on a flat surface.
- Add a tablespoon or two of cilantro pesto to each toast, top with a few avocado slices, drizzle with a tiny bit of lemon, some salt and pepper.
- Top pieces of toast with a few tablespoons of salmon spread.
- Sprinkle some dill on top and a few capers.
- Eat within the next half hour.
adapted from old Bon Appetit magazines
Oh my gosh these are fantastic! I sure wish my mother's stuff on toast was as delicious as these fine examples! Thank you so much for the shout out. I"m going to tell her thats someone in the ether is now aware of her cooking aesthetic!
I can imagine her face! And I could live on stuff on toast really
I've been out of the loop lately (very sick and tons of huge house projects) and so happy to catch up with all your gorgeous posts. I love salmon, fish of any stripe, but I have never had smoked salmon with cilantro or avocados. Sounds like a perfect combination. You are a good blogger friend to post food you're not fond of but know others will enjoy. Thanks for sharing Paula!
Well, smoked salmon and cilantro both talk to me and I could eat them all the time, I adore these recipes and think the two open-faced sandwiches - well that is how I see them - would make a fabulous aperatif with a chilled prosecco or would make a great lunch with a chilled white wine. Bookmarked!
You crack me up, Paula. I have a good friend who won't eat anything fishy because she ate so much fish growing up. I, on the other hand, will eat anything that swims so your two spreads sounds fabulous to me. Can't wait to try them both!
I love anything with avocado in it and this looks so delicious! I especially love how easy it is to put together and how gratifying and pleasing it is to eat. These kinds of meals are my favorite ones to prepare and enjoy!
Hooray for toast! I especially love avocado toast - generally just with EVOO + Avocado + crushed red pepper + salt. But you've kicked it up a notch with the pesto. The smoked salmon version looks delicious too.
Thanks too for all of the great links - so much to read, so little time!
I love, love, love these spreads! They look so hearty, healthy, and simply delicious! Perfect for a relaxing lunch... and dinner 🙂
Oh Paula...how I love stuff on toast! These are the light kinds of things I love to eat as meals when it's too hot to think about what to make for dinner in the summer. I will have to try them both because I love smoked salmon and am a huge fan of cilantro pesto as well! Beautiful photos! : )
Stuff on toast...I love it.!
CILANTRO PESTO ABOCADO??? VENGA YAAAAAAA TODAS MIS COSAS FAVORITAS JUNTAS, ÑAAAAM
I always love your links, Paula. I laughed over the cartoon about life opportunities and I really wanted to look at the one about embarassing moments but my darn work computer has it flagged as a social media site (and therefore won't give me access to it...aaarrrrggghhhh). Both of these spreads look ah-may-zing! I'm helping throw my little sister a bridal shower in a few weeks. It's a high tea theme and I think I'm going to make both of these. That was a mighty fine spread for your birthday brunch - you deserve to be pampered and fed delicious foods!
Woo! Love those avocado slices!
I can't wait to try the salmon and cilantro pesto. I love the links!
What time is that starting? I don't want to be late!
Paula, i have made tht salmon and you re right. It is incredible. I love cilantro si I will try that, too. And your links? Can't wait to check out some of those. Great post!
I have to say wow, too! Paula, this is some wonderful stuff on toast! I would be so happy to be eating this for my lunch or even dinner. It looks utterly delicious! Salmon is a favorite of mine. Just lovely!
Wow, Paula! This is my kind of healthy, and super yummy open-face sandwich to have. Love the smoked salmon, avocado, and cilantro combination! Simply craving it! xo
Yum! Looks delicious!
Paula,
oh. my. gawd. I love everything about these toasts! and I must try this cilantro pesto. . I recently tried arugula pesto with walnuts and pine nuts. . oh so good. . and wait! are you telling me you didn't actually eat any of this smoked salmon spread?!!!!?? it looks DELICIOUS. Please send me a TUB. 🙂 and love all of the links!!! and the brunch spread for your birthday looks amazing. . yum!!!