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A Fresh Approach to Eating

How I Created this Seafood Appetizer Recipe

To celebrate the end of the year, I made some seafood appetizer recipes adapted from a tostada recipe from my book Farm Fresh Nutrition. This month’s theme with Recipe Redux was Grab a Book and Cook!

Each of our group’s members were challenged to grab our favorite cookbook and pick a page number based on a page number that was derived from a combination of “2016” as a way to remember the old year while getting ready to bring in the new one!

I decided to choose my book Farm Fresh Nutrition: Eating Green & Clean. Support Your Local Economy since each one of these recipes came from my very own kitchen. One of the recipes comes from my great grandmother, the book features stories about my grandparents. The book contains food photography from my grandmother, daughter-in-law and cousin. My book was certainly a labor of love.

Selecting my own book, made my random page selection a little tricky since the first part of the book contains menu plans, shopping lists, tips for shopping the local farmers’ market, stories of local farmers and food artisans, farm facts and a little research on local, fresh food and our health.

Another challenge I faced was that my book is seasonal, and it is now winter. I did not want to make a summer recipe for the holiday season!

So I decided to count 2016 backwards to see what I recipe that I would share. I worked backwards using 102 and then added the number 6 to this it to get page 108. It was almost magical, I carefully flipped through the book to see what I would be making and discovered that it was the Festive Trout Tostada. I was excited to see that this was the recipe because it is so easy and tasty but I wanted to make it a little more seasonal. So I made a few changes and turned the main dish into a holiday seafood party idea!

Some of the changes I made to the original recipe to make these fish appetizers for the holidays:

1. Instead of the summer corn and red bell pepper, I use a few new trimmings of roasted sweet potato and sliced greens.

2. I decided to make the tostada meal into small bites for a holiday appetizer, so I used flat, round tortilla chips. This adaptation has made a colorful and festive option for this time of year! They also make a nice little lunch too!

3. Last but not least, I switched the fresh, summer tortilla salsa to a seasonal winter cranberry salsa that I created. It looks lovely on top of these little treats and gives it a seasonal, festive touch!                          

4. I am also sharing jars of the cranberry salsa recipe that I put together for holiday gifts along with the appetizer recipe. The salsa goes perfect on top of these little appetizers!

Here is the Appetizer Seafood Recipe

Festive Holiday Mini Totadas

Festive Holiday Mini Tostadas

My seasonal summer recipe has become a new winter holiday favorite! I converted one of my favorite summer recipes into a lovely, cold seafood appetizer! The corn and peppers in the original recipe has been replaced with sweet potatoes and greens with dazzling and delicious results! I like to get the hot smoked fish for my recipe so it is cooked but you may also love the cold smoked.

Makes 24 mini tostadas appetizers ( or could be 4-6 servings for a light lunch and another side)

Small package of round corn tortilla chips , find 24 as flat as you can find

8 ounce package of smoked trout, I love to use my local brand Sunburst Trout, (you can also substitute smoked salmon if you cannot find smoked trout)

1 sweet potato

1 cup arugula, or other green combination, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cranberry salsa (recipe follows)

Olive oil to toss sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and chop the sweet potato into bite sized pieces. Toss potatoes in olive oil and roast for about 10-15 minutes. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make sure that the greens are chopped, the smoked trout/salmon is skinned and torn into small chunks and the feta is crumbled. When the potatoes are soft and start to brown, take out of the oven and allow to cool. Lay the tortilla chips on a platter or even cookie sheet. Divide the greens between the chips and then add the sweet potatoes on top of the greens. After that top each piece with a chunk of trout or salmon and add a dollop of salsa and a sprinkle of feta

Cranberry Salsa

This salsa is a seasonal holiday item to make, and it makes a lovely addition to your holiday meals and parties. I also love making for gifts. Because of the acidity of salsa, you can use the hot water bath method to can your salsa. You can find out how to do preserve using the hot waterbath method here

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Makes  about 8 jelly jars.

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups vinegar

4 jalapeno peppers

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 packages of frozen cranberries

8 jelly jars with rings and lids

Hot water bath kettle

Be sure to wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. You can also seed the peppers if you need a little less heat. For salsa’s you can use a hot water bath to can

Wash and rinse 8 jelly jars and heat them with hot water just before use. Wash and rinse lids and allow them to dry. In a large Dutch oven, add onions, water, vinegar, jalapeno peppers, salt, sugar and berries. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce heat and simmer mixture for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.

Fill the hot mixture into clean, hot jelly jars leaving ¼-inch head space. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel before adding the two-piece metal canning lids. Process jars in a boiling hot water canner according to directions. I process for 15 minutes and allow canner to cool before taking them carefully out. Keep undisturbed for about 12-24 hours making sure that each one is sealed.

What to Serve with Your Seafood Appetizer Recipe?

These festive mini tostados look and taste perfect for the holidays. If you are looking to plan an entire meal that will pair well with them, try these menu ideas:

Holiday Menu Idea using this Seafood Appetizer

Festive Holiday Mini Tostadas

Rainbow Brussels Sprouts Salad

Farfalle with Parsley, Roasted Peppers and Tofu


Almond Date Chocolate Cake

If you are looking to plan an appetizer party with small bites, here is a menu:

Small Bite Menu Using Seafood Appetizer

Festive Holiday Mini Tostadas

Tomato Spinach and Parmesan Crostini

Warm Black Bean and Cheese Dip with Vegetable Crudites,

Blueberry Praline Cheese Bites

Make This Easy Seafood Appetizer

I am so glad that you came by to check out my best seafood appetizer recipe. I love the cranberry salsa and think that it helps make this mini tostada but if you are pinched for time, try a premade cranberry salsa or another kind if that was is not available. The more I cook, the more I have learned that flexibility and creativity are key!

As an Asheville nutritionist, I love to help my clients find the best way to make healthy eating work for them. If you want to find out more about my services, you can find them here.

And you may also enjoy these holiday breakfast ideas 10 Vegetarian Brunch Recipes for the Holidays – Vine Ripe Nutrition.

Festive Holiday Mini Trout Tostadas
Now, is the time to eat these salmon cranberry tostadas!

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