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How to Seafood Appetizer

By posting this easy seafood appetizer recipe, I am entering the Let’s Get This Party Started Start With Seafood recipe contest sponsored by National Seafood Partnership and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Fall is here and the weather is getting cooler. The leaves are changing into beautiful reds, oranges, yellows and bronze shades and it’s the perfect time for celebration and picnics! These flavorful little toasts topped with good-for-you seafood are so good that you will want to make them again for your next holiday gathering! #seafoodparty !!!!

Seafood Holiday Appetizers

Fresh high quality ingredients are the foundation of great party appetizers! Potatoes, green beans and tomatoes fresh from my garden and a good quality, sustainable fish  make our meals and party foods so memorable with their fresh flavors.

I chose Alaskan Salmon to make this party appetizer because I love the taste and it is high in omega 3 fatty acids which are beneficial for a healthy heart and reducing inflammation which is linked to many chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, cancer and dementia. Recent studies have shown that people who eat fish two twice a week may also have had less heart disease than those who do not it. Fish is high in protein to help us feel less hungry in between meals.

I like to share delicious fish recipes and mention its health benefits with reluctant fish eaters to help them feel willing to give it a try. Often, they have not found the best way to prepare it or may have not found the right piece. Fish is something that can be easily overcooked. Some people prefer a softer fish to a firm one or the other way around.

Others may find it a challenge knowing how to determine if the fish that they are buying is fresh. That is why I loved learning more about the National Seafood Partnership as a great resource helping my clients with some of these important questions on purchasing seafood.

And I hope these little fish appetizers help add to the celebration to your special event! These little crostini are the name for little Italian toasts are a variation of one of my favorite French salads, Nicose. I hope you love these as much as me and my family do! They are easy to make and a great way to incorporate seafood to your reluctant eaters.

Easy Seafood Appetizer Recipe

Seafood Party Appetizers

Mediterranean Salmon Crostini

This easy, little Italian seafood appetizer is just the perfect dish for your next party! The filling can be made ahead of time and put together quickly just before celebration time! They even make a nice lunch along with a salad! The potatoes, green beans and tomatoes are traditional for the French salad-Nicose. I love the taste of salmon rather the traditional tuna, but you can use tuna if you choose!

Makes about 20 crostini pieces. Two pieces per serving.

Prep time 30 minutes. Cook time 20 minutes.

3/4 cup small diced potato (small enough pieces to fit easily on a slice of baguette

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

1/4 cup diced onions

1/2 cup green beans, cut on bias into 1/4 inch slices

6 ounces salmon

12-15 pitted kalmata olives, pitted

1/2 of lemon squeezed

1/4 cup olive oil for salad dressing, plus additional for tossing veggies and brushing salmon and bread

1 clove garlic, minced

Small French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices

Fresh basil for garnish

Salt and pepper

Cut the small baguette and cut into a quarter inch slices. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and brush the top with a little olive oil. Lightly brush bread with olive oil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and toast the bread slices on both sides until they start to brown.

On a small baking pan, lightly grease pan with olive oil and add salmon with skin side down. Lightly brush on top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the 6 ounce filet of salmon about 10 minutes until it becomes opaque and flakes. If using a meat thermometer, it will be done when temperature reaches 145 degrees.

Keep oven heated. Dice the veggies into small enough pieces to fit on those little pieces of toast. Green beans 1/4 inch pieces and potatoes and onions small dice. In separate small bowls, lightly toss green each veggie in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I like to keep them separate in case one of the veggies brown quicker than others and need to be taken out of oven earlier).

Place veggies separately on cookie sheet and roast until each one becomes soft and begins to caramelize. While the veggies and salmon are cooking, make the salad dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic. After the veggies cool, add them to a bowl and toss with olive oil dressing then add tomatoes.

Cut salmon into about 20 small chunks (the skin should easily separate from the filet). To assemble: place each piece of toast on a platter, add about 1 tablespoon of potato salad mixture and top a small chunk of salmon. Cut olives into 4 slivers. Garnish each crostini with a sliver of olive. Add thin slices of fresh basil to platter for an additional touch of green garnish.

Make These Easy Seafood Appetizers

I hope that you enjoy making these easy seafood appetizers and you make them for your next gathering! And if you or your guests are novice seafood eaters, I hope that these little appetizers are open the door to adding fish to their meals. As an Asheville Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I love helping others find delicious ways to improve their health! You can find even more menu and recipe ideas on the Vine Ripe Nutrition Blog and more about me here! Time to get this party started!

Seafood Party Crostini
Easy to make and will make your holiday guests swoon! Did I mention that they are also good for you?
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