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!

Fresh, high-quality ingredients are the foundation of great party appetizers! Potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes fresh from my garden and good quality, sustainable fish make our meals and party foods memorable with 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 twice a week may also have less heart disease than those who do not. Fish is high in protein to help us feel less hungry between meals.

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

Others may struggle to determine if the fish they buy is fresh. That is why I loved learning more about the National Seafood Partnership, an excellent resource for helping my clients with some of these crucial questions about purchasing seafood.

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

Easy Seafood Appetizer Recipe

Mediterranean Salmon Crostini

This easy, little Italian seafood appetizer is perfect for your next party! The filling can be made ahead of time and put together quickly just before celebration time! It even makes 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 than the traditional tuna, but you can use tuna instead 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

One medium tomato, seeded and diced

1/4 cup diced onions

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

6 ounces salmon

12-15 pitted kalamata 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

One clove of garlic, minced

Small French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Fresh basil for garnish

Salt and pepper

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

On a small baking pan, lightly grease the 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 for about 10 minutes until it becomes opaque and flakes. If using a meat thermometer, it will be done when the temperature reaches 145 degrees.

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

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

Cut salmon into about 20 small chunks (the skin should easily separate from the filet). To assemble, place each toast on a platter, add one tablespoon of potato salad mixture, and top with a small chunk of salmon. Cut olives into four slivers. Garnish each crostini with a sliver of olive. Add thin slices of fresh basil to the 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 these little appetizers 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 on the About Me page! Time to get this party started!