Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls

Smoked salmon cucumber rolls are refreshing appetizer bites, perfect for any occasion. Cream cheese and salmon are wrapped in slices of cucumber and seasoned to taste. For seasoning, I only used salt, pepper and dried dill weed. These three simple ingredients give smoked salmon cucumber rolls the right taste. For some extra colour, you could also sprinkle sesame seeds over, if you like. Serve these Smoked salmon cucumber rolls as a snack or alongside other appetizers.

1 large english cucumber
3 oz smoked salmon (90 g)
10 tsp. cream cheese
1 handful arugula leaves
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
dried dill weed (optional)

Thoroughly rinse the cucumber. Cut off the ends. Using a vegetable peeler, slice the cucumber into long thin strips. When you hit the seedy part and you are not able to peel an even strip, turn the cucumber around and start slicing again (you will get about 5-6 slices per side).

Slice the salmon into bite size strips.

Lay a cucumber slice on a clean chopping board/work top and spoon the cream cheese onto it, close to one of the ends. Place 1 or 2 salmon strips next to it as well as a few arugula leaves. Roll it up, making sure it's tight. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat until you have used up all the cucumber slices.

Place the cucumber bites onto a serving plate and season with salt, pepper and sprinkle with dill weed.

Best served right away.

Makes 10.

Cook's Notes:

• I suggest to try and make one cucumber roll first to see if you like the look of it and then adjust for the rest of them (maybe add more cream cheese or more salmon).
• I used 1 large English cucumber and got 10 bites out of it. You might get more or less depending how well you slice the cucumber and also how large it is.
• The cucumber strips should be thick enough so they can stand on their own when rolled up.
• These are best served shortly after they have been made. When you make them ahead and store them in the fridge for several hours the cucumber goes soft and releases its juices which makes them soggy.
• The number of usable slices you get out of one large (English) cucumber will depend on its size. I got 10 slices out of one cucumber (11 oz/320 g). If you are not sure, buy 2 cucumbers, especially when trying these easy appetizers for the first time.
• The reason why you can't use the whole cucumber is that the middle part is made of seeds which makes the slicing almost impossible. Also, these slices would not hold their shape and stand on their own.
• Seasoning is important when making smoked salmon cucumber rolls so make sure to sprinkle them with salt, pepper and dried dill weed to achieve the best flavour.
• I used about a tsp. of cream cheese for each cucumber roll which I thought was the perfect amount and balanced the rest of the flavours perfectly out. However, you can add more, if you like.

Variations:

• You can swap out the cucumber for its cousin the zucchini.
• You can use hummus instead of cream cheese, if you prefer. Or, any type of spicy dip could also be used.