Smoked Salmon Blini with Avocado Mousse

Blini are mini pancakes that are often served adorned with caviar. But the combination of smoked salmon and creamy avocado will surely be the hit of the party. If possible, try to use smoked salmon fillets, which offer a meatier texture than the very thin-cut smoked salmon that is more common at grocery stores. You can also use smoked trout. The blini and mousse can be made up to two days and one day in advance, respectively, and chilled.

1 cup (250 mL) organic dark rye flour
2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 large free-range eggs
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed oil
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp (15 mL) prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
6 to 8 oz (170 to 225 g) smoked salmon, thinly sliced

For blini, combine rye flour, chives, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt in bowl. In separate bowl, gently beat eggs and stir in milk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until smooth. You’re looking for a consistency similar to pancake batter, so add more milk if needed. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.

Heat grapeseed oil in skillet over medium heat. By the tablespoonful, drop batter into pan and heat until edges begin to brown and bubbles form on the surface, about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook for 1 minute more. Set blini aside on wire rack to cool and repeat with remaining batter.

For avocado mousse, place avocado flesh, lemon juice, and horseradish in blender or food processor container and blend until almost smooth. With machine running, drizzle in olive or avocado oil until combined.

To serve, divide smoked salmon among blini and top each with a dollop of avocado mousse. Garnish with additional chives.

Serves 8 to 10.

Each serving contains: 172 calories; 8 g protein; 11 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 13 g total carbohydrates (1 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 288 mg sodium

source: "Pickup Artists", alive #386, December 2014