These bites are a vegetarian spin on two items often included in an afternoon tea—cucumber sandwiches and smoked salmon. Thin ribbons of carrot are marinated in a smoky tamari-based dressing before being formed into curls and placed on cucumber rounds topped with a thick dill-flavored yogurt. Straining the yogurt removes excess liquid and makes it thick and creamy. Cucumbers have numerous health benefits, including for hydration and digestion; eating them unpeeled maximizes their fiber contribution.
Carrot curls
To make a carrot curl, drain carrots from their marinade. With clean hands, wrap an individual ribbon around your forefinger. Make up curls in advance and hold them in dish or container with lid, so you can place them on cucumber and yogurt rounds quickly, just before serving.
Vegan version
To make a vegan version of this dish, substitute your favorite cashew cream cheese in place of yogurt.
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This article originally appeared on alive.com as “Carrot Lox Cucumber Bites“.
- 1.1 lb bunch carrots
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish
- 1 oz English cucumber about 11
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds black sesame seeds, or kalonji
- Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill bowl with ice water and set aside.
- Peel carrots and discard peelings. Hold carrot and continue using peeler to make thin ribbons, starting at the bottom end and working toward the top. When water is boiling, submerge carrot ribbons, place lid on pot, and set timer for 2 minutes. At the end of elapsed time, use tongs to remove carrots and plunge into ice water bowl. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and then drain and pat dry.
- In glass bowl or container fitted with lid, whisk together oil, vinegar, tamari, paprika, garlic powder, and maple syrup. Add blanched carrot ribbons and toss gently in marinade, making sure all strands are well coated. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, although this can also be done the night before the tea.
- On the morning of the tea, prepare yogurt. Add salt to yogurt and mix well. Pour yogurt into fine sieve placed over small bowl or liquid measuring jug. Cover with cloth and place in fridge. Allow liquid to run off over the next 4 hours. After about 4 hours, discard liquid in bowl and transfer yogurt to another small bowl; combine it with chopped dill.
- To prepare bites, wash and dry cucumber. Slice into 18 rounds, approximately 1/8 inch thick. Lay rounds on clean kitchen towel to absorb excess water and pat tops dry. Place about 2 tsp yogurt on each round and spread out with palette knife. Top each round with 3 carrot curls (see tip). Add small sprig of dill for garnish and sprinkle with sesame or kalonji seeds.
Per serving: 205 calories; 4 g protein; 14 g total fat (2 g sat. fat); 20 g total carbohydrates (11 g sugars, 4 g fiber); 141 mg sodium
