These salmon and herbed cheese pinwheels are a great party snack. They taste delicious, look spectacular, and are perfectly balanced nutrition-wise. They can be eaten as they are or served on a savory cracker for some additional crunchiness. These pinwheels are always a big hit at my parties and they are easy enough to make even if you don’t have much free time.
The combination of smoked salmon and cheese is so simple but oh so elegant at the same time. The pinwheels blend in very well at formal dinner parties but they are also a great way to get some nutritious food into your children’s bellies. My son loves them, especially when I use goat cheese!
Smoked salmon is full of omega 3 fatty acids which are very important for our health. They are found mainly in fatty fish, such as salmon, and health organizations recommend having them at least twice per week. Most often I choose smoked salmon as the source of omega 3 fatty acids due to its versatility. You can use it to make delicious pasta for dinner, eat it on toast, in a salad, or in the form of these cute pinwheels. Salmon also contains plenty of healthy protein and vitamin E.
GAPS Diet
And just a note if you are following GAPS diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome): not all cheeses comply with the GAPS rules. Sometimes it’s not even the matter of the cheese type but rather of how long it has been cultured.
I usually use either cream cheese or goat cheese when making these pinwheels and they both taste amazing to me. If you are worried about jeopardizing your GAPS diet, then your best bet would be to make your own cheese using a cheese starter. That way you will be able to exactly control the duration of the culturing process and keep the lactose amounts to the minimum. Or just go with a cheese that you know from experience doesn’t cause any adverse effects.
Necessary equipment:
- a medium mixing bowl
- a fork
- a tray
- plastic wrap
- a sharp knife
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup of softened cream cheese OR goat cheese
- 2 T. of chopped fresh parsley
- 2 T. of chopped fresh dill
- 1 T. of chopped fresh chives
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice from half of a lemon
- 8 ounces of smoked salmon (preferably wild-caught)
Instructions:
- Combine the softened cheese with the parsley, dill, and chives using a medium-sized bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Flatten the individual layers of smoked salmon.
- Spread the herb cheese onto the salmon. Make sure it’s thin and even.
- Roll up the salmon and place all the rolls on a tray.
- Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Take out the rolls slice them to about ¼ or ½ of their original size.
- Optional: place the rolls on crackers.
- Garnish your rolls with some more fresh herbs if desired. Serve while still chill.
Enjoy the salmon pinwheels!