Smoked Salmon W/Avocado & Wasabi Cream Cheese Sandwiches

"This is fun take on my favorite kind of sushi? salmon and avocado with a healthy dose of wasabi. It is open faced here so you can see how pretty it looks on the inside and not too much of the bread." So says Dave Lieberman.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons wasabi paste (to taste)
• 1⁄3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• 24  slices  pumpernickel cocktail bread
• 1  ripe Hass avocado
• 1⁄2  lemon, juice of (fresh only)
• 16  ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Mix the wasabi with the cream cheese in a small bowl.
2. Spread the bread slices with a thin, even layer of the mixture.
3. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and twist 2 halves apart and remove the pit.
4. Use a spoon to remove the avocado flesh in 1 piece.
5. Slice each avocado half in 1/8" slices.
6. Place the avocado slices in a bowl and squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon over avocado slices and toss very gently.
7. Cover each bread slice with a single layer of avocado slices.
8. Top with a piece of salmon.
9. Serve as soon as possible.