Smoked Salmon With Avocado and Wasabi Cream Cheese

Yet another one from Dave Liberman's Young and Hungry. I have not tried this. Dave says it is has the flavors of sushi but is easy to prepare at home. He suggests leaving the sandwiches open faced to show off the ingredients and not overwhelm things with the taste of bread. The photo in his cookbook is really pretty.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Yields: 25 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  prepared wasabi
• 1⁄2 cup  softened cream cheese
• 25  slices  pumpernickel cocktail bread
• 1  ripe avocado
•  olive oil
•  kosher salt
• 1  lemon
• 16  ounces smoked salmon, sliced
• 2  tablespoons  thinly sliced chives
•  additional chives (to garnish)
•  black pepper

Directions

1. Mix the wasabi with the cream cheese and spread on the bread.
2. Slice the avocado into 1/8 inch slices. Place in a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Squeeze half of a lemon onto the avocado. Toss.
3. Cover each bread slice with a single layer of avocado slices.
4. Toss the smoked salmon slices with a drizzle of olive oil, grated zest from half a lemon, and "several grinds of fresh pepper," and 2 Tablespoons of chives. Toss to combine.
5. Top each bread slice with a slice of the salmon. Garnish with additional chives and black pepper.
6. Serve as soon as possible.