With just 5 ingredients and only 15 minutes to prepare, it will become your new favorite appetizer. It's a perfect appetizer recipe for a last minute impromptu get-together.
Cook the asparagus: fill a medium-sized pan (large enough to fit the asparagus spears) with water, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and bring to boil. While the water is preparing to boil – break off the tough ends of the asparagus and discard. The ends will snap once you start bending them. Rinse the asparagus and add to the boiling water. Reduce heat to low and cook the asparagus for about 3-5 minutes until it turns bright green and becomes crisp-tender. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of cold water and add ice. This will be used to “shock” the asparagus and prevent it from cooking while it’s still hot. Or, to save dishes, I sometimes simply pour cold tap water over the asparagus in the pan and add ice cubes directly into the pan. Drain the asparagus and transfer it into the icy water. Let them cool in the water for about 30 seconds and transfer the asparagus to a clean paper towel and pat gently to dry.
Prepare the cucumber: Rinse the cucumber and pat dry with a paper towel. Lay cucumber on a cutting board, trim the ends and slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out all seeds by gliding a small scooper or a tip of a teaspoon across the length of the cucumber. Discard the seeds or use them in a salad. For presentation, you may like to peel alternating stripes out of the cucumber by using a peeler.
Lay one cucumber half on a cutting board and arrange the smoked salmon slices slightly layered on top of each other so as to create one large salmon slice that is the length of the cucumber. Using a butter knife, spread the cream cheese over the smoked salmon. Add more cream cheese if required.
Place the asparagus on the bottom of the salmon. You may need to cut the asparagus to fit the length of the cucumber and smoked salmon slices. Gently lift the bottom of the salmon slices over the asparagus and roll up the smoked salmon until fully rolled. Keeping one of the cucumber halves on the cutting board, gently transfer the salmon and asparagus roll into the cucumber half.
Holding the cucumber half (stuffed with the salmon and asparagus roll) with one hand, place the other cucumber half on top. Hold the "sandwich" tight with one hand and use the other hand to secure about 12 toothpicks (about 1 1/4 apart) evenly into the cucumber.
Using a large, sharp, knife cut the cucumber between each toothpick, making about 12 rolls. Place the rolls on a serving platter and serve.
Notes
Room-temperature cream cheese is easier to spread on the salmon
Use cocktail picks instead of regular wooden toothpicks for a pretty presentation