Prepared from hot or cold smoking or curing, smoked salmon has been around ever since the Middle Ages and remains popular today in many Indigenous, Greek and Roman cuisines. Its partially dehydrated preparation method allows the fish to last longer than most protein, making it one of my most used ingredients in college. Whether I feel like making a fancy breakfast, need an extra source of protein or just want to jazz up plain fettuccini Alfredo, this cured seafood is usually what I base my recipes on. While it’s often pricy, the smokey and salty flavors are pretty strong, making a little go a long way. Try it out using three of my simplest recipes here!

Smoked salmon onion bites

Ingredients 

• ½ onion
• 3 pieces of smoked salmon
• ½ lemon

Directions

1. Remove outer layer of onion and slice into thin strips. Separate into individual pieces before transfering into a bowl of iced water. This will help reduce pungency. 
2. Slice smoked salmon into bite-sized strips.
3. Bundle four to five slices of onion strips on end of smoked salmon strips, rolling until they wrap up into a roll.
4. Juice lemon directly onto each piece and enjoy either as an appetizer or snack!

Smoked salmon bagel

Ingredients 

• ½ ripe avocado
• 1 bagel
• 2 tablespoon cream cheese
• 2 pieces of smoked salmon
• Pinch of Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend

Directions

1. Remove pit from avocado. Slice into pieces.
2. Slice your choice of bagel in half before smearing on cream cheese evenly.
3. Place one piece of smoked salmon on each halve before topping with slices of avocado.
4. Sprinkle on Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend and enjoy with a warm cup of tea or coffee!

Smoked salmon mango salad

Ingredients

• ½ mango
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• ½ ripe avocado
• 5 cherry tomatoes
• 3 pieces of smoked salmon
• 3 cups of your favorite mixed greens (lettuce, spinach or anything else will do!)
• Any salad dressing

Directions

1. Dice mango, then transfer pieces to a bowl and leave in fridge. 
2. Peel and dice a hard-boiled egg.
3. Cut avocado into even slices.
4. Halve the cherry tomatoes. 
5. Slice smoked salmon into bite-sized pieces.
6. In a large bowl, combine greens with your choice of dressing. Mix thoroughly.
7. Top salad with mango, hard-boiled egg, avocado slices, cherry tomatoes and smoked salmon. Enjoy!

There you have it! These are three easy smoked-salmon recipes that can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes. Costco Wholesale typically has the best prices for smoked salmon, but any local grocery store should have the ingredients you need.