Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Roe

Blinis are thin, golden pancakes traditionally made from buckwheat, a nutty-flavored whole grain. Here they make a simple, elegant appetizer topped with a slice of smoked salmon, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and cured salmon roe.

Your friends will be surprised that these blinis are packed with nutrients too — buckwheat is rich in fiber and the toppings provide both protein and omega-3 fats.

Makes 24 mini blinis

Active Time: 10 minutes

Inactive Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm milk (heated to 110ºF)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg, yolk and white separated
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 8 ounces smoked salmon
• 2 cups 2% Greek yogurt
• 1 lemon, sliced very thinly and cut into quarters
• 1 bunch fresh chives, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 ounces salmon roe caviar

Directions:

For the buckwheat blinis:

1. In a bowl, mix the buckwheat flour, salt, and active dry yeast. Stir in the warm milk. Cover and let the mixture rest in a warm place for 1 hour while it rises.
2. After 1 hour has passed and the flour mixture has doubled in size, add the melted butter, egg yolk, and buttermilk; whisk to combine.
3. Separately, in a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg white until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray the surface of the pan with cooking spray.
5. Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop the batter and add it to the pan. One tablespoon of batter will create a sand dollar-sized blini; you can adjust the amount of batter for desired size.
6. Cook until bubbles start to form on top of the blini. Flip and cook for about another minute. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

To assemble and serve blinis:

1. Heat a blini up on a warm skillet; remove and place on a plate.
2. Gently roll a piece of smoked salmon, leaving an opening in the middle. Place salmon on top of blini with an opening facing upwards. Add 1–2 tsp Greek yogurt to the middle of the salmon. Place a lemon wedge inside, followed by 1–2 pieces of chive. Top with ¼ tsp caviar.
3. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Nutritional Facts:

Calories 80, Fat 4g, Saturated Fat 2g, Carbs 7g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 2g, Protein 6g, Sodium 145mg