Smoked Salmon and Roasted Red Capsicum Pâté on Toast

From Good Food Outdoors by Katy Holder ($14.99, Hardie Grant Publishing, 2022)

1 small red capsicum (bell pepper), halved, seeds and membrane removed (or 1¾ oz store-bought roasted red bell pepper, drained)

7 oz smoked salmon

7 oz cream cheese

3½ oz sour cream

4 Tbsp finely chopped dill

¼–¹⁄³ c lemon juice

40 min prep time + 30 min chill time serves 6

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 thin slices of whole-grain or wholewheat bread

1. Preheat oven broiler to high. Squash bell pepper halves to flatten them, and then place halves under broiler, skin-side up. Broil until skin is completely blackened. Place pepper halves in a plastic bag, seal bag, and leave for 15 minutes. Rub or peel off skin (do not rinse). Finely dice bell pepper and set aside.

2. Put smoked salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, dill, and ¼ cup of lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor. Blend for about 20 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add extra tablespoon of lemon juice if needed. Now either add diced bell pepper and blend for 10 seconds, or transfer pâté to a bowl and stir in diced bell pepper. Chill mixture in fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly.

3. Preheat oven to 350° and place a baking sheet in oven to heat up. Remove crusts from bread. Discard crusts or save for another use. Roll bread slices out thinly using a rolling pin or bottle. Cut each piece into four triangles. Place on baking sheet and bake for 8–10 minutes, until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.

4. If serving this dish outdoors, transport toasts in an airtight container. Pâté can be transported in either the bowl it was chilled in or in an airtight container. Or if you have some small glass jars, divide pâté up into individual portions. It will last 3–4 days in the fridge.

Per serving: 305 Calories, 14 g Protein, 23 g Carbohydrates, 5 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 3 g Fiber, 18 g Total fat (9 g sat), 550 mg Sodium, ★★★★★ Vitamin B12, ★★★ Vitamin C, D, Phosphorus, ★★ Vitamin A, B3 (niacin), B6, ★ Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), E, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc