Avocado and Cucumber Tower Topped with a Parsley Salad

Tonight I wanted to make a special appetizer. I don’t use my presentation molds as often as I would like. When it is just the two of us for dinner it seems rather silly to make fancy looking dishes. However today I decided I am going to concentrate more on presentation, especially when it is just the two of us. No one is more important to me than my precious husband so why shouldn't I spoil him every day. Here is the healthy appetizer I made for us tonight.

Avocado and Cucumber Tower Topped with a Parsley Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 large red tomato, sliced thinly into 8 pieces
½ lemon, zested and juiced
1 avocado, finely diced
1 cup seedless cucumber, finely diced
2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon dulse granules
1 clove garlic, minced
black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons parsley leaves with a little stem
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pickled red onion, for garnish - optional

Directions:

Slice the tomato as thinly as you can and make a little bed of tomato on two plates.

Combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, avocado, cucumber, red onion, dulse granules, garlic, and black pepper and stir to thoroughly combine. Taste for seasoning and correct as necessary.

Place a presentation mold on top each plate with tomato slices. Put ½ of the avocado cucumber mixture into each mold. Press the mixture into the mold. Slowly remove the presentation mold.

Coat the parsley with lemon juice and divide it into two bundles with all the stems down. Take the stems and stick them into the top of the avocado and cucumber tower.

Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes with pickled onions, if using, and a salt and pepper. Serve immediately before the avocado begins to oxidize.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 198.08
Calories From Fat (60%) - 118.02

Total Fat - 14.08g
Saturated Fat - 1.95g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 48.23mg
Potassium - 1062.58mg
Total Carbohydrates - 18.77g
Fiber - 9.72g
Sugar - 4.03g
Protein - 4.78g

Comments:

If you like guacamole this is basically a fancy presentation of a basic version with cucumber. I substituted lemon for lime, because that is what I had. If I had jalapeno in the house I would have added that to avocado and cucumber mixture.

This dish has over 5700IU of vitamin A, 110mg vitamin C, 119mg calcium, 190mcg folate, 1012mcg of vitamin K, and 115mg of phosphorus. It amazes me to see the nutrition information on meals that are all vegetables and/or fruit. Seeing the nutrients every meal makes it easier for me to make the healthiest choices going forward.