Lox & Cream Cheese Tartines

Lox, cream cheese, avocado, red onion slivers and briny capers on toasted baguette slices.

One of my favorite lunch treat is a plain soft bagel smeared with cream cheese and topped with some lox and capers. It always reminds me of Mel Gibson in the movie, What Women Want because he asks for the exact thing. In fact, he's the reason I added the capers as I originally just made it with lox and cream cheese. Thanks for the idea, Mel. Sometimes I toast the bagels if they've been sent to the fridge, but either way is delicious and comforting. If I want to really load up, a few slices of cherry tomatoes adds some freshness. Hey Mel, try that!

Bagels are kind of big and clunky for an appetizer, so toasted baguette slices are more appropriate. With much less bread, the lox can be a bit salty, so I added some sweet avocado slices for some balance. The paper thin slivers of red onion are optional, but it does add a spicy edge that my taste testers liked. These go well with some sparkling white wine.

You'll Need:

• Baguette
• Cream Cheese
• Lox slices
• Avocado
• Capers
• Red Onion

There's no recipe with measurements for this appetizer, but the first thing to do is slice the red onion into thin slivers and soak them in water. This will reduce its bite and strong taste. Meanwhile, cut the baguette at an angle to get about a four inch slice. Toast them lightly, then start assembling.

Drain the onions and pat dry. Cream cheese on the bottom, then lox, avocado slices, onion slivers, and a few capers. Note that briny capers are quite strong, so do not overdo.