Shrimp in Cucumber Cups

These little sushi-like appetizers were inspired by an appetizer I spotted on Pinterest and one I recently enjoyed at a Pampered Chef party. Those ones had bacon and water chestnuts in the cucumber cup and the Pinterest one had crab in a cream cheese base. I loved the concept so much I bought the cool little coring tool at the Pampered Chef party but wanted to use shrimp instead. And no dairy.



A while back, I created a shrimp "salad" to fill gunkanmaki sushi. Instead of making sushi, I filled the cucumber cups with salad shrimp, fresh ginger, mayonnaise and kiwi fruit.  A little dash of black sesame seeds or Japanese hot pepper seasoning (shichimi togarashi) garnish the tops. Pretty!

Shrimp in Cucumber Cups

1/2 lb (250 grams) or 2 cups frozen salad shrimp, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons kiwi fruit, finely diced
2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 long English cucumbers


Dice the shrimp into 1/4" pieces. Grate the ginger with a microplane grater. In a small bowl combine shrimp, kiwi fruit, mayonnaise and ginger. Mix gently until the mayonnaise coats the shrimp.



Cut the cucumbers into 1/2" pieces. You should have 18-20 pieces. Lightly scoop out the seed to create shallow wells with a melon baller or the handy-dandy Core & More tool. Leave the bottom of the cup intact. 



Fill each cucumber cup with a spoonful of the shrimp salad. Garnish with black sesame seeds or the hot pepper seasoning.





If you are looking for additional Asian inspired appetizers, try edamame. Probably one of the easiest appies ever, just follow the instructions on package, sprinkle with some salt and serve with an extra dish to catch the shells. Squeezy peas, as we call them in our house. 


Over at Healthy Seasonal Recipes, there is a recipe for the best turkey meatballs I've ever had. Hoisin-glazed turkey meatballs are full of flavour and would look lovely on an appetizer table. Don't skip the sesame oil in these and I suggest adding a clove or two of minced garlic. I used Sriracha sauce in place of the sambal oelek.

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