Sep

Baked Salmon Rangoon with Apple & Goat Cheese and a GIVEAWAY

Confession: I don’t get excited about beverages unless they have an alcohol content.

There, I said it. I’m sure I’m not alone. But, it is what it is. Sweet tea, fruity flavored lemonade, they just don’t do it for me.

Except maybe orange soda. I once had a sweet spot for that, and perhaps still do, but haven’t had it in years.

And dare I say it: serving non-alcoholic beverages is always kind of an afterthought. “Hey, we forgot to get some soda, who can we call to pick some up on the way?” Oops.

But there’s some good news. Us boozebags don’t get to have all the fun anymore when it comes to pairing interesting libations with good nosh.

Which is absolutely fair, given that, for a variety of reasons, not everyone chooses to drink alcohol. Or caffeine, or artificial flavors and colors, for that matter. Which is why the good folks at Cascal have come up with a line of handcrafted beverages geared towards adults who appreciate good taste without all the crap. Or next-day consequences.

Cascal is not your average soda, no way. It’s distinguished by a light, yet complex fruity taste and perfect amount of fizz that comes from a natural fermentation process in a micro-brewery. And it comes in these tall, skinny cans that somehow manage to make you feel sophisticated. I don’t know why, but they do. When drinking blends like Fine Dry (with notes of apple and anise) and Light Red (with notes of black current and mirabelle), you might wonder why no one’s asking for ID.

In case it’s not clear by now, I received a lunch tote filled with Cascal flavors to try out. And rather than just drink them and report back, I thought it would be more fun to choose a few of the flavors and come up with a fun little Cascal tasting menu, pairing the each soda with a recipe meant to compliment its unique flavor.

First up was the Crisp White. With a flavor profile containing pear, apricot and magnolia, I might liken it to a dryer riesling. It could go nicely with a cheese course, for sure, but I came up with an east-meets-west rangoon filled with other flavors I thought would match nicely: salmon, apples, and ginger. This was my favorite flavor and recipe of the night, which is why I’ve chosen to share it below. I love that the soda is not “in-your-face” syrupy-sweet, and has a few layers of delicate flavor, just like a good wine. It went particularly well with the ingredients in my salmon rangoon, each helping to bring out the different notes in the other.

Next, we went with the Fresh Tropical flavor. Remember my sweet spot for orange soda? This reminded me of that, but with a much more interesting adult flavor. You know, more than just sugar. The description on the can (other side) suggested pairing it with barbecue, so I picked up some brisket from the local bbq joint and made sliders.

What? Store bought? No-she-didn’t.

Yes, she did. There was more effort meant to go into this course than you see here, but I, uh, forgot about the oven for a little bit. Thus, that accompaniment didn’t make it onto the plate. Fortunately, we still really enjoyed this pairing.

Lastly, we paired the Ripe Rouge – with notes of cherry, rose, and chocolate – with a fudgey chocolate cake laced with cinnamon and finished with a caramel buttercream.

Sort of. I mean, you guys know me. It wasn’t just your average sugary, gluten-ous cake and frosting. There were quinoa and dates and cashews involved, and it was quite lovely, but I’m going to wait and share it another time.

The Ripe Rouge blend was a nice match, providing a little extra oomph than any berry-flavored soda I’ve tried. The fact that its a bit closer to a wine than a sweet drink made it a great compliment to dessert, not overpowering.

Want your own pack? Cascal has offered to give not one, not two, but FIVE of my readers a prize just like the one you see here. (Disclaimer: the flavor blends listed on the Cascal website now are a little different than what I received, so I can’t say you will get exactly what I did. But I hope you’ll want to try them nonetheless.)

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment telling me which Cascal Blend you’d most like to try, and if you’re feeling extra creative, what you’d pair it with.

Can you do other things like stumble this post, share it on twitter, or like Cara’s Cravings or Cascal on Facebook? Of course you can, but this time they won’t be for extra entries. If you like this post and feel inclined, however, I’ll take it as a compliment.

The giveaway will be open until Wednesday, October 5th at noon (EST) at which point I will choose 5 winners at random. Cheers!

These tasty little bites are such a fun, seasonal twist on the classic crab rangoon appetizer. I was a little worried that the sweet-tart apple and fresh ginger would overpower the goat cheese, but everything worked together wonderfully. They’re just as easy as the original too.

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Baked Salmon Rangoon with Apple & Goat Cheese

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients:

3 oz goat cheese, softened
6oz can wild Alaskan salmon, drained and flaked with a fork (or about 4 1/2 oz cooked salmon, finely chopped)
1 medium apple
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
freshly ground black pepper
20 wonton wrappers
cooking spray
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Reduced sodium soy sauce, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place a metal cooking rack on top of a cookie sheet.

Place the goat cheese and salmon in a medium bowl. Peel the apple and grate the apple using the large holes of a box grater, and squeeze out the excess liquid. Add the apples to the bowl along with the ginger and sesame oil. Mix well and season to taste with black pepper.

Working with a few at a time, place wonton wrappers on work surface and brush the edges of each one lightly with water. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on each one, and pinch the edges closed.

Arrange the filled wontons on the baking sheet. Spray them lightly with cooking spray, then flip them over and spray the other sides. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. Serve hot with soy sauce for dipping.

Nutrition Facts:

Servings Per Recipe: 5
Serving Size: 4 pieces
Amount Per Serving
Calories 196.4
Total Fat 6.8 g
Saturated Fat 3.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Cholesterol 14.3 mg
Sodium 367.5 mg
Potassium 138.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20.4 g
Dietary Fiber 1.0 g
Sugars 3.4 g
Protein 11.5 g

Cara Lyons, www.carascravings.com

Thanks for visiting Cara’s Cravings. If you like what you see and want more, subscribe via email or in a reader, follow me on Twitter, or visit me on Facebook.

appetizers, Salmon

60 comments »

60 Responses to “Baked Salmon Rangoon with Apple & Goat Cheese and a GIVEAWAY”

1

Shannon Crandall — September 28, 2011 @ 2:23 pm Reply

I think I'd be most eagar to try the Honey/Malt variety…
2

Cheryl — September 28, 2011 @ 2:37 pm Reply

I cant wait to try Ripe Rogue!!
3

Kathy Day — September 28, 2011 @ 2:51 pm Reply

I love this idea… I haven;'t had any CasCal before but I think that Tropical Fresh sounds wonderful!
4

Emily — September 28, 2011 @ 3:28 pm Reply

Berry Cassis with Lemon Meringue pie!!
5

Brenda — September 28, 2011 @ 4:06 pm Reply

Crisp White. MMMMM.
6

Laura H — September 28, 2011 @ 4:28 pm Reply

Fresh Tropical and some fish tacos!
7

Sarah DeJarnatt — September 28, 2011 @ 4:43 pm Reply

The ripe rouge sounds really good to me!
8

Kate — September 28, 2011 @ 6:23 pm Reply

I'd love to try the Fresh Tropical flavor. I can't imagine much other than a Shiner or an ice cold Big Red as the perfect pair with barbecue, but I'm willing to give it a shot!
9

Ariana Strong — September 28, 2011 @ 6:32 pm Reply

I've got to try the Crisp White 🙂
10

Jen van Buren — September 28, 2011 @ 6:52 pm Reply

I think I'd really want to try the Fine Dry… Apples and Anise together… yum
11

Lindsay Tritabaugh — September 28, 2011 @ 7:13 pm Reply

Ripe Rouge sounds amazing! I would pair it with a juicy grilled steak or a nice rich chocolate dessert. Or both! 😉
12

Kelly — September 28, 2011 @ 8:10 pm Reply

Those rangoons sound fantastic. Obviously I am a goat cheese fan so I love the sound of using it in a more Asian-inspired application.
13

Amy Markopoulos — September 28, 2011 @ 10:37 pm Reply

Dry White! And I'd pair it with the Thai takeout I'm about to order . . .
14

Heidi Nicole — September 28, 2011 @ 11:28 pm Reply

I'm going with the Cherry/Chocolate/Rose combo! 🙂
15

LindseyLou — September 28, 2011 @ 11:44 pm Reply

Dry white, looks good!
16

janet @ the taste space — September 29, 2011 @ 12:32 am Reply

Very cute, Cara. I'd love to try some of those drinks.. the ripe rogue looks the most promising. 🙂
17

Julie @BananasForBourbon — September 29, 2011 @ 12:45 am Reply

Wow, another way we are alike. I drink water or booze! LOL! Ok coffee and tea too. But not iced tea. Not soda. Not even juice. But this actually sounds like a neat product! The products on their FB page list some other interesting-sounding flavors as well: Fine Dry and Fine Dark sounds just fine to me! But of the ones shown, the Ripe Rouge sounds just lovely. I will keep an eye out for these. Thanks! ;D
18

Shanon Reckinger — September 29, 2011 @ 1:50 am Reply

i would be most excited for the citrus and the cherry. but can i tell you that i love adult soda more than life itself? i am one of those non-alcohol drinkers (although i have just started trying wines) and i get so sick of the only option being sugary drinks. i really love dry sodas. my favorite is GUS (grown up soda), i have never heard of cascal. but also these salmon rangoons sound wonderful.
19

Nicole, RD — September 29, 2011 @ 2:11 am Reply

I don't know how you do it! You think of things I never would, put them together, and then have me drooling wondering why I never think of such brilliant combinations! These look FANtastic! And P.S. I'm only excited over beverages containing booze, too 😉
20

van pham — September 29, 2011 @ 2:39 am Reply

The Fresh Tropical sounds the best which I am not sure what I would pair with it. But if I had the Ripe Rouge, I would pair that with my black forest cupcakes. Even though I am not a huge cherry fan.
21

Pixiefrygirl — September 29, 2011 @ 2:51 am Reply

Crisp white and chinese takeout when hubby and I have at home date nite.
22

Joanne — September 29, 2011 @ 2:53 am Reply

I used to be a HUGE diet soda drinker but now I've turned to seltzer in my old age. Not such a big drinker these days…but if something is interesting I can get excited about it. I AM excited about these salmon rangoon! Way better than crab.
23

Mb — September 29, 2011 @ 3:43 am Reply

berry cassis!
24

Sarah — September 29, 2011 @ 6:47 am Reply

MMmmm! Berry Cassis! Sarah @ Thinfluenced.blogspot.com
25

Kate — September 29, 2011 @ 11:05 am Reply

The Crisp White sounds great! And I can't wait to try your Salmon recipe. It sounds amazing!
26

Heather — September 29, 2011 @ 11:41 am Reply

I would love to try the crisp white. It sounds so light and refreshing!
27

Emily — September 29, 2011 @ 11:54 am Reply

So pretty!! I'm most intrigued by the crisp white – maybe it would fool me into thinking I was drinking sparkling wine?! Maybe not… 😉
28

Renee {Eat.Live.Blog} — September 29, 2011 @ 12:16 pm Reply

They all sound amazing! But if I have to pick, I say the crisp white!
29

Christina — September 29, 2011 @ 12:21 pm Reply

They all sound good, but the Crisp White stands out to me the most. I think I'd like to pair it with French onion soup or something cheesy.
30

Candace — September 29, 2011 @ 12:22 pm Reply

Make mine a honey and malt to go with a blue cheese burger and sweet potato fries. Mmmmm….
31

Erica — September 29, 2011 @ 1:42 pm Reply

I'd love to try the Crisp Wine!
32

Shannon — September 29, 2011 @ 3:22 pm Reply

oh man, i love the sounds of these!!! ripe rouge would probably be first 🙂 but everything sounds good and those rangoons, awesome!
33

Aej — September 29, 2011 @ 4:50 pm Reply

The Ripe Rouge sounds delicious.
34

Rebolding — September 29, 2011 @ 4:52 pm Reply

i'd like to try apple/anise! yum!
35

Webmailaddress2 — September 29, 2011 @ 5:13 pm Reply

The ripe rouge sounds good.
36

Veronica Mora Flaspoehler — September 29, 2011 @ 5:25 pm Reply

I'd love to try the Crisp White in my pasta with four cheeses and pear saute in cream.
37

Leah Enrique — September 29, 2011 @ 7:01 pm Reply

I'd love to try the Crisp White version! I'm allergic to beer so this might be a nice hot-weather alternative! Thanks for the giveaway!
38

Anna Mushi Michaud — September 29, 2011 @ 8:43 pm Reply

Crisp white sounds very refreshing to me! 🙂
39

Erica from BostonRookie.com — September 29, 2011 @ 10:29 pm Reply

I'd like to try Ripe Rouge
40

Danielle Simmons — September 29, 2011 @ 11:28 pm Reply

The light red sounds tasty!
41

Ann — September 30, 2011 @ 2:19 am Reply

I'd love to try the cherry, chocolate, rose!
42

Kate — September 30, 2011 @ 4:32 am Reply

For fairly apparent reasons I've gotten really into specialty non-alcoholic drinks of late.
43

Kate — September 30, 2011 @ 2:38 pm Reply

Ripe Rouge sounds fantastic!
44

Julia Bancroft — September 30, 2011 @ 5:59 pm Reply

That crisp white sounds totally up my ally! I love crisp, clean, mildly "exotic" or spicy flavors. Yummy! And knowing my love for cheese, I'd pair it with a stilton that's packed with dried fruit. Mmm!
45

Yellowfish — September 30, 2011 @ 7:01 pm Reply

I would love to try the Crisp White… this is so great for people who have reasons to drink less alcohol but would still enjoy having an interesting drink!
46

Erin — October 1, 2011 @ 10:35 am Reply

Fresh Tropical with fish tacos!
47

Hannah — October 1, 2011 @ 2:09 pm Reply

I hadn't heard of these sodas before, but I'm a recovering soda-addict, so they sound fantastic! The "crisp white" particularly caught my attention.
48

Kerstin — October 1, 2011 @ 5:32 pm Reply

I like orange soda too and would go for the Fresh Tropical – and probably pair it with some booze, haha :)Love your apps too – I was sold at the goat cheese!
49

Amandapaa — October 2, 2011 @ 2:55 am Reply

would love to try the crisp white with a black bean chili!
50

Suzy — October 2, 2011 @ 6:07 pm Reply

Oh, the Crisp White looks great! I think you're onto something with the salmon pairing, I'd like to try it with a spicy teriyaki grilled salmon!
51

Jey — October 3, 2011 @ 2:34 pm Reply

I'd pair the Ripe Rouge with Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Cookies!
52

Becky Bonenfant — October 3, 2011 @ 2:58 pm Reply

Crisp White sounds delicious and I am def trying your wonton recipe.
53

Samantha Saari — October 3, 2011 @ 5:53 pm Reply

Mmm…I would pair the Ripe Rouge with a classic cheesecake, instead of a fruit filling!
54

Tyler — October 3, 2011 @ 6:22 pm Reply

I'd love to try the crisp white. What a fun pairing!
55

Lizzy — October 3, 2011 @ 8:44 pm Reply

I want to try the crisp white!!! Those look delicious.And have I ever told you that crab rangoons are my favorite bad-for-you food. And now you made me a healthy version- this is why I love you so much!
56

Nicole — October 4, 2011 @ 3:05 am Reply

ripe rouge? sounds like red wine-ish, and i've been craving some but am nursing a newborn! this sounds amazing!!
57

gaga — October 4, 2011 @ 8:30 pm Reply

Ripe Rouge sounds the most interesting to me.
58

TheHomeCook — October 5, 2011 @ 7:55 pm Reply

Bright Citrus sounds fun.
59

Taryn Collins — October 5, 2011 @ 8:01 pm Reply

Yum these sound SO good, I love the idea of more sophisticated soda drinks. The Ripe Rouge sounds especially delicious!
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Baked Salmon Rangoon with Apple & Goat Cheese and a GIVEAWAY