One holiday down, another to go! New Year’s is about fun and celebrating and the promise of the future. I enjoy the hustle and bustle and gift-giving of Christmas (to some extent!) but I really appreciate the less stress involved with planning New Year’s celebrations.

We are going low key to end this year and to ring in 2022 with lighter fare and a terrific cocktail. (Look for the terrific cocktail on Friday!) The evening will start with an inspired appetizer. Store-bought flatbreads are baked, slathered with a doctored cream cheese mixture, then topped with canned tuna, lemon juice & olive oil dressed arugula, shaved Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced red onion, and lemon zest. Easy and delicious. Perfect for the intimacy of two or handily multiplied for additional guests.

Tuna Flatbreads with Herbed Caper Cream Cheese & Arugula

Tuna Flatbreads with Herbed Caper Cream Cheese & Arugula (adapted from myrecipes.com) Total Time Required: 20 minutes, Active Time: 20 minutes,  Yield: serves 2 as a light meal or 4 – 10 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 5 mini or 2 regular naan flatbreads
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 ounces arugula
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 5 ounce can tuna, drained
• 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved
• 1/2 ounce red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions:

Warm the flatbreads according to the package directions, allowing them to get slightly crisp around the edges. Set the flatbreads aside.

Stir together the softened cream cheese, capers, and parsley in a small bowl until combined.

Combine the cream cheese with the capers and parsley.

Spread the flatbreads evenly with the cream cheese mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Spread the cream cheese mixture on the baked flatbreads.

Toss together the arugula, olive oil, and the lemon juice in a medium bowl until the lettuce is all coated.

Dress the arugula with the olive oil and lemon juice.

Top the cream cheese mixture with the dressed arugula.

Add the dressed arugula to the cheese topped flatbreads.

Scatter the drained tuna over the arugula.

Top the arugula with tuna.

Evenly distribute the Parmesan shavings, then the onions, over the tuna.

Add the shaved Parmesan and the sliced onions next.

Sprinkle the tops with the pepper and lemon zest. Cut each flatbread into pieces and serve immediately.

Sprinkle the tops with pepper & lemon zest, cut into pieces and serve.

We’re counting down the last days of 2021!  ~Linda

Tuna Flatbreads with Herbed Caper Cream Cheese, Arugula, and Parmesan (adapted from myrecipes.com) Total Time Required: 20 minutes, Active Time: 20 minutes,  Yield: serves 2 as a light meal or 4 – 10 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 5 mini or 2 regular naan flatbreads
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 ounces arugula
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juiced
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 5 ounce can tuna, drained
• 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved
• 1/2 ounce red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions:

Warm the flatbreads according to the package directions, allowing them to get slightly crisp around the edges. Set the flatbreads aside.

Stir together the softened cream cheese, capers, and parsley in a small bowl until combined. Spread the flatbreads evenly with the cream cheese mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Toss together the arugula, olive oil, and lemon juice in a medium bowl until the lettuce is all coated. Top the cream cheese mixture with the dressed arugula. Scatter the drained tuna over the arugula. Evenly distribute the onions over the tuna, then the Parmesan shavings. Sprinkle the tops with the pepper and lemon zest. Cut each flatbread into pieces and serve immediately.