Deliciously light: Elevate New Year's Eve with a spinach roll

The spinach roll tastes best when layered with Philadelphia-type cream cheese. Be sure to use bold toppings so the snack isn't bland. A set with smoked salmon and sun-dried tomatoes is a hit. If you're in the mood for a vegetarian version, try carrot "not-salmon" marinated in soy sauce. For the meat version, you can opt for Parma ham.

A roll as a cold snack is an excellent choice for any party. Besides the version with salmon, you can experiment with various fillings. A popular variant is a roll with arugula and prosciutto. Add arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and thin slices of Italian ham to the creamy cheese.

For lovers of intense flavors, the combination of cottage cheese with gorgonzola and walnuts paired with chicory and figs is perfect. A spinach roll can also be prepared in a vegan version, for example by using hummus and grilled vegetables, which ensures both an aesthetic look and a bold taste.

To prepare a vegan version of the spinach roll, consider being inspired by the recipe for carrot "salmon." The key ingredient of this composition is a marinade based on soy sauce and pressed nori seaweed, which gives the carrots a characteristic fishy taste.

Steam long, thin slices of carrot and then marinate them in soy sauce with nori for several hours. Place this prepared "fish" in the roll along with vegan cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. It also tastes great with the addition of avocado.

You can add fresh or frozen spinach leaves to the dough for the green roll. It's worth sautéing both with butter and garlic. The chopped spinach does not need to be blended.

Ingredients for spinach dough:

• 7 ounces spinach
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons flour
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Toppings:

• 7 ounces Philadelphia-type cream cheese
• 7 ounces sliced smoked salmon
• 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, drained from oil

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in a pan, add finely chopped garlic, and then the spinach. Heat until the leaves wilt and the water evaporates.
2. Remove from the pan and blend into a uniform mass. Set aside to cool.
3. When the spinach cools, take the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Mix the yolks with spinach, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Beat the whites into a stiff foam with a pinch of salt.
4. Carefully mix the spinach mass into the beaten egg whites.
5. Transfer the whole mixture to a large rectangular pan lined with baking paper, which should be greased beforehand with olive oil. Spread the mass with a spoon and even out its surface.
6. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 10-15 minutes. After baking, set it aside to cool.
7. Spread with cream cheese and roll with toppings, gradually unrolling the roll from the baking paper.