Salmon Roll-ups Recipe

Recipe provided by Jane H. - Hilo, Hawaii

This is also the base for another appetizer.  This recipe would make too much for the salmon rolls but it is easy enough to reduce the portions by a third.  I use the Cuisinart to blend all the ingredients but you could do it by hand.
 

3   8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
3   Tablespoons lemon juice
3   Tablespoons minced green onions
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 drops of tabasco sauce
 
Beat until fluffy.

As a dip or spread:
 
I mound this on a plate and chill it.  Afterward, I "ice" the surface with caviar, garnish with lemon slices and parsley and serve with melba toast or crackers.
 

For the roll-ups:

I usually use slices of packaged lunchmeat-style ham, lox  or smoked salmon. 

Generously spread some cream cheese mix over one side of a ham, lox or smoked salmon slice, lay one spear of canned asparagus towards the top of the ham, lox or smoked salmon slice, then roll it up.  Repeat. 
 
I think fresh asparagus (unless very well cooked) would be too firm to work here. 

Either way, lay the spears on paper towels to soak up their moisture a bit, otherwise they will make the cream cheese mixture runny and the bites will drip.  Trim the ends and cut the rolls in halves or thirds, lengthwise.
 
For the above presentation, I used lox slices (smoked salmon would work fine, too) and overlapped them.  Then I pretty much followed the directions above.