By the time the fast is over on Yom Kippur, you don’t want to potchke around in the kitchen to prepare lots of food. And as much as I can’t wait to shove a bagel and cream cheese with all the fixings in my face, I also like to enjoy something sweet, something salty and something a little fresh with my traditional post-fast carbs.
I recommend preparing the quinoa salad ahead of time, and when the fast is over, serve it on top of labneh (Mideastern or Greek yogurt) for an easy and healthful salad. It’s a refreshing and yet hearty side dish.
What’s better than serving your bagels with capers and dill and slices of lemon? Add them into one tasty homemade cream cheese to serve with your bagel spread. The Lemon-Dill-Caper Cream Cheese can be made one or two days ahead of time, and the flavors will only intensify when you let it sit overnight in the fridge.
Coffee cake is one of my weaknesses, and I love an indulgent slice after fasting on Yom Kippur. This year I decided to combine two of my favorite things to bake into one beautiful and delicious treat. The rich, sweet Coffee Cake Challah can also be baked ahead of time. This recipe makes 2 large loaves, so it is enough to serve for a large crowd or freeze one to save for later. If you freeze one, wait to add glaze until you defrost it and are ready to serve.
This recipe for homemade gravlax from Vered Meir, a California blogger, is simple to make and presents so beautifully on a platter. It is the perfect accompaniment for your bagel platter after Yom Kippur or on top of latkes at Hanukkah.
Note: When you make your own gravlax, you must start at least four days before serving, or up to a week; otherwise the fish will not be ready to eat.
Red Quinoa Tabbouleh with Labneh
Serves 6-8
1 cup red quinoa
1¼ cups water
1 tsp. olive oil
1 large English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large beefsteak or large tomato (diced), or pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
juice of ½ lemon plus 2 tsp. zest
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. labneh (Greek or Mideastern yogurt)
additional extra-virgin olive oil
Rinse quinoa well. Place quinoa and 1¼ cups water, 1 tsp. olive oil, ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper into a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and cover again for another 5-10 minutes.
Mix quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, mint, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. This can be mixed a day ahead and placed in the fridge.
When ready to serve, spread labneh all over a large plate. Top with the quinoa tabbouleh. Drizzle with additional good-quality olive oil and an extra squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Lemon-Dill-Caper Cream Cheese
Serves 6-8
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. whole capers, chopped coarsely
1 Tbs. fresh chopped dill
pinch of salt and pepper
Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix together until flavors are incorporated. Place in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 24-48 hours until ready to serve. Garnish with additional dill if desired.
Homemade Gravlax
Serves 6-8
2 lbs. fresh center-cut wild salmon fillet, skin on
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup sugar
2 Tbs. peppercorns
2 tsp. crushed juniper berries
7-8 large sprigs fresh dill
1-2 shots of gin or vodka
In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns and juniper berries. Choose a glass dish that will fit the salmon fillet and line it with 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Sprinkle half the salt and sugar mixture onto the bottom. Lay half the dill sprigs down, then cover with the salmon fillet. Sprinkle the remaining mixture on top of the fillet, then cover with the remaining sprigs of dill and the shots of alcohol. Then wrap everything as tightly as you can in the plastic. Leave it in the dish, as the salt will create a brine for the fish.
Refrigerate for 3 or 4 days, depending on the thickness of the fillet.
The lox is finished when the salmon’s hue has turned from pink to deep orange. Before serving, discard the dill and rinse the fillet of the brine, peppercorns and juniper berries. Slice thinly against the grain with a sharp knife. Serve with sliced lemon and capers.
Variation: Try a layer of shredded raw beets on the non-skin side of the fillet before wrapping. After the lox is finished curing, each of the slices will have a purple or dark pink edge.
Coffee Cake Challah
Makes 2 large loaves
For the dough:
1½ Tbs. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1¼ cups lukewarm water
4½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)
½ Tbs. salt
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
For crumb topping:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 heaping tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. coarse sea salt
1½ sticks cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped pecans
1 egg, beaten
For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbs. milk or almond milk
In a small bowl place yeast, 1 tsp. sugar and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 5-10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.
In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, mix together 1½ cups flour, salt and sugar. After the water-yeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
Add another cup of flour and eggs until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer.
Add another 1-1½ cups flour and then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead remaining flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 10 minutes (or however long your hands will last). Don’t add more flour than the dough needs — the less flour, the lighter the dough.
Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Allow to rise 3 or 4 hours.
To make the crumb topping: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter or margarine and pecans, and mix using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles crumbles. Refrigerate until ready to use.
After the challah is done rising, split the dough evenly in half. Divide each half into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a snake and then flatten. Sprinkle crumb topping inside, then pinch sides up to close. Gently roll again to seal in filling. Repeat with all pieces and then braid, forming into a circle and pinching together each end of the braid.
Repeat with second half of dough.
Place each challah on a parchment paper-lined or Silpat-covered baking sheet.
Allow challah to rise another 30-60 minutes, or until the challah has grown and seems light.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush on top of each challah. Top each challah with remaining crumb topping.
Bake for 25-26 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes.
Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk (or almond milk) in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of challah using small spoon. n
Shannon Sarna is the editor of the Nosher, a 70 Faces Media company.