Many American Jews, my family included, have a tradition of breaking the Yom Kippur fast with a huge spread of bagels, cream cheese, smoked fish and dairy-laden goodies.
But in recent years, I’ve felt the need for a more balanced, nourishing dinner. The lox menu is high in salt, and when you add challah and noodle pudding to the bagels, it’s high in carbs, too. Not to mention expensive.
Although many people claim the smoked fish spread is easy to finesse, I find it stressful. I struggle to open tightly wrapped packages of fish before placing the contents attractively on platters. Immediately, I spoon chopped herring as well as cream cheese, both scallion and plain, into bowls, before dashing to drain the vinaigrette from the cucumber salad.
Breathless, I slice several tomatoes. I juggle all this as a chorus of well meaning but famished family and friends pace in the background.
Instead of stumbling around the kitchen in a frenzy at the last minute, I find it more peaceful to start two days in advance preparing a chicken casserole brimming with carrots, potatoes and herbs. At the last minute, I only need to pop it in the oven and serve a premade salad or two with it.
The first time I tried a chicken dinner, I knew there would be resistance to the idea of change. To stave off disappointment at the loss of the beloved smoked fish break-fast, I served a starter of lox layered on mini bagel halves. I made this wildly popular hors d’oeuvres a day ahead. It gave hungry loved ones something to nibble on, while the chicken casserole reheated. I didn’t reinvent the breakfast menu: I simply created a calmer experience for everyone at the table.
Start with Lox | Pareve
Serves 12
24 mini bagels, cut in half
½ pound lox, cut into bite-sized pieces to cover the bagels
3 tablespoons chopped red onion or chopped scallions
3 tablespoons dill sprigs
2 tablespoons capers, drained
Place lox over the bottom half of the mini bagels. Sprinkle the red onion or scallions over the lox. Add a layer of dill sprigs. Dot it with capers. Cover the bagels with the top halves.
Place them on an attractive platter. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap. If refrigerated, these can be made 24 hours in advance.
Serve at room temperature, if possible.
Hearts of Artichoke Salad | Pareve
Serves 12-16
3 cans artichoke hearts. (Not small jars of artichokes in oil)
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
¼ cup olive oil
⅛ cup red wine vinegar
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, or more, if desired
¾ teaspoon chopped fresh basil or parsley
Drain the artichokes in a colander. One at a time, squeeze the liquid from each artichoke with your fingers. Pull the leaves off of each artichoke. Discard the hairy part near the hearts.
Cut the hearts into 4-6 pieces.
Place the artichoke hearts and the remaining ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Move it to an attractive bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The recipe can be made 24-48 hours in advance. Bring it to room temperature before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Roasted Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Fingerling Potatoes | Meat
Serves 12
Pam
Olive oil for drizzling, plus 3-4 tablespoons
12 chicken thighs with bones
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons dried thyme
1-2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 heaping teaspoons garlic powder
3 pounds fingerling potatoes
3 bunches of carrots
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Coat 2 (9-inch-by-13-inch) ovenproof pans with Pam.
Place the thighs in a large bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over each thigh.
In a small bowl, mix the salt, thyme, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle half of the mixture over both sides of the chicken. Roast the chicken in one roasting pan until the thighs start to brown, turning twice, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven.
While the chicken roasts, cut the fingerlings in half lengthwise. Peel the carrots and cut them into pieces approximately the size of the halved fingerlings. Move the fingerlings and carrots to the second prepared pan.
Drizzle 3 tablespoons of oil or more on the potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle them with the remaining salt-thyme mixture. Stir to coat well.
Roast the potatoes and carrots at 350 degrees F until softened, about 30 minutes. Place the thighs on the vegetables and return them to the oven. Roast for another 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are browning.
This can be served immediately or made to this point 24 hours ahead. Cool to room temperature, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate.
Reheat at 350 degrees F until warmed through. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
