YOM KIPPUR RECIPES FROM LEVANA KIRSCHENBAUM (WITH PERMISSION)

For a pre-fast menu, I make certain to select dishes that are at once simple, light, and not too pungent or salty or sweet. So no herring or lox or chalvah, you hear? You might get so attached to my quick minestrone version that you will ignore the time-honored time-consuming original.
The herb-roasted salmon gets thrown together in minutes. I have here two steamed dishes, beyond simple and quick. You won’t believe this: They will cook at the same time. This is the beauty of owning one of those inexpensive multi-tiered bamboo steamers: I urge you to get yourself one! Honey cake needs no introduction in our Jewish circles, except mine has a powerful secret ingredient that makes it an award-winning beyond-Tishrei treat… you’ll see!
 

Yom Kippur
Herb-Roasted Salmon- Gluten Free
Your house will fill with the heady fragrance of the lemons and herbs. This is a snap to make: even the individual roll variation I am including is much simpler than it looks and will make you look like a pro with just a few more minutes’ work!
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice and peel of 2 lemons
1 bunch flat parsley
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
A handful of fresh herbs of your choice: thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, chervil, etc. (no more than 2 kinds), leaves only
6 large cloves garlic
1 side salmon, skinless and boneless, about 4 pounds, trimmed
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Place all but last ingredient in a food processor and grind until you obtain a smooth paste. Rub the salmon in this paste, using it all up. Place the salmon in a pan just large enough to contain it (if you have empty spaces, the liquids will burn). Roast 20 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped herbs.
variation: herbed salmon medallions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the salmon into 10 strips, reserving the tail end for
another use. Cut each strip through their thickness, leaving them attached at one end:
You will get long thin strips. Rub each strip with the paste, then roll tightly and secure
with toothpicks. You will get neat little cylinders (medallions). Place the medallions
in a pan just large enough to contain them. Roast 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room
temperature. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped herbs.

Steamed Chicken Breasts with Baby Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms- Gluten Free
Steaming is an easy and super-nutritious way to cook, and bamboo steamers are a wonderful thing: They sit snugly in a skillet and have compartments that pile on top of one another, which allows you to place the longest-cooking item (tofu, fish, chicken, beef ) in the bottom layer and the quicker-cooking items (snow peas, baby bok choy, nappa, sprouts, etc.) on the topmost layer, with everything in between (medium layers for carrots, string beans, mushrooms, celery, squash, etc.). I have built my steamer “real estate” to several stories, piling those layers nice and high. It’s such a fun and quick way to cook. My trick is, at the end of cooking, I reduce the bottom cooking liquids and add some miso paste, and get a wonderful sauce, which I pour all over the finished dish.
2 cups water
½ cup sake
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, minced, or 2 tablespoons powder
2 tablespoons bottled hot sauce
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
8 chicken cutlets
1 pound shiitake, caps only, sliced
8 baby bok choy, split lengthwise
1 bunch scallions, sliced very thin
1/3 cup white miso paste (dark if you prefer a more intense flavor)
Put the water, sake, ginger, lemongrass, hot sauce, and oil in a wok or pan large enough to accommodate your steamer and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium. Line the first part of the steamer with the cutlets and place it in the pan. Place another steamer layer on top of the first and place the mushrooms. Place a third steamer layer on top of the second, place the bok choy in, and cover. Cook 15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables and cutlets to a platter. Add the miso paste to the cooking liquids in the bottom pan, whisking until smooth, and cook just 2 to 3 more minutes, and then pour all over the dish. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.Note: Substitute firm fish fillets (such as tilapia, bass, or salmon), tofu, or thin beef strips for the chicken and proceed as above.

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings
These cook in no time, and steaming makes them a lean choice. Since everything is minced and cooks almost instantly, you might consider adding or substituting some lean ground turkey, lamb, beef, or bison, even fish, for some of the vegetables and proceed with the recipe just as instructed below. Do all your mincing and shredding in a food processor. You will love working with wonton and all other wrappers once you get the hang of it. Get yourself a bamboo steamer: It is very inexpensive—you will amply amortize it, and then some! Cabbage leaves for lining the top layer of the steamer
Filling:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 scallions, sliced very thin
2 cups finely shredded Chinese or nappa cabbage, packed
1 cup grated carrots, packed
1 cup minced shiitake mushroom caps, packed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 8-ounce package frozen round wonton wrappers, thawed
Put water to boil in the lower part of a steamer. Place the upper part of the steamer on the
lower part. Line the bottom of the upper part with some cabbage leaves so you have no trouble removing the finished dumplings. Mix all the filling ingredients thoroughly. Take one wonton wrapper and moisten all around the edges with water. Place one tablespoon filling in the center. Gather all the edges around the filling and pinch firmly, leaving the filling exposed at the top. Place the filled dumpling on the upper part of the steamer, right on top of the cabbage leaves. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers, placing them close but not touching. Cover and cook about 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter or serve directly in the steamer layer in which they cooked. Serve hot with sesame dipping sauce (page 32). Makes 8 servings.

Lemon Coconut Mousse- Gluten Free
Another treat born of good flavor matchmaking! Anyone not a lemon lover need not apply!
1½ envelopes unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
½ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons lemon zest
¼ cup rum
1 cup light agave syrup
1 pound silken tofu
1 8-ounce container dairy-free cream cheese
1 cup toasted coconut for topping (about 15 minutes in a 325°F oven), Optional
Dissolve the gelatin in the water, and reserve. Bring the coconut milk and the lemon juice to just below boiling in a small saucepan. Transfer the warm mixture to a food processor with the reserved gelatin mixture and process about 30 seconds. Add all remaining ingredients and process until perfectly smooth. Pour into a bowl or small individual cups and chill. Top with toasted coconut, if desired. Makes a dozen servings.
variation: lemon coconut pie GFA This will make for a more dramatic presentation, with just a couple minutes more work, for the crust. Grind about 12 ounces graham crackers (gluten-free OK) with 1/3 cup oil in a food processor and press firmly into a 12-inch pie plate, then pour the mousse batter on top, and chill. Cut into wedges. Makes a dozen servings.