High Holidays Feature (2): Light and Nutritious Meal Essential to Breaking Fast

Yom Kippur — Break the Fast Dinner These days holiday meals present a challenge and opportunity for the cook — an opportunity to experiment with new recipes and a challenge to provide food that will be appropriate for a variety of diets. Always present, too, is the desire for all the food preparation to be completed the preceding day. After a full day at the synagogue, everyone is anxious to have a light and nutritious meal.

Mock Chopped Liver

1 can sweet peas, drained

1 can green beans, drained

3-4 hard boiled eggs, whites only

2 chopped onions

1 cup chopped walnuts

2-4 tablespoons matzah meal (just enough to bind)

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except matzah meal, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse on-off button until consistency is coarse. Remove to mixing bowl and stir in desired amount of matzah meal and salt and pepper to taste. Chill. Serve with pita crisps.

Pita Crisps

4 large pita bread rounds

non-stick spray coating (butter or olive-oil flavored)

garlic powder or seasoned pepper

Split pita bread rounds in half, horizontally. Lightly spray the cut side of each pita half with non-stick coating.

Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder or pepper. Cut each half into 6 wedges. Spread wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake one sheet at a time at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crisp. Store in airtight container for up to a week. (Good dipper for salsa, too.)

Mock Chopped Herring

1 can sardines

1 onion, chopped

1 apple, chopped

1 slice bread, soaked in vinegar

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon lowfat mayonnaise

3 hard-boiled egg whites

Chop all the ingredients together until very fine. It is an excellent thick spread for bread, crackers or pita crisps.

Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Crispy Vegetables

4 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned

1 cup snow peas, cut diagonally in half

1 red pepper, julienned

4 green onions, cut into 2-inch matchstick pieces

2 cucumbers, peeled, cut in half, seeded, cut into 2-inch matchstick pieces

1 pound linguine, vermicelli or angel hair pasta

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Dressing:

2 tablespoons light soy or tamari sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

5 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely minced

5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds (heat in small dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden, about 5 minutes)

The day before:

Cook noodles. Toss with 1 tablespoon sesame oil and refrigerate covered.

Place chicken in single layer in a heavy skillet. Add 4 cups water, 1 celery rib, 1 thinly sliced carrot, 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig parsley and 1 thick slice onion.

Heat uncovered over medium heat until water just begins to boil. Immediately reduce heat to low.

Cover, and gently simmer breasts for 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Uncover, turn breasts over in the hot broth.

Re-cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover again; let stand in broth until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Bring broth to a boil; put in snow peas for about 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and plunge in ice water.

Cut the chicken with the grain into 1/4-inch strips, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Whisk all dressing ingredients together thoroughly, except sesame seeds.

Pour into covered container and refrigerate separately with the cut vegetables.

To serve the break-the-fast dinner:

Set out the appetizers. Toss the vegetables, chicken and pasta with the dressing. Season to taste with more soy sauce if needed.

Place in a very large shallow bowl or platter. Sprinkle top with toasted sesame seeds.

For dessert, serve honey cookies and honey cake with tea.

Naomi Arbit, a syndicated food writer, is the co-author of seven cookbooks, a former cooking instructor and a member of the International Association of Cooking Professionals. She lives in Bayside, Wisc.