Best Recipes to Break the Yom Kippur Fast With

After going a day without eating, most of us are so hungry we’d be willing to stuff anything in our mouths. But why settle for second rate or warmed frozen dishes? Imagine how much more rewarding that Day of Atonement will be if you knew that a bevy of sumptuous dishes were waiting for you.

Jewish law prohibits any work until the end of the day, which makes preparing complex dishes quite difficult. Instead, here is a wonderful selection of meal ideas that can be cooked in advance, cooked in a very short period of time, or not cooked at all.

Check out these creative recipes below, and if you have any ideas to share with your fellow fasters, please share in the comments.

Smoked Trout Salad from Eating Well

Makes: 2 servings

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

4 ounces skinned smoked trout fillet, flaked

1/4 cup minced celery

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon minced freshly grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups mixed salad greens

1 plum tomato, sliced

Directions:

Combine trout, celery, shallot, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill and pepper in a medium bowl. Arrange salad greens and tomato on 2 plates and top with the trout salad.

Farfalle with Spinach and Raisins from Huffington Post

Makes: 8 servings

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound farfalle

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup hot water

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

10 12 ounces spinach

1/2 cup toasted pignoli nuts (optional)

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box in salted water. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

Soak the raisins in the hot water to plump and set aside.

In a stockpot over medium high heat, add the oil and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the spinach and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Then add the raisins and water the pan along with the pasta. Mix well to incorporate.*

Place the pasta in a serving bowl and top with the optional toasted pignolis.

*Kosher note: if serving with a dairy meal, mix in 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Rosemary Orange Chicken from Huffington Post

Makes: 4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hr 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup orange blossom honey

1 cup orange juice

1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces (2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 orange thinly sliced into 8 rounds

rosemary sprigs for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a small saucepan, heat the marmalade, honey and orange juice over medium-high heat and reduce until thickened, by half. Set aside.

Heat a deep, large heatproof saute pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Working in batches if necessary (be careful not to overcrowd the pan at this point), cook the chicken skin side-down for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the pieces over and cook for another 2-minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan and deglaze with white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan as the wine reduces by about half. **Add the orange slices to the pan in a single layer, then add the chicken skin-side down. Pour the orange sauce over the chicken and heat until the sauce comes to a simmer.

Place the pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven (shut the oven door) and turn the chicken pieces skin side-up. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.

Place the chicken pieces and orange slices on a platter, spoon with some sauce, and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat.

*Use salt sparingly if working with a kosher chicken. **If you do not have a heatproof saute pan, at this point place all the ingredients in a shallow casserole.

Herbed Vegetable Terrine from Joy of Kosher

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 zucchini

1 small eggplant

1 yellow squash

1 can roasted red peppers

1 pound spinach, lightly sautéed in olive oil

assorted fresh herbs, (rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, marjoram)

balsamic vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a shallow pan combine the olive oil, lemon juice and soy sauce. Whisk in the honey, herbs and seasonings. Set aside.

Very thinly slice lengthwise the zucchini, eggplant and squash. Place in the lemon-soy marinade. Add the roasted red peppers and allow to marinate at least 45 minutes. Grill over medium high heat in an oiled grill pan or barbecue grill.

Line a pate` mold with extra long sheets of plastic wrap. Fill the mold by alternating the colored layers of each vegetable. Between each layer add some of the remaining fresh herbs and spinach leaves. Cover the top layer with the overhanging edges of plastic wrap.

Weigh down the terrine and refrigerate. Chill overnight. Unmold and serve with the Red Pepper Vinaigrette.