Holidays can be tricky for blended families. In our case, the Christian side of the family offers to bring the bread for a Passover Seder, and the Jewish side doesn't understand why dinner has to be after the Christmas Eve service.

It's a problem best solved with a little humility and grace. That said, it sometimes falls together naturally. The first holiday we spent together with our families was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar -- a kind of once-a-year "you're forgiven" moment. As such, it's a solemn day, usually marked by a fast until sundown. After that, most families serve up a simple meal of smoked fish and bagels, because there are prohibitions against working on a high holy day.

It could have been fraught with tension: meeting families, packed with about a hundred years' worth of baggage. Not knowing the customs, not knowing you don't bring flowers to a solemn moment of repentance. But it wasn't. We settled in, dug into the platters of cold salads and smoked fish. We honored traditions and gently educated ignorance.

These days, our families are spread across the country. On all sides, we live a plane-flight from each other. So we two often spend many of the holidays together: holidays that are quieter, less fraught -- but no less traditional.

For Yom Kippur, we keep it easy with trout salad that's just a little bit of work. You can make it the day before -- or anytime, really, a nice dinner for an early fall evening when you'd rather not turn on the stove.

Smoked Trout Salad

The fast of Yom Kippur is often broken with smoked fish as in this trout salad. This easy dinner, which can be made ahead, is great for any night, holiday or not. Serve it on a bed of greens to dress it up and add a whole-grain bagel to make it a substantial meal.

Serves 2.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

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

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.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 169 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 21 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrate; 15 g protein; 1 g fiber; 741 mg sodium; 239 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30 percent daily value), Vitamin A (20 percent dv), Folate (19 percent dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1/2 fat

 

 RSS    

Twitter: @ihavenet

MORE RECIPES:   DESSERT | PASTA | SEAFOOD | WOLFGANG PUCK

Recipes

 

More Recipes

A Simple and Satisfying Trout Salad for Yom Kippur

Copyright © 2011 Tribune Media Services Inc.