Break Fast Foods

After the Yom Kippur Fast, many people look forward to enjoying their traditional favorite Break Fast foods.

Dana Shrager’s Easy Blintz Soufflé Casserole is light, fluffy and quick to put together. It can also easily be made ahead of time. 

“This is a beloved recipe in my family and was/is made by my mother, several aunts, cousins, sister and mother-in-law,” Shrager, of the recipe website DanasTable.com, told the Journal. “When I walk into a family gathering that’s a brunch or dairy menu, blintz souffle is usually on the table.”

Easy Blintz Soufflé Casserole

1 stick unsalted butter melted and divided (8 tablespoons or ½ cup)
12 frozen cheese blintzes, do not thaw (2 boxes of Golden or Trader Joe’s brand)
4 eggs
2 cups sour cream (one 16 ounce tub)
2 Tbsp granulated white sugar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
Jam, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Put about 2 tablespoons of melted butter in a 9″ x 13″ (or similar size) casserole baking dish and spread to coat the bottom. (Use an attractive casserole dish if you have one, because you will serve from the baking dish.)
Place the frozen blintzes in the dish in 2 rows with space between each blintz. Set aside.
Let the butter cool slightly. Add the remaining ingredients (eggs, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and remaining melted butter) to a blender. Blend on high for 1 minute or until well combined. Alternatively, if you don’t have a blender, whisk the batter in a medium bowl.
Pour the blender batter around and over the blintzes until the spaces fill in between the blintzes, and the batter nearly covers the blintzes completely. (If you are making this ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.)
Bake uncovered for about 45-50 minutes or until the casserole puffs up in the center and is golden brown on the sides, bottom, and near the edges of the dish. The body of the casserole should be flecked with a little bit of golden brown.
The casserole will deflate as it cools; this is normal. Serve warm out of the casserole dish. Cut into rectangles and serve with jam on the side.

Notes
• Store leftover casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheat in the microwave until hot or bake in a convection oven at 335ºF for about 30-35 minutes.
• Variations: Make with other flavors of blintzes (such as blueberry) and serve with sour cream as a topping. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top before baking.

During the High Holy Days, Judy Elbaum always has a lot of leftover challah. Her scrumptious Break the Fast Challah Pudding uses 10 cups of challah cubes.

“It’s a family favorite that really hits the spot when we are craving some dairy and some carbs to break the fast.”
– Judy Elbaum

“Challah pudding bakes up beautifully with a golden brown crispy crust and a light, fluffy and flavorful interior,” Elbaum, founder of Leave it to Bubbe, told the Journal. “It’s a family favorite that really hits the spot when we are craving some dairy and some carbs to break the fast.” 

 While Elbaum prefers to use her homemade challah for the recipe, just about any type of egg-based bread, as well as most gluten free breads, will work. To produce a dairy-free version of this recipe, replace the butter with margarine and the milk with coconut milk, oat milk or any of the nut milks. 

“Serve it with some sautéed apples, fresh fruit, maple syrup and/or a dollop of whipped cream,” she said. 

Break the Fast Challah Pudding

10 cups cubed day-old challah
7 large eggs
1¼ cups milk
½ cup orange pineapple banana juice (or regular orange juice)
2 Tbsp amaretto
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp sugar

Topping:
4 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Before you begin, spray a 7″ x 11″ baking pan with Pam.
Place the cubed challah into a large mixing bowl. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, orange pineapple banana juice, liqueur, vanilla and sugar. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread cubes and fold well all ingredients. Spread the bread-egg mixture evenly into the coated baking pan and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the baking pan from the refrigerator. Brush the melted butter over the top of the bread-egg mixture. Mix together the topping ingredients and spread evenly over the bread-egg mixture.
Place in the oven for about 45 minutes until the top is golden brown. You can serve immediately after taking it out of the oven or while it is still warm.
Although this bread pudding tastes best on the day it is made, you can make it several days ahead of time. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve and then reheat in the microwave.
Makes 6 to 8 servings

In June Hersh’s home, you can tell the level of festivity by her appetizing board. Hersh is a cookbook author and food writer with a focus on preserving Jewish food memory.

“A simple Sunday brunch will have lox and perhaps whitefish salad [and] family gatherings would include sliced sturgeon, baked salmon and herring in the cream sauce with lots of onions,” Hersh told the Journal. “For Break Fast, which I want to be very special, I serve my home-cured gravlax.”

She adds, “It takes my appetizing display to new heights and is an out-of-the-ordinary treat for my friends and family.”

Homemade Gravlax

Reprinted with permission from “Iconic New York Jewish Food a History and Guide with Recipes” by June Hersh, (History Press February 2023)
Here’s a simple way to transform a piece of Atlantic salmon into an unexpected Break Fast delicacy. The flavor is delicate and the texture silky. It’s a welcome change or addition to the typical nova usually served.

2 1 lb pieces salmon filet,
1 tbs chilled vodka
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh dill
1 bunch fresh basil

Have your fishmonger cut you two 1-pound pieces of Atlantic salmon that are about the same size. Lay the salmon pieces skin side down on a large piece of plastic wrap. Drizzle each piece with 1 tablespoon of chilled vodka. Combine ¼ cup granulated sugar with ¼ cup kosher salt.
Sprinkle the mixture over both pieces, and top with freshly cracked black pepper. Lay 1 bunch of washed dill over one piece and a bunch of washed basil leaves over the other.
Lay the two pieces on top of each other and wrap in the plastic. Use additional wrap to seal the package. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish and use some canned food to weigh down and press the fish. Turn the package over every morning and night for 48-72 hours.
Remove from the fridge, discard the herbs and rinse the fish. Pat dry. Slice the salmon at a 45-degree angle, as thin as possible. Enjoy with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream.