So Many Dishes

I enjoy a good bagel with cream cheese. If I’m at Panera Bread, my first choice is their Asiago bagel, but anywhere else, it’s an everything bagel. Recently, Panera has introduced an everything Asiago bagel; talk about the best of both worlds. (Yes, I know. Some of you are going to tell me that Panera’s bagels aren’t authentic, New York style bagels. I get it, but I still like them.)

The everything seasoning mix that tops the bagel of the same name is a mix of seeds and dried aromatics. Sesame and poppy seeds are traditional, although sometimes caraway seeds are included. The aromatics are dried onion and garlic, with coarse salt rounding out the mix. I’ve read that some mixes include red pepper flakes, but I’ve never encountered that.

I’ve seen a number of recipes that include everything seasoning, and I think I have a recipe for everything chicken filed away, but I had never used it until yesterday, when I made Everything Bagel Salad with Lox. It’s a recipe that I saw in the Washington Post recently, developed by one of their former food writers, G. Daniela Galarza. At this time of year, I’m always looking for new salads, and we decided to give this one a try.

I made a few changes, only one of which was major. I used nova rather than lox. Traditional lox is salt-cured and unsmoked. Nova is salt cured as well, but also cold smoked. Ken and I both prefer nova, and since the recipe says “lox or other smoked salmon,” this is pretty minor. The package I bought was 4 ounces of salmon. I hadn’t realized that the recipe called for 6 ounces for the two servings this recipe serves, but 4 ounces was plenty. I also substituted feta for the goat cheese crumbles, since we always have feta. I can’t imagine that the goat cheese would be any better. I didn’t use as much everything seasoning as the recipe calls for, either. I added the first of the two tablespoons listed, and it looked like more than enough to coat the cheese. I added a generous extra pinch, but not the full remaining tablespoon.

The big change had to do with the bagel chips called for in the recipe. When Ken read through the recipe, he asked, “can we just have toasted bagels on the side instead of including the chips?” Of course we could!

This salad is definitely one we’ll be making again. It was a really refreshing, light meal for a very warm day. Any recipe that doesn’t require turning on the stove is a plus in the summer. I’m presenting the recipe as written.

Everything Bagel Salad with Lox

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped if large
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

• 3 cups chopped romaine hearts or other greens
• 6 ounces lox or other smoked salmon
• 12 grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup goat cheese (or feta) crumbles
• 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
• 1 cup plain bagel chips
• 2 sprigs fresh dill, for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar. Stir in the capers and season to taste with pepper.

Divide lettuce between two shallow bowls. Using your hands, break the lox into chunks and scatter evenly over the greens. Top with the tomatoes and red onion.

In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the everything bagel seasoning until the cheese is coated with the seasoning. Sprinkle the mixture over the salads, followed by the bagel chips, broken up if desired. Drizzle the dressing over the salads. Garnish with small dill fronds. Sprinkle with additional everything seasoning, if desired. Makes 2 servings.

Happy eating!