Lox and Cream Cheese Bagels

Lox and Cream Cheese Bagels are a New York delicacy. And they’re also a tasty mash-up of many cultures. Lox comes to us from the Scandinavians and also Native Americans, who mastered the art of preserving fish. Cream cheese comes from Britain, while capers come from Italy. Together, they make a yummy breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Try it on your favorite flavor of bagel.

Makes:

2 sandwiches

Hands-on time:

10 minutes

Start-to-eat time:

15 minutes

Ingredients

2 bagels halved
4 ounces lox or smoked salmon, thinly sliced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh dill, plus more for serving
salt & pepper to taste
¼ red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1-2 Persian cucumbers, thinly slices
1 tablespoon capers

Kids kitchen skills:

mixing
toasting
slicing

Tools:

knife & cutting board
small bowl & mixing spoon
small bowl of ice water
butter knife
paper towels

Step-by-step

Grown-up steps

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, fresh dill, and salt and pepper, to taste.
If using thinly sliced red onions, soak them in a bowl of ice water for about 5 to 10 minutes. This gives the onions a more mild flavor.
Toast the bagels, then spread the cream cheese mixture on both sides of the bagel.
Remove onions from ice water and dry with paper towels. Add the cucumbers, smoked salmon, capers, and onions on the bottom of the toasted bagels. Top with the top of the bagels and dig in!