Some friends in a sunnier part of the world sent us a lighter look at the traditional Sunday family dinner. Cape Town’s summery lightness can be made here at home with these recipes, developed by Table Magazine’s longtime contributor, Rhonda Schuldt. Let’s bring summer to life tonight!

Fresh Greens and Roasted Beet Salad with Maple-Orange Vinaigrette

The maple-orange vinaigrette for this salad is extremely versatile. Toss it with your choice of greens, grilled chicken (or leftover turkey), crumbled goat cheese, and toasted almonds for a light yet satisfying dinner salad.

1 orange

1/2cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon garlic paste (or finely minced fresh garlic)

pinch of salt

cracked black pepper, to taste

1/2 pound mixed greens, baby spinach, or a combination of both

1 cup thinly sliced roasted* beets (approximately one medium)

Pomegranate seeds, optional

Candied pecans, optional

Rinse and gently scrub the orange to clean and remove any residue. Zest the orange and place zest in a small mixing bowl, reserve the orange.

Using a small paring knife, cut off all the remaining peel from the reserved orange, removing all the pith to expose the fruit. Halve the peeled orange lengthwise, then cut into quarter- inch slices.

Place orange slices in a salad bowl along with the onion slices.

In the bowl with the orange zest, add the vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup and garlic paste; whisk together and season with salt and pepper to taste**. Pour half the dressing over the orange and onion slices and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

Just before serving, add the roasted beets and the greens to the salad bowl containing he marinated orange and onion slices.

Toss to coat, adding more dressing if needed. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and candied pecans if desired.

*To roast beets, wrap individual scrubbed (but not peeled) beets in aluminum foil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a 375-degree pre-heated oven. Roast until tender, checking after the first 25 minutes. When you can easily pierce the beets with a fork, remove from oven and let cool until you can safely handle. The beet peel should easily peel off. Once, roasted, beets will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

**Note: The dressing can be made in advance and kept refrigerated. Adding poppy seeds or pomegranate seeds to the dressing make for delicious variations.

Salmon Wellington

4 4-ounce salmon filets, skin removed

1 leek

1 clove garlic -- finely minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup half-and-half, fat free

4 small sprigs fresh dill

1 package puff pastry – thawed, if frozen

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon water

salt and pepper – to taste

Slice leeks in half vertically and rinse thoroughly to remove any grit, then slice horizontally into thin slices, using only the white and light green portion of the leek.

Combine butter and olive oil in a sauté pan and melt over medium-high heat. Add the leek slices and minced garlic. Sauté until leeks are tender and translucent. Pour in half-and-half and reduce by at least 1/2 and you have a consistency of creamed spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly season salmon with salt and pepper.

Make an egg wash by placing egg yolk and water in a small bowl and whisking together.

Roll out puff pastry and divide into eight pieces large enough to fit individual salmon filets with approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches all the way around the edges.

Place one salmon filet the middle of one piece of pastry. Top with a sprig of dill (to taste) and 1/4 of the creamed leek mixture.

Brush the edge of the bottom pastry with egg wash. Top with the second piece of pastry and use a fork to seal the edges. Brush top pastry with egg wash.

Place in 400-degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is nicely browned.

Yield: serves 4

Notes: Can also be prepared with a side of salmon. Simply use a filet from a full side of salmon, approximately 16 ounces with skin removed. Roll out puff pastry and cut into two sections that will accommodate the whole fillet. Follow the same instructions to prepare the wellington. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Let sit for 8-10 minutes before slicing into individual servings with a serrated knife.

Assembled wellingtons can be frozen for up to 2 months. Freeze by placing individual wellingtons in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Once frozen, they can be placed and sealed in a plastic container or zip-top bags until ready to use. Bake from frozen by adding 5-8 minutes to the cooking time.

Lamb Kebabs

3 pounds leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 2” cubes

8 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

½ cup chopped fresh oregano

½ cup chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

Juice from 2 lemons

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1. To prepare the marinade:

o Place garlic, herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper and olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend until garlic is finely chopped and all ingredients are combined. Place lamb in a zip top bag, add the marinade, seal and gently toss to completely coat the lamb pieces. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to 24 hours (ideal!).

2. To prepare and cook the kebabs:

Thread lamb cubes on metal skewers.

Oil racks of your grill and preheat on high heat. Place lamb skewers on the grill over medium-high heat for approximately 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare.

Serves 4-6

Elderflower Family Mocktail/Cocktail

ice

1/2 ounce elderflower syrup, more or less to taste (non-alcoholic elderflower syrups such as D’arbo ® brand can be found online)

6 ounces seltzer water

Fresh fruit garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.  Pour in elderflower syrup and chilled seltzer.  Stir then strain into a flutElderflower Family Mocktail/Cocktail or wine glass and garnish with fresh fruit.Elderflower Family Mocktail/CocktailElderflower Family Mocktail/Cocktail

To make a grownup, kicked-up version, use St. Germain ®, an elderflower liqueur, and chilled prosecco in place of the elderflower syrup and seltzer.

Pavlova

Pavlovas all follow a similar basic recipe to create the lovely cloud-like canvas for an endless variety of toppings depending on the season.

Use the following The Barefoot Contessa recipe for the pavlova base:

4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of kosher salt

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won’t get a pencil mark on the meringue.)

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1½ hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft inside.

Copyright 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

The cooled pavolva base can be stored in an airtight container until ready to serve (for up to two months).

Sweetened Whipped Cream

sweetened whipped cream made from two simple ingredients but can be flavored in many ways by adding vanilla, fruit zest, liqueur, almond extract, etc.

1/2 pint cold heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)

2 tablespoons sugar

Place sugar and cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Using a stand or hand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat for about 2 minutes until soft, billowy and the cream has nice soft peaks. Be sure not to over beat.

Can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. Re-whisk for a few seconds before serving.

Fruit Compote

If not using fresh fruit to simply top your pavolva, a compote made from fresh or frozen fruit or berries is just as delicious. Let your imagination run wild!

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons water

2 cups frozen berries (consider other fruits, like diced or slice peaches, mangoes, etc.)

1 tablespoon orange liqueur, optional

Place sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add ½ of the fruit and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining fruit and the liqueur. Simmer for an addition 4-5 minutes. Let cool completely. Place in a plastic or glass container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble, place cooled pavlova base on a serving dish. Top with sweetened whipped cream and the fruit compote (or fresh when in season). Serve immediately by spooning onto individual serving plates.

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