During the hot summer months, Shabbos days are long, and I put more emphasis on seudah shlishit. When Shabbos ends at 5:30, a challah roll and some chummus are sufficient, but in the summer, everyone get genuinely hungry by 6! I usually serve a substantial salad and lots of dips, as well as cut up vegetables and chips and salsa. These can all be prepared in advance, so you can also have time for some Shabbos menucha! Here are some of my family’s favorites:

Kani Salad

This is very forgiving salad, add whatever you like in your sushi! It is a tedious job to cut the all vegetables , it can certainly be done in advance.

Pseudo-Crab sticks, shredded

Cucumbers, sliced into matchsticks

Shredded carrots

Shredded bok choy

Avocado, sliced into matchsticks

¼ cup corn syrup

¼ cup Teriyaki sauce

¼ cup Siracha sauce

¼ cup Mayonnaise

Panko bread crumbs

Gently mix together all vegetables. Mix together corn syrup and teriyaki sauce and pour over salad. Sprinkle with Panko crumbs. Mix together parts siracha sauce and mayonnaise and serve on side.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

This recipe is one of my family’s absolute favorites, but be aware it requires work in advance!

romaine lettuce

glazed pecans, crushed

1 large sweet potato, julienned

2 sliced shallots

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

4 garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 375. lay julienned sweet potatoes on a lined cookie sheet. drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast for one hour. Sautee shallots in olive oil until browned and edges are crispy. Combine dressing ingredients and pour over lettuce, roasted sweet potatoes and shallots. Sprinkle with glazed nuts.

Potato Bourekas

4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 onions, diced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 package Puff pastry squares

1 additional egg, beaten

Sesame seeds

Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, and let potatoes cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan, and add onions. Saute onions until they are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes, and mash with a fork or potato masher. Combine with the sautéed onions and egg. Season generously with salt and pepper. Now you are ready to assemble the bourekas. Preheat oven to 375. Lay out each square of dough, and place one spoonful of the potato mixture on it. Fold the square in half, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Carefully pinch all sides of dough together and place on cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg white, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

By Chavie Hagler