Recipes to Wow Your 4th of July BBQ Guests!
One of the most popular Fourth of July traditions is the barbecue, but not just any barbecue! The Fourth of July barbecue is noted for its food and drinks. So if you are planning a barbecue this Independence Day, here are some easy recipes to make your party unforgettable!
One traditional Fourth of July food is watermelon. To fancy up your watermelon, how about offering a refreshing Watermelon and Arugula Salad? To make this dish, you will need:
3 pounds of watermelon cut into cubes
1 small red onion, sliced
1 ½ cups of arugula
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
salt and pepper
½ cup shredded ricotta salata
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a large bowl, combine the watermelon cubes with the red onion slices. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Then add the arugula to the large bowl. Separately, in a small bowl, combine the lime juice, orange juice and vinegar to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and then season to taste with salt and pepper. To finish it off, top with the ricotta salata and walnuts, and drizzle with olive oil.
If you want to make change up the traditional hotdogs, treat your guests to BLT Hot Dogs with Caraway Remoulade. For this dish, you will need:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons chopped capers
1 tablespoon chopped dill pickle
1 tablespoon toasted caraway seeds
8 cooked hot dogs
8 slices of crisp cooked bacon
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
4 cups of shredded iceberg lettuce
1/3 cup small basil leaves
The recipe itself is simple! In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the shallot, capers, toasted caraway seeds and chopped pickle. Then place the cooked hot dogs in the buns, and top them with the bacon and tomatoes. After that, mix the lettuce and basil with caraway remoulade, then top the hotdogs with the slaw.
For the adults at your barbecue, you don’t want to forget the alcoholic drinks. Why not offer something unique like Giant Watermell-O Shots? These red, white and blue beverages can serve as an adult drink and desert in one! Here is what you need:
1 large watermelon
4 3-ounce boxes of watermelon Jell-o
2 1-ounce boxes of unflavored gelatin
4 cups of boiling water
4 cups of vodka
To make this delicious drink/desert, first halve the watermelon and scoop out the flesh. Then, in a bowl, mix the Jell-o with the unflavored gelatin. Pour Jell-o and gelatin into boiling water and whisk until it is all dissolved. Add the vodka, and whisk again. Transfer the mixture into a pourable container, and pour the mixture into the watermelon halves. Transfer (carefully) to a baking dish or sheet. Refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours. Then slice and serve.
You can find these recipes and much more on www.deslish.com.
We hope these recipes help make your Fourth of July barbecue unique! Happy 4th of July!
