During the patriotic holidays, many people have a picnic at the beach or invite friends and family over for a barbecue. Plan a truly patriotic party with recipes that showcase the colors found in the American flag. Make your palette one of deep reds, luscious deep blues and bright whites for a fun feast.
Refreshing Salads
Start the party off right with great salads that your guests will love. Cold salads are the perfect thing on a hot day. Chop up several slices of crisp white jicima as a base. Pair it with quinoa for additional nutritional value. Sun dried tomatoes add color and intense taste. Feta cheese adds a tang that spikes things up on a hot day. Mix with a peppery dressing made from freshly ground red and black pepper and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Fabulous Appetizers
for a large party, appetizers are a must. Start with a selection of delicious dips. Use blue corn chips standard chips and provide a seasonal touch. Pair them with freshly made chopped salsa. Use jarred tomatoes, cilantro, and white onion. Add cumin for a nicely spicy kick. Another excellent option for a dipping sauce is Greek yogurt dip. Drain the yogurt overnight or for least several hours. Mix with chopped garlic, olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Deviled eggs are also a good choice for a summer party. Boil a dozen eggs and then peel. Refrigerate for an hour. Remove the yolks. Chop them up and mix with a mayonnaise flavored with blueberry and tomato juices. Place the mixture back in the egg whites and serve on a chilled plate.
Mouth Watering Main Courses
Summer is the perfect time to grill. Marinate steaks and then grill until medium rare. Top with a pickled blueberry dressing and white onions.
Burgers are another fabulous main course option. Ground turkey is good option that is bursting with flavor. Grill the burgers to order. Place on a potato roll. Offer guests an array of toppings to put on their burgers. Ideal choices include homemade ketchup, thick tomatoes, homemade mayonnaise and dark greens.
Keep the Kids Happappetizers
Patriotic puppies (hot dogs set on small buns) are just perfect for small appetites. Boil or grill several hot dogs. Drain and cut into smaller pieces. Take standard length buns and cut in half. Place each small hot dog on a bun. Top with blue corn chips and white cheddar for added flavor and crunch.
Hearty and Fresh Side Dishes
Nothing says summer like a truly delicious range of side dishes. Potato salad is a classic that everyone loves. Update it with purple Peruvian potatoes bursting with flavor. Slice the Peruvian potatoes and with a few additional Yukon Gold potatoes. Yukon Golds are full of flavor and easy to make. Boil them, drain and then add in strips of marinated red peppers. A simple dressing of red vinegar, olive oil and mustard is ideal. If you like your potatoes mashed, you can simply take the potatoes after you’ve boiled them, mash them and then add milk, butter and cheese. Top with freshly ground pepper and marinated vegetables.
Give your cole slaw patriotic flair. Chop several cabbage leaves in small lengthwise slices. Fry up several strips of bacon and set aside. Mix up mayonnaise with a bit of apple cider vinegar. Let sit for an hour. Mix with dried blueberries and the bacon before serving.
Fabulous Summer Desserts
Summer time is the perfect time to show off summer’s wonderful procession of fruit. Take advantage of flavorful fruit like strawberries, blueberries and cherries. For a stunning dessert that can serve as the centerpiece for any party, create a flag cake. Start with a plain vanilla cake base. A rectangular sized cake is best. Place a layer of vanilla icing across the entire cake. Turn the cake into an American flag. Make the stripes with alternating layers of fresh strawberries and piped white icing. Carve out a side area for the stars. Plop blueberries in several rows along the northwest corner. Place stars made of icing or whipped cream on top of the blueberries.
White chocolate brownies are another ideal option for a festive summer day. Substitute white chocolate for milk chocolate in a standard brownie recipe. Add in white chocolate chips for additional flavor. Cut the brownies in squares. Slide blueberry jam on half the brownies and strawberry preserves on the other half. Top with a sprinkling of red, white and blue sprinkles for even more festive holiday fun.
Red, White, and Booze
Cold drinks are a must for guests on a hot July evening. Mix cranberry juice with vodka and blackberry brandy. Garnish with a slice of lemon zest and two fresh blueberries per glass. Treat kids with a patriotic, non-alcoholic beverage. Blue Gatorade is delicious for everyone and helps replace electrolytes lost during a day’s outdoor activities. Mix with ice, sugar and some cranberry juice. For a fun shooter, take a third of an ounce of vodka and mix with a third of an ounce of blue curacao. Serve over ice with fresh strawberries or several cherries.
Make your patriotic party special with these delicious recipes that are easy to prepare and serve.
