Quick and Easy Recipes for the Fourth of July

The fourth of July is known for festivities, family fun, and most importantly good food. For some of us it is also known as an extremely hot day spent in an even hotter kitchen. Preparing Ribs, burgers, mashed potatoes, home-made fried chicken, pies of all sorts, not to mention appetizers becomes a dreaded chore for those involved in the preparations.

Here are some ideas for easy, refreshing meals to make on a hot Fourth of July day so you can get out and enjoy the festivities.

Pasta salads are great for the summer months. There is very little cooking involved, and you can be creative, adding almost any ingredient your family would enjoy. The main ingredient you will need is a box or two of your favorite pasta. Rotini works well for pasta salad. The kids also seem to enjoy those little rings. For those of you watching your carb intake, multi grain pasta is a great substitute. Boil your pasta, rinse and drain it well, and pour the pasta into a large bowl.

Next, you will need a dressing of some sort to give your pasta salad some moisture and flavor. The most commonly used dressing is mayonnaise. You can also use a variety of salad dressings such as ranch, blue cheese or vinaigrette. Whatever suits your taste! For the health conscious, even a fresh lemon squeezed over the pasta would create a tasty base. Add enough mayonnaise or dressing of your choice to evenly coat the pasta.

What you add to your pasta salad from then on is up to you! Fresh vegetables are tasty and add nutrients to the salad. Onions, celery, shredded carrots, mushrooms, peppers and olives will add color and flavor. You can even add meats such as tuna fish, grilled chicken, diced ham, or pepperoni. Cheese chunks are also a great addition. Be creative and you can easily and quickly prepare a well balanced meal.

Chill your finished pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for the best taste.

Fresh vegetables are another healthy Fourth of July appetizer. Chilled fresh vegetables with an array of mouth watering dips are sure to be a hit on a hot day.

Some favorites for vegetable trays include sliced carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery sticks, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Be creative and slice up any vegetable you love. The more the merrier. Summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow, red, and green peppers are all delicious.

While you're chopping up those vegetables, you might as well chop up some fruit as well. Fruit salads are a healthy and refreshing alternative to fattening pies and ice cream. Again, you get to be creative and add whatever types of fruit that suits your palette. Some ideas include Pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, grapes, mandarin orange slices, nuts, kiwi, mango, papaya, and more. Chill your fruit salad before serving, for best taste. Try adding a dollop of whipped cream when serving for a sweeter treat. If you have picky kids, you could even set aside some of the fruit and add it to some Jello, top it with whipped cream and they'll gobble it up.

Another great appetizer you could serve is hummus. Hummus is healthy and light, and can be served with a variety of sides such as chips, vegetables, pretzel sticks, breads, or pita bread. Everything is made quickly in a food processor and requires no heat. Yet again you can be creative and add your own flavors. Hummus recipes are readily available on the internet.

Now, we all know that Fourth of July is quite often associated with grilling. For a lot of us, it just wouldn't be the same without making something on the grill. Chicken is a great meat to grill and is very low in fat. You can buy ground chicken or turkey to make burgers. My favorite quick Fourth of July chicken dish is marinated chicken. It's quick and easy because you can marinate with your marinade or dressing of choice, the night before. Then just pop them on the grill when it's almost time to eat. You can also grill vegetables brushed with olive oil and any seasoning of your choice for a delicious grill taste experience without the meat.



By Melissa McDade