Stars & Stripes

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. There’s something about everyone coming together to celebrate our heritage and being proud to be an American that’s contagious and inspiring. It’s a holiday with some of the most spirit and I truly look forward to it every year. Unfortunately for the past several years I’ve had to work and this year will be no different. Since I can’t host my own barbeque or travel to any fireworks (so disappointing!) I thought I’d create my own a few weeks early!

No barbeque is complete without a grill for burgers, hotdogs, etc. I decided to make burgers and shrimp skewers, but I have a confession to make: until yesterday I had never started a grill in my life. That’s so bad! To make sure I didn’t burn myself or the house down I lured my friend Keegan down to help me taste test. Turns out she’s never started a grill either! I’m happy to say though with a little over-the-phone coaching from my dad we figured it out. And maybe one or two additional phone calls from him making sure no one was on their way to the hospital.

My burger recipe is really simple, I can’t even call it a recipe. Simply choose your ground beef (I usually pick at least 90% lean) and add in Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Be sure to add enough seasoning to have a good ratio with the amount of beef you’re using. Near the end of grilling throw on your favorite cheese and watch it melt into the burger. So good!

 For the shrimp skewers get at least a pound of large shrimp from your local seafood counter. Peel and devein them, then throw them in a bowl with your favorite BBQ sauce and let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. We used a bourbon based sauce with a hint of chipotle for a little kick.

While the shrimp are marinating, cut up a fresh pineapple into small squares. Once the shrimp are done marinating wrap them in a piece of bacon and alternate them with the pineapple on a metal or wooden skewer (Target had metal ones in the dollar bin. If you use wooden ones, which can be found at most grocery stores, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before use).

Once on the grill baste them with more sauce each time you rotate them for maximum flavor. These didn’t last long!

 We also grilled corn on the cob, basted in butter with a little black pepper.

For a second side I chose a “skinny” broccoli salad. Dice one green bell pepper, one red bell pepper, and ½ of a small red onion. Cut a pint of cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise, then chop 2 broccoli crowns. Throw these all in a large bowl, then add in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Finally, douse in one cup of ranch dressing. Mix well and let sit in the fridge until chilled.

 For dessert I went with an American classic, courtesy of my mother, Strawberry Shortcake. Grab a box of Bisquick and follow the directions on the back of the box. It’s that easy. We made our own whipped cream, which entails dumping the contents of one container of heavy cream, two tablespoons of sugar, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract into a large bowl, then whip it into submission as Julia Child would say. Once the cakes are done baking layer with the whipped cream and strawberries and serve!

 I wanted one other sweet treat with this meal so I opted to make my own popsicles, something that I’ve never done before. What I didn’t realize was how hard it would be to find popsicle molds. I went everywhere and couldn’t find them! And it’s summer! Fortunately there’s a wonderful thing called Amazon that allows you to obtain such difficult items cheaply and quickly.

To make these American flag popsicles puree one heaping cup of blueberries and one heaping cup of raspberries separately in a blender or food processor. You will also need at least one cup of vanilla Greek yogurt.

Thin each with a little bit of water so that it’s runny enough to pour in the molds. Start by pouring in the blueberries. You want a fairly thick band for this part. Pop in the freezer until solid, at least an hour. Next pour in the Greek yogurt. You want fairly thin stripes so you have enough room to alternate several times.

At this point it’s time to place the popsicle sticks. Cover the top of the mold with foil and poke holes through with the sticks, being sure to get it slightly in the frozen layer. Then place back in the freezer. Continue to alternate until you run out of room.

Once you’re ready to serve the popsicles fill the sink with hot water, then submerge the mold only to the top edging, do not fully submerge it. Hold in the water for about 30 seconds, then pop the popsicles out!