Tasty Kitchen: A Happy Recipe Community! » Fourth of July

Patriotic Fruit Dessert

Lucky Kate — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:20:19 +0000

Who doesn't love a light, fruity dessert in the summer? Yes, I do have an unbeatable love for rich decadent desserts such as red velvet cake and chocolate but why not take a break for something healthier but still tastes good? Top this with whipped cream, have it instead of salad for lunch, or pair it with yogurt and honey for a quick yet nutritious breakfast. You'll feel good about it, I promise.

4th of July Balsamic BBQ Baked Beans

Natalie Wiser-Orozco — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:51:49 +0000

Start a pot over medium high heat, adding in the bacon fat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots, and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add in the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan for a minute, then add in the tomato paste, Dijon mustard, rosemary, cocoa powder, salt, paprika, and pepper. Mix well, and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes.

Set a crock pot on high and add in the beans, vegetable mixture, water, and beer. Cook the beans for 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until tender. If you don’t have a crock pot, you can simmer the beans in a stock pot, on low heat, until tender.

Patriotic Berry Pretzel Salad

Lindsay {Eighty Twenty Dietitian} — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:50:54 +0000

For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a bowl mix together pretzels, butter and sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish prepared with baking spray. Bake for ~12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely (I put mine in the refrigerator after about 20 minutes).

For the Russian cream:
In a medium saucepan, blend sugar and gelatin. Add water and mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stirring constantly, bring to full boil.

Remove from heat and whisk in whipping cream. In a larger mixing bowl, mix sour cream and vanilla. Slowly add sugar-cream mixture and whisk to mix.

Pour Russian cream over cooled pretzel crust and return to refrigerator for 3-4 hours, or until set.

Prior to serving, decorate with berries. To serve, cut into 12 even slices.

Perro Caliente, Colombian Hot Dog

Michelle {a recipe junkie} — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 10:33:03 +0000

First prepare your sauces:
1. Pink sauce: In a small bowl combine the ketchup with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Stir until combined and set aside.
2. Garlic cilantro mayo: Finely chop the garlic clove, add to a small bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of mayo. Finely chop cilantro and add to the mayo. Add in the lime juice and mix until combined. Set aside.
3. The third sauce is just plain yellow mustard.

For the hot dogs:
Coat a large skillet with the olive oil. Gently, partially slice the hot dogs vertically before placing them in the skillet. Toss with the oregano and cumin. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the skin has bubbled up and browned a bit.

For the cabbage slaw:
Place the sliced cabbage in a bowl. Add in the vinegar, salt, and olive oil. Mix until combined. Serve immediately, the vinegar will wilt the cabbage.

To assemble:
Toaste the hot dog buns then top with a hot dog. Add a bit of the garlic cilantro mayo, the pink sauce, and mustard. Place some of the thinly sliced onion on top, then top with the avocado slices. Add some of the cabbage slaw, and top with the shoestring fries.

Red, White, and Blue Dessert Nachos

The Scrumptious Pumpkin — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:20:21 +0000

For the cinnamon tortilla chips:
Preheat oven broiler. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut star “chips” from each tortilla. Or just use a knife to cut tortillas into small triangles. Place one layer of chips (they should not overlap) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each chip with canola oil. Toast under the broiler for about 5 minutes. When chips turn lightly golden, remove from the oven. Immediately sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over each chip.

For the coconut cream:
In a large mixing bowl, add the Neufchâtel, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Use a hand mixer to blend for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

To assemble the nachos:
Place several cinnamon tortilla chips on a serving plate. Top with plenty of fresh blueberries and diced strawberries. Drizzle the coconut cream all over the top.

Avocado Lime Spread

Rachel {Studio Cuisine} — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:31:20 +0000

Add all ingredients to food processor or blender and blend until spread/dip reaches desired consistency.

Add salt and pepper, to taste.

4th of July Meringue Cookies

Shugary Sweets — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:54:35 +0000

In a mixing bowl (that is completely clean and dry), beat egg whites until foamy (about 30 seconds). Add vinegar and corn starch and continue to beat for another minute until soft peaks form. In a slow stream, add sugar. Beat for about 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Divide mixture into thirds. Beat in red Jello to one third, blue jello to the second, and lemon extract to the third. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill pastry bags with meringue (one color in each bag) and pipe using a star tip.

Place baking sheets in 200ºF oven for 90 minutes. Turn oven off and leave meringues in oven for 6 hours, or overnight, to harden. I usually make these in the evening after dinner, and leave in overnight. Package in an airtight container (or Ziploc).

Note: I prefer to use caster sugar in place of granulated sugar. However, if you can’t find caster sugar, process your granulated sugar in a food processor to get it extra fine. This is optional, but I think it makes a difference!

Jalapeno Turkey Burgers

serenabakessimplyfromscratch — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:42:21 +0000

Mix all patty ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Divide turkey meat into 5 balls and shape into patties.

Preheat BBQ grill to 350ºF and oil grill grates to prevent sticking. We use a paper towel dipped in cooking oil and tongs to rub over the top of grates. Cook patties on each side until patties are cooked though. Add cheese if desired. Top with desired condiments and enjoy!

Quick Pickles

Michelle Robin — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 18:16:23 +0000

Slice cucumber into 1/4″ thick rounds. Place cucumber slices in a bowl or mason jar, then bring all other ingredients to a boil in a sauce pan. Boil on low for about ten minutes; when done, pour over cucumbers. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat these tasty tokens of love!

4th of July Cupcakes

Winnie Abramson — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:13:08 +0000

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line up 12 cupcake holders on a baking sheet (or put them in muffin cups, if necessary).

2. Using a stand mixer, cream butter for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

3. Add sugar and beat for several more minutes.

4. Crack eggs into a small bowl. Add them one at a time to the butter/sugar, beating well after each addition.

5. Whisk flour and baking power together in a medium bowl, then mix milk with vanilla extract in a small bowl.

6. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed, and add half of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Add the milk mixture, and then add the rest of the flour, beating after each addition to ensure all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Don’t overmix, though.

7. Fill the cupcake holders 1/2 full only (you want the cupcakes to bake up flat) and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

8. Allow to cool completely before proceeding with the decorating.

9. Using a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the confectioner’s sugar until the desired consistency is reached. Thin with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, and additional water (add it a couple of drops at a time) if necessary to keep the icing at a spreadable/pipe-able consistency. The icing will harden as it stands so work quickly while decorating, if possible.

10. Tint about 1/2 cup of the frosting red and another 1/2 cup blue using food coloring; keep the rest white. Thin with a little water, if necessary, and put colored frostings into pastry bags with a small round tip attached.

11. To decorate, spread a thin layer of white frosting on each cupcake, then put a colored dot in the center of each cupcake, with concentric circles around the dot (use 1 color or alternate colors for the circles). Using a toothpick, start at the center and drag it through the colors to create the fireworks effect.