Fourth of July Summer Meal Recipes
Apple Pecan Green Salad, Barbecue Shrimp and Vegetable Kebabs
Jun 30, 2009
The best part of summer is having a large variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood at your fingertips.
Visit your favorite farmers market and stock up on local fruits and vegetables, and if you live near the coast, try out a local seafood market. Create a fun, wholesome meal by using a few key ingredients that are readily available this summer.
Also, for your Fourth of July or summertime meal, try a few desserts and drinks like Dutch Apple Pie, Watermelon Limeaid and Cream Cheese Brownies with Berries that are kid-friendly and great for parties.
Apple Pecan Green Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of fresh spring salad mix (with arugula, green and red oak leaf lettuce, etc.)
- 1 bag of fresh romaine lettuce, cut in small pieces
- 1/2 - 1 cup pecans (or your favorite nut)
- 1 cup apples, diced (I like organic Braeburn or Gala)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 can mandarin oranges (drained of juices)
- ½ cup green grapes, sliced
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles (if desired)
Directions:
- Mix together romaine lettuce and spring mix. Toss in apples, oranges, dried cranberries, green grapes and pecans.
- Toss salad and pour low-fat raspberry vinaigrette over it or serve dressing on the side.
- Add blue cheese crumbles to the top of the salad, if desired. Serve salad immediately or store in refrigerator.
Serving suggestion: Serve with Low-Fat Raspberry Vinaigrette and pecans or your favorite nut.
Barbecue Shrimp and Vegetable Kebabs
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cups or more of your favorite barbecue sauce (I like Montgomery Inn Barbecue Sauce from Cincinnati, Oh.)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- 1 Vidalia onion, cut into square pieces
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined (or pre-cooked until they’re pink, cooked through and tail-less if you prefer)
- 1 green or red bell pepper, cut into square pieces
- 2 cups pineapple, sliced
- skewers
Directions:
- Combine the onion, shrimp, bell pepper and pineapple with the barbecue sauce, place in a plastic bag, and seal it closed. Place the bag into a clean bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours.
- Prepare the skewers and begin to assemble the kebabs however you’d like with the shrimp, onion, bell pepper and pineapple pieces with fresh grape tomatoes, and repeat the pattern on new skewers until all of the ingredients are used up.
- If cooking on an inside stovetop grill, turn place the grill on the stove and turn heat to medium-low. Spray the grill with non-stick cooking spray. Place the kebabs on the grill, turning as they cook, careful not to burn or stick on the grill. Brush fresh barbecue sauce on them as they cook. Turn them and cook fully on each side until the shrimp turn pink – about 8-10 minutes or more.
- If cooking on an outdoor grill, do the same as above, minus the non-stick cooking spray. The grill should be set at 350 to 400 degrees, and turn the kebabs often, cooking through until the shrimp are pink.
Serving suggestion: Serve with barbecue dipping sauce on the side and crescent rolls.
The copyright of the article Fourth of July Summer Meal Recipes in Summer Recipes is owned by Kenda Williams. Permission to republish Fourth of July Summer Meal Recipes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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