4th of July Recipe Roundup!

If you’re anything like me (which I’d like to think you might be since you are reading my inner-most personal thoughts after all), you are looking forward to 4th of July weekend and drooling over all the yummy food you will be eating!  4th of July is seriously bigger to my family than Christmas is – we are from the Fireworks Capital of the America after all.  New Castle, PA: home to both Pyrotecnico and Zambelli fireworks.  I don’t suggest visiting except for one day of the year:  the Fireworks Festival, which occurs the weekend AFTER the 4th of July where Pyrotecnico and Zambelli battle back and forth each year to outdo each other with some of the best fireworks in the country.  I digress.  And seriously, don’t go to New Castle.

I thought I would share some of my favorite summer holiday/picnic recipes in one quick post:

1.  Strawberry Salsa & Cinnamon Chips

This recipe has been EXTREMELY popular on Pinterest, is probably one of my most popular posts – and for good reason!  It is seriously delicious, sweet, and summerific.  You can make it the day before your picnic, double or triple it very easily to take to multiple picnics, and it’s all-ages friendly.

 

2.  Cheddar & Spinach Chicken Burgers

I mean, what is better than delicious, healthy, fresh burgers on a hot summer day?  Skip the pre-made mystery beef burgers and get something healthy on that grill!

3.  Cranberry-Pecan Quinoa Chicken Salad

This chilled salad would be amazing to make the day before and take to a picnic – the best part is, people won’t even realize it’s healthy!

 

4.  Maple Lime Chicken Skewers

Another great, easy recipe for the grill!  HOOBOY would these Maple Lime Chicken Skewers be great with an ice cold beer and some music blasting your favorite tunes.

 

5.  Apple Pie

Because what’s more American than apple pie?  PS – my little brother made this recipe, that’s how easy it is.

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What is your favorite recipe for 4th of July?

Are you going to see fireworks?

Chicken Burgers + My First Lettuce Harvest!

Don’t you love it when you make something that tastes so incredibly good and you don’t feel bad about it because its healthy?!  I love when that happens.  No doubt this would be “cleaner” if I had omitted the cheese, but….who the heck wants to omit cheese.

First, throw this into a food processor:

• 4 oz. wilted spinach
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 green onions, roughly chopped

Try not to drool into the food processor when your kitchen becomes overwhelmed with the smell of fresh garlic and onion.  Then, stir this mixture into 1 lb. ground chicken  and add:

• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 2 t. soy sauce
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1/2 t. chili powder
• 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Then, I added about 1/2 c. of Panko (NO EGG!), mixed it all together, and formed them into patties:

I refrigerated these for about 2 hours prior to dinner.  It allowed all the garlic and onion to release into the meat.  Also, the soy sauce and balsamic are super flavorful – more so after a few hours in the box.  You could grill or broil these, but I chose to cook them in my 10″ skillet.  Then, I WALKED OUT INTO MY FRONT YARD AND HARVESTED LETTUCE, Y’ALL.  No, really.  How cool is that?

Recipe inspired by Super Pickle