Whether celebrating Independence Day weekend with a host of friends or a small gathering of family, add a flourish by showing your colors. Red, white and blue strawberry appetizers or a patriotic potato salad will have the crowd talking. Or how about an American flag cake for dessert?
Multiple online sites, like recipes.com and recipetips.com, will provide plenty of suggestions in response to a search for Fourth of July recipes. Do a little culinary flag-waving by trying out some of these below.
RED, WHITE AND BLUE STRAWBERRY APPETIZERS
Makes 24
12 each fresh strawberries
24 each fresh blueberries
4 ounces yogurt or filling of choice
- Select 12 good quality strawberries and slice each one in half. The green leaves can be kept on the berry, or removed.
- Use a melon ball scoop to remove the center of each half of the strawberry.
- Fill each scooped half slice of strawberry with approximately 1 teaspoon of yogurt, or any white filling desired, such as a fruit dip, custard, pudding or whipped topping.
n Top the yogurt with a blueberry and serve, or chill to be served when ready.
(Source: www.recipes.com)
RED, WHITE AND BLUE POTATO SALAD
Prep time: 30 minutes
(15 active)
Makes 12 servings
Three bunches green onions, divided
1 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup champagne vinegar or white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 1/4 pound blue potatoes, unpeeled
1 1/4 pound new red potatoes, unpeeled
1 1/4 pound small white potatoes, unpeeled
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Make dressing ahead of time and allow to chill. Whisk together onions, yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
- Place potatoes into a large kettle; fill with enough water to cover potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt to kettle and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes until just tender, approximately 15 minutes. Drain.
- Peel skins from blue potatoes only. Allow all potatoes to cool, and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Arrange all red potatoes at one end of the salad dish, white potatoes in the center, and blue potatoes on the opposite end of serving dish. Toss dressing over potatoes carefully. Garnish with feta cheese.
- Cover and chill two to three hours before serving.
(Source: www.recipetips.com/recipes-collections)
AMERICAN FLAG CAKE
One box yellow cake mix
1 cup water
1 cup oil
Three eggs
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon soft butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and dried
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried
- Mix cake mix with water, oil and eggs according to package directions. Pour batter into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
- Bake in a 350° oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove cake from pan and allow to cool completely.
n For frosting: Mix powdered sugar, water, corn syrup, vanilla and butter together until thick and creamy. When cake is cool, frost the entire cake with the frosting.
- Slice strawberries in half length-wise and allow them to drain on a paper towels while you arrange the blueberries. Lay the fruit out on the cake into a flag pattern.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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