4th of July Recipes
Lynley Jones
It’s the height of summer, with the longest days, the hottest nights, and now a party complete with fireworks. YES!
The 4th of July must include the following four elements: flags, fireworks, fresh air and food. And the last two must be combined. MUST, people!! This is not optional. (Listen, I know it’s hot out there, but I don’t make the rules.) So turn on the sprinkler, hand out squirt guns, do what you have to do. But rev up that grill, and for goodness sake, serve something cold.
Here are my fave recipes to get you ready for this sweaty and patriotic holiday. Happy birthday, America!
The Must-Haves
It wouldn’t be the 4th of July without a little star-spangled flag-waving and watermelon. So these three recipes can get you started with that:
Frozen puff pastry dough, filled with creamy honey-mascarpone and fresh fruit. The quick and easy way to pull together a beautiful fresh-fruit tart.
An all-American pie classic, bursting with blueberry flavor and bedecked with stars. You can make this any time of year with blueberries either straight from the freezer or fresh.
The Main Event
Show off your independent streak by serving up something a little different on the Fourth.
A vegetarian burger where the cheese IS the burger. Halloumi cheese stands right up to browning directly in the griddle or on the grill, so you can skip the meat entirely. Slathered with garlic-mayo and topped with all the fixins, so you’re good to go.
Burgers stuffed with melty cheese on the inside, topped with red cabbage and scallion curls and a slather of gochujang mayo. Full Korean flavor on a stuffed burger. (Seriously, is there anything else to say?)
Burgers stuffed with melty cheese on the inside and topped with chiles, grilled onions, avocados and crunchy cilantro-cabbage. Get ready to party!
Shredded chicken or turkey and veggies drizzled with a coconut-peanut sauce, spiked with Sriracha and wrapped in a lettuce leaf.
One of the simplest things you'll ever make. And also drop-dead delicious. (How is that possible?)
Crispy fried tostadas with hot, creamy beans and crunchy cold toppings. Like a gourmet party-salad on an edible plate - easy and delicious casual dinner, lunch or snack.
Tacos filled with grilled summer veggies for your next party - or for dinner tonight.
Grilled pizza topped with grilled summer veggies - zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs - strewn over herbed goat cheese that's been slathered onto crisp pizza crust.
Grilled swordfish with a topping of grape tomatoes and sea beans, a fresh, crunchy-salty seaweed found at farmers markets and specialty shops. See recipe notes for more about sea beans, and how you can still make this if you can’t find them.
Grilled sea scallops drizzled with a green garlic-infused brown butter sauce and topped with spring onions, fresh sorrel and a squeeze of lime.
Crispy grilled pizza crust, topped with goat cheese, greens and tomatoes. No party trick here, just really great food.
The Life of the Party
Let this seasoning bring the awesome to your celebration:
Grilled zucchini, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes and red peppers seasoned with Sumac and Sage seasoning, tossed with pasta and showered with grated pecorino-Romano and minced herbs. You can follow 101 Ways to Use Sumac and Sage Seasoning for more ideas at adventurekitchen.com.
Vegetarian kabobs made with Indian paneer cheese, which grills without melting! Macerate everything in a Sumac and Sage blend sauce with Aleppo pepper, then dollop more sauce on the finished kabobs before serving. You can follow 101 Ways to Use Sumac and Sage Seasoning for more ideas at adventurekitchen.com.
Grilled corn on the cob dressed with Sumac and Sage seasoning and other spices, then topped with shredded parmesan and minced parsley. You can follow 101 Ways to Use Sumac and Sage Seasoning for more ideas at adventurekitchen.com.
Sides and Snacks
Summery stuff to nibble, drizzle, dip or nosh.
A little bit pesto, a little bit chimichurri, and lots of flavor! Spoon it over grilled meats or veggies, toss it with pasta, slather it over crostini or dribble it onto your pizza. Made with lots of fresh herbs, garlic and shallots, plus toasted pine nuts, mixed together in olive oil with a splash of lemon juice and a little Aleppo pepper.
Roasty-toasty cauliflower with turmeric and other warming spices, tossed with parsley and basil.
Salsa made from garlic, roasted tomatoes and serrano chiles, ground together in a molcajete (mortar and pestle) and served warm.
Addictively tasty Mexican dip for chips, or spread for veggie burgers or sandwiches.
Fish marinated in lime juice and tossed with chiles, onions, tomatoes, avocados and orange juice.
Guaranteed to disappear the minute it's served. Check out the recipe notes for tips on how to achieve guacamole awesomeness in your kitchen.
A fresh, raw salsa that adds a burst of flavor to almost anything, from tacos to scrambled eggs.
Originally created for our Mexican Cooking Fiesta class, this recipe was featured in our Mostly Plants series.
Cauliflower grilled crispy and brown, then dressed in a rich garlicky-buttery sauce.
Tomatillos and chiles roasted together and blended with onions and cilantro. This green salsa is cool, crisp, spicy and a little tangy, perfect on tacos or tostadas, or dolloped on fried or scrambled eggs.
Mild, creamy dip with a hint of goat cheese tang. Perfect for crudite or chips, as a spread on sandwiches or to dollop on veggies.
Juicy tomatoes, grilled corn kernels, red onions and cilantro, with a squeeze of lime and just a hint of mild pepper. Simple to make and full of flavor (plan to lick the bowl).
Sweet, juicy peaches with basil and a hint of cinnamon, mounded onto mascarpone-slathered sourdough toast.
Cutting the kale into thin chiffonade helps it to mingle with all the other flavors and textures of this delicious salad.
Drinks and Dessert
Grilled fruit, cold drinks and frozen treats to get you ready for the fireworks.
Lemons, peaches and thyme combine to fill every glass with the flavors of summer.
Grilled peaches drizzled with a tequila-honey sauce infused with Aleppo pepper and a punch of lime. It’s like a party for your peaches! (And for you, of course.)
Super-refreshing, fizzy and fun lemonade cocktail infused with basil and sumac.
Lemony-sweet basil frozen ice pops. Flecked with sumac, to bring nuance to the tartness and gorgeous pink color to your Spice Pop.
Frozen ice pops made from hibiscus-mint syrup blended with lime juice, frozen into a sweet summer treat.
Ice pops made with semisweet chocolate, Aleppo pepper, Mexican piloncillo sugar, cinnamon and cream. Chocolaty and slightly spicy, with a cinnamon twist.
Cool, fizzy and refreshing drink, perfect for a summer day. Or any day. Add a little gin for a grownup twist.
Miles of mangoes and flaky puff pastry make for a fairly simple but impressive dessert, especially when topped with homemade Cajeta de Leche.
Juicy, ripe peaches, crumbly topping studded with pecans, all drizzled with sweet whiskey-cream. Oh yeah.
White wine-honey sauce is infused with basil, then drizzled over grilled nectarines. Crumbled ricotta salata is then sprinkled on top for a creamy, slightly-salty finish.
More from Adventure Kitchen:
Recipes to bring to a backyard party/BBQ/pool party/cookout. (They’ll definitely invite you back next year).
The hot sun is shining straight overhead, your herbs are going gangbusters in the garden, and just about everything is coming into season right now. Here are my top spices to go with whatever you’re cooking in July, plus 66+ recipes to use them in. Happy cooking (and eating!).
How to use make your own naturally carbonated soda using fermentation, with herbs, fruit and other natural ingredients. Everything you need to know, including bottles, equipment, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions.
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tags fruit, burgers, dessert, fish, beef, vegetables, tacos, grill, seafood, pizza, shellfish, 4th of July, Independence Day, Flag
Watermelon and lime blended into a frosty-cold dessert that’s simple to make, and sophisticated enough for any dinner party. (Double win!)