|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback | |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
Adding some spark to the Fourth of July
Of all the holidays on the calendar, the Fourth of July is especially fun at our house because it's also my son's birthday. I'm sure the neighbors must think we are extremely patriotic, because the house is decked out every year in red, white and blue banners, balloons and American flags. The way we look at it is that two reasons to celebrate are better than one. Having a Fourth of July birthday in the household also means we always have a special meal. No going to a friend's house, the city picnic or a block party for us. Whether our gathering is just family or includes friends, it is invariably a barbecue. This year's meal centers on grilled chicken accompanied by a fresh-tasting, oil-and-vinegar-dressed potato salad. Taking advantage of the summer produce, corn on the cob would be a nice side dish as would steamed green beans. For years I opted for boneless breasts when grilling chicken, but a friend served me his own recipe for Grilled Lemon Chicken Thighs and this has become a regular part of my barbecue repertory. In fact, I'll make this any time I see boneless, skinless chicken thighs on special. A trip to your local farmers market is well worth it when preparing this summer menu. Fresh herbs will give the Herbed Tomato and Potato Salad an intense flavor that can't be reproduced with dried. While you are there, get the potatoes, tomatoes, lemons, strawberries and blueberries and any other items you'll need for the rest of your menu. Our patriotic theme always extends to the table decorations and dessert. The Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake is a nice departure from a traditional decorated cake, and it takes advantage of the seasonal berries. Best of all, these three dishes could all be made ahead and taken to whatever Fourth of July celebration you have planned. Grilled Lemon Chicken ThighsRinse chicken. Place chicken in zipper lock plastic food bag along with lemon juice, soy sauce, basil, sage and pepper. Refrigerate and marinate 6 to 8 hours. Remove chicken and discard marinade. Grill over low heat 10 minutes per side. Garnish with sliced lemon. Makes 6 servings. Herbed Tomato and Potato SaladBring 2 inches water (salted, if desired) to boil in 3-quart saucepan. Add potatoes, cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook 20 to 25 minutes until tender. Drain and cool. Peel potatoes. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Gently mix potatoes, basil, sage, mint, oil, vinegar, tomatoes and green onions. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Makes 6 servings. (Adapted from "Betty Crocker's on the Grill.") Red, White and Blueberry CheesecakeMix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and mix until blended. Stir in white chocolate. Pour mixture into crust. Bake at 350 degrees 35 minutes until center is almost set. Cool. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Arrange blueberries in star outline on top of cake. Fill center of star with strawberries. Makes 8 servings. (Adapted from http://www.kraftfoods.com.) (Lauren Beale is an avid cook and recipe-book reader who works as a journalist in Los Angeles.) (c) 2000, Lauren Beale. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to the top |
© 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. |
![[CNN Money]](http://i.cnn.net/cnn/images/main/fn.logo.newsnet.gif){kind=logo}
![[SI.com]](http://i.cnn.net/cnn/images/main/si.logo.gif){kind=logo}
(
