Here we are, almost to the Fourth of July, the grillingest, fireworkiest holiday of the year. I don’t know about you, but I’m truly ready for some new recipes. Thirty years of flag cake, I’m over it. Of course, not that there is anything wrong with a good flag cake, I just need a tiny bit of variety in my holiday celebration. Vodka doesn’t hurt, either. Hence the first of our fresh July 4th recipes: Firecracker Strawberries. A word of caution, these are so cute the kiddies may want some, so make some without the soaking in vodka step, and have them available for the under-21 crowd.

 

FIRECRACKER STRAWBERRIES

 

INGREDIENTS

3 cups strawberries

4 cups vodka

1 1/2 cups marshmallow crème

1 cup blue pop rocks

 

DIRECTIONS

Place strawberries in a large bowl and pour over vodka until the berries are fully submerged.

• Place in refrigerator and let soak for at least 1 hour. Drain strawberries, reserving vodka for future use.

• Pat berries dry with a paper towel. Microwave marshmallow crème for 10 seconds. Dip berries first in fluff, then into Pop Rocks. Serve.

From delish.com

 

Next up, an amazing original appetizer / side dish featuring grilled mozzarella cheese and pineapple, Vidalia onions, bacon and barbecue sauce. Sign me up!

 

BACON-WRAPPED PINEAPPLE MOZZARELLA RINGS

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large Vidalia or sweet yellow onions

• 8 slices canned pineapple rings, juice drained

• 8 mozzarella string cheese sticks

• 24 slices bacon

• ¼ cup barbecue rub

• 1 cup barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and cut the onions into ½ -inch slices. Match the onion rings to the size of the pineapple slices.

2. Tear the mozzarella string cheese in half lengthwise. Place one half of the mozzarella in the onion ring and cut the other half to fill in the remaining gap.

3. Wrap the pineapple ring, onion ring and mozzarella with bacon (you will need 2-3 strips per ring). Secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle on dry rub.

4. Cook the rings over indirect heat for 30-45 minutes. Brush with barbecue sauce, and cook an additional 10 minutes so the sauce can set. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.

 

Next, BBQ ribs, with a twist. Pineapple juice! This is perfect use of that juice you drained for the mozzarella rings. These marinate overnight, so plan for it. They cook tender in the oven and finish on the grill.

 

YUMMY BBQ RIBS

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups pineapple juice

• ½ cup ketchup

• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 Tablespoons honey

• 1 rack spareribs (about 2 )

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine juice, ketchup, soy sauce and honey in a saucepan. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes to thicken. Let sauce stand until cool.

2. Cut rack of ribs in half crosswise, if necessary. Cover with cooled marinade and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 45 minutes, basting occasionally.

4. When cooked through, finish ribs on preheated grill, cooking 3 inches from heat source on medium. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, basting with remaining marinade. Slice ribs and serve.

 

Next, for a little variety in main courses, serve these savory Surf and Turf Kebabs. Who can argue with anything dunked into hummus? Happy Fourth, y’all!

 

SURF AND TURF KEBABS

 

INGREDIENTS

• Italian dressing (for marinade)

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch pieces

• 2 green or red bell peppers

• 2 zucchini

• 2 yellow squash

• 1 large red onion

• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp

• Flaky sea salt

• Pepper

• Fresh thyme

• Hummus

DIRECTIONS

1. Marinate chicken in Italian dressing.

2. In a grill pan over medium-high heat, add chicken pieces perpendicular to grill lines. Flip pieces and grill until cooked through. Remove from pan.

3. Add vegetables to pan, placing red onion skin side down. Brush vegetables with Italian dressing (not the same dressing used to marinate chicken). Flip and cook other side. Remove from pan.

4. Add shrimp to pan. Heat a metal skewer and press down on shrimp to create darker grill marks.

5. Alternate shrimp, vegetables and chicken on wooden skewers. Brush finished skewers with Italian dressing. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and thyme.

6. Serve with a side of hummus.