Category Archives: 4th of July
Sous Vide Ribs
I almost waited too long to put the ribs into the water bath. I was thinking the morning of the 4th would be good for the holiday dinner. The slab was cut into two pieces, rubbed with seasonings, and sealed in vacuum bags well in advance. Then I looked at the recipe over at the Food Lab site the day before: “TOTAL TIME:16 to 50 hours”! I set the bath up and started it up around 2PM on the 3rd with the temp at 155 degrees.
They spent the night at 155, then I boosted the temp to 165 the morning of the 4th. Around 11Am they came out and were placed in an ice water bath to cool. Here they are after blotting with paper towels.
And after brushing with BBQ sauce while the oven was heating to 400. The one on the right was wanting to break in two, all they needed was reheating to seal on the sauce.
The ribs were as tender as any we’ve ever had, the bones sipped out of the slabs cleanly. Two thumbs up!
Got bone?
Happy Independence Day!
I’ll be doing the usual. Watching 1776 right now (and working…just been that kind of few weeks).
Hope you enjoy your day!
Summer Menus: July Week One
JeffreyW makes dill potato salad
I didn’t forget as July began that we needed the first of the month’s menus. But last week my house (and thus my office) was chaotic. I had many, many worker bees doing major energy upgrades, including installing a high efficiency furnace and conditioning the crawl space. The net result so far is my house has been about 10 degrees cooler on the hottest day.
Needless to say, I did not get a lot of work done, so Friday and Saturday were spent catching up. Today I was able to get to the menus.
Tuesday being 4th of July, the recipes are picnic ready and can easily be doubled for a big group. Including a traditional Potato Salad.
Click here for all the menus and recipes: July Week One Menu
JeffreyW’s tasty looking marinated pork chops
I’m counting on a heatwave so the rest of the week is grilling and cold salads. Monday features Marinated Pork Chops and Grilled Pineapple.
Complete shopping lists are here: July Week One Shopping List. Remember they are color coordinated, so it’s easy to eliminate any items if you are skipping a recipe.
The week finishes out with Fajita Steak Salad and Grilled Asparagus. If you grill the steak the night before (to serve cold), you can broil the asparagus instead of grilling it.
Photo from JeffreyW, of course 😉
That’s it for this week’s menus. Later today I’ll try and put together a collection of our July 4th recipes we’ve posted over the years.
Friday Recipe Exchange: Cookout Favorites
It sounds like many will have rain for the holiday weekend. Luckily all the recipes I pulled together work well for an indoor picnic or backyard cookout.
The first compilation I arranged was for a variety of not-your-typical Pasta Salads, click here for four very tasty recipes.
The second group of recipes (found here) I put together from the archives was for garden fresh salads. Recipes include the Jicama Slaw (pictured at top of post) that I am making for a cookout this weekend. The smallest jicama I could find was 2.5 lbs. Anyone have ideas what I can do with the 1.5 lbs I’ll have left over?
I’m also making Watermelon Granita, recipe here, but you can use the recipe to make any flavor you desire.
My new garden has quite a few ready to harvest rhubarb plants. I’ve had this recipe tucked away for just such an occasion. Click here for Rosemary-Lemon-Rhubarb Spritzers.
Buttermilk Pie, above, is such a show stopper and foolproof to make. Click here for the recipe.
What’s on your Fourth of July menu? What food is an absolute must for your table on this holiday?
Tonight’s featured recipe takes potato salad in a different direction and I hope it inspires you to share your favorite potato salad recipe in the comments.
Italian Potato Salad
- 2 lbs of small red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 tbsp of salt
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp fresh snipped rosemary
- 2 tbsp fresh snipped basil
- 1/2 tsp crushed dried oregano (or 2 tsp fresh)
- 2 tsp stone ground mustard*
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 24 to 28 oz fire roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 oz shaved Parmesan
Large saucepan, baking sheet, large serving bowl
In saucepan, cover potatoes with water, add salt and bring to a bowl. Reduce heat to low boil and simmer until potatoes are just fork-tender. You don’t want them to be soft, as for mashing, you want them to still hold their shape.
Mix together vinegar, garlic and spices. Drain potatoes and spread over a baking sheet in one layer, pour 1/2 of vinegar mixture over them and let cool completely.
Add mustard and oil to remaining vinegar mixture. Add sliced peppers to potatoes, stir and then transfer to serving bowl. Toss with remaining vinegar mixture, salt and pepper to taste and Parmesan.
*I have an aversion to Dijon mustard, but if it a favorite of yours, you can easily use it in this recipe.
That’s it for me. There will not be a recipe exchange next week. I am officially moving next weekend. I may post photos of that if I have internet setup. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July – TaMara
4th of July: Fresh Salads
Looking for something a little different for your cookout this weekend? I’ve compiled some fresh favorites.
I’m making my favorite slaw for this year’s 4th of July cookout. Jicama Slaw, recipe here.
You’ll find a great guest recipe here for Corn and Black Bean Salad.
And a fresh take on an old standby, Spring Potato Salad, recipe here.
Finally:
Watermelon-Cucumber Salad
I chose to use mint because it’s what I had handy, but I’ve seen it with basil or oregano and white wine vinegar instead of limejuice. For a spicier version, try limejuice and Pico de Gallo.
- 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
- 1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (if using unwaxed, no need to peel)
- 2 tbsp limejuice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- mint leaves, torn into small pieces
- Pecorino Romano, feta or other similar cheese, cut into small chunks or crumbled
serving bowl
Add watermelon and cucumber to a serving bowl, drizzle with limejuice and oil, add mint leaves, then toss to combine. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes, sprinkle with cheese just before serving cold.
Happy 4th of July from Bixby and the Gang
“Whatcha doing?”
Trying to get a picture of Bixby’s big ole paws….he had other ideas.
This was the best I could do. I have really big hands (I can palm a basketball), his are bigger. Bigger than a few months ago:
Surprised me, too. I’ve lost all perspective. People say, what a horse (like I’ve never heard that before) and I think, oh, he’s not that big. I keep thinking he’s stopped growing…but it’s only slowed.
Those white marks around his face? He decided he was going to do some landscaping in the backyard by trimming the bushes that line the fence. Those are scratches from the thick brush and bites (from what, I don’t really want to know). Silly boy.
We’ll be missing the fireworks this year. I’m worried about leaving Bixby home alone for his first July 4th. They don’t seem to bother him too much, but for this first one, I think I should be home. Even if it is my absolutely favorite holiday. Have a safe and fun day!
Some Fireworks for You!
In case you couldn’t make the festivities!
Photo by Dave Masters – Denver City and County Building – Civic Center Park
I’m out watching this year’s fireworks, but here is last year’s finale.
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It’s July 4th! Happy Independence Day!
We hold these truths to be self-evident…..
For a full-size readable copy of the above photo, click here.
Still a sucker for July 4th. I’ll be watching 1776 sometime over the holiday. There will be fireworks. And a picnic. I love that we are a country of rebels and continue to be a country of rebels. It’s not always pretty, but really, would we have it any other way?
Last year it was Orange Creamsicle Gelato, Caribbean Coleslaw (recipe here) and Key Lime Bars (recipe here). This year it was Grilled Bourbon Chicken (recipe here) and Jicama Slaw (recipe here). Have a safe and fun 4th.
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1776: The Musical, The signing of the Declaration
Just a little holiday fun:
If you’ve never seen this movie, put it in your queue.
Friday Recipe Exchange: 4th of July Cookout Ideas
![DSC_3999 [1600x1200]](https://whats4dinnersolutions.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/dsc_3999-1600x1200.jpg)
Since the 4th of July is barreling toward us, I thought I should get some ideas together. This is absolutely my favorite holiday. Food, fireworks and friends, what could be better? So let’s jump right into the food portion of our festivities.
These are quick and easy ribs if you don’t want to do the smoke for the whole day style, the citrus glaze is the star of this recipe: Baby Back Ribs with Citrus Glaze (recipe here).
Buttermilk Pie (click here) will get all the ooo’s and aaahhh’s, until the fireworks anyway. As pretty as it is tasty.
JeffreyW makes a Classic Orange/Lemon Shakeup (pictured above and recipe here)
And for a different take on cucumber salad, how about Minted Cucumbers, (recipe here).
Hopefully that will give you some ideas for your own July 4th celebration. What’s on your menu for this weekend and for the holiday? What are your favorite recipes for the celebration? We always have to leave room for the funnel cake at the fireworks. Hit the comments to share your recipes and what you like to do on the 4th.
Tonight’s featured recipe is one I made a few years ago on a whim, inspired by a recipe I didn’t follow for various reasons, and I get requests for it every July 4th now. Because it’s a kabob style, it’s a bit labor intensive, but you can prepare all of it the day before. If you want your chicken even drunker, you can soak it in the extra bourbon overnight.
Grilled Bourbon Chicken Appetizers
12 servings
- 1- 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Bourbon whisky (how much you use and what you do with the leftover is between you and your bottle)
- 8 oz pineapple chunks
- 12 strips of sliced bacon (should be a pound)
- 12 short wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes before assembling and grilling*
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch x 2-inch cubes, you should have 36 pieces (you can soak in bourbon if you like)
Mix together Chipotle peppers, brown sugar, cayenne pepper and add enough whisky and pineapple juice to make a thick sauce. Cover chicken cubes on all side with sauce and let marinate for at least 1 hour.
To assemble: Start with a pineapple chunk, add one end of full bacon strip, add chicken cube, then wrap bacon around the top of the cube and skewer, add another cube of chicken, wrap bacon around the bottom of that piece of chicken, then skewer, add a third and repeat with the bacon strip, you’re creating a ribbon with the bacon. Finish with a pineapple chunk.
(And I wish I had a photo of that step for you, but we got so busy doing them, I forgot to get the camera out. When I make them this year, I’ll remember, promise. I barely got a finished picture, had to grab someone’s plate before they started munching).
Grill over medium high heat (if using coals, start over hot coals, then move away from direct heat for the remainder of cooking time), turning frequently. Cook until chicken is 160-165 degrees. Shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes, don’t overcook or you’ll have dry, rubbery appetizers. Serve hot.
*please don’t forget this step or all you’ll have for appetizers is flaming skewers.
That’s it for this week. There won’t be a recipe exchange next week. And if you missed it, this week’s complete dinner menu and shop list is Pork Stir-fry and Tangy Lemon Pie (click here). Have a safe and happy 4th! – TaMara
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