Make your 4th of July food POP!

So you've been invited to a bbq/pool party/park/backyard celebration this year and besides wine/beer/chips or plastic cups, you want to bring something special. But what? Something simple and something good?

Well here are a few easy, delicious sure fire hits to bring to your festivities!! Enjoy!

Marinated Grilled Corn with Avocado Butter

Plan time: one – two days before the event

5 Corn - shuck corn and cut off 1 to 2 inches off tops, leave on the last layer of husk.

5 Tbsp - salt

3 Tbsp-Thyme

1 Tbsp - vinegar

3 scotch bonnet – cut in quarters (remove seeds unless you like your mouth on fire)

1 ½ Tbsp -ginger

4 – cloves of garlic

Avocado Butter

2 Avocado

2 bars of real butter

1 Tbsp – cilantro

1Tsp - Salt

In large container put corn in enough water to cover, add salt, thyme, vinegar, scotch bonnet, garlic and grated ginger. The corn will float at first so you will need to weigh them down. Your corn can sit in the marinade at a minimum 1 day at a maximum for 3 days.

Soften butter at room temperature, split avocado and mash flesh, mix with butter add a pinch of lemon juice, cilantro salt. Mix well to incorporate all ingredients and store in a container till ready to serve with corn.

To grill remove corn from marinade and re-shuck them (put husk back in place) and place on grill for 15-20 min turning every 5 min or soo.. if on a gas grill then on high for 10 min turning often. Don't worry about husk turning color or even burning.. (that's okay it will burn out, remember thee corn has been soaking in liquid for a few days)

When your corn looks like this its done

Once done shuck and coat with butter.. 

Jerk hot dogs with Mango Relish

 

Plan time: one – 3 hours before event

1 pack (8) - Beef/Turkey/Chicken Hot dogs

Jerk Seasoning Marinade

1- tsp liquid smoke

Veg oil

3 Tbsp - Jerk Seasoning

2 Mango – seeded and cut in half

1 head of lettuce

1 red onion – cut in half

Marinate hot dogs in 1 hour in Jerk Seasoning Marinade

To Cook

On rack of uncovered charcoal grill place mango halves, onion, and hot dogs directly over medium coals. Grill for 8 minutes, or until mango hot dogs are browned and heated through and onion is crisp-tender, turning once halfway through cooking. Set aside mango, onion, and brats.
 
Lightly brush romaine with marinade and grill 1 to 2 minutes, directly over medium coals, until lightly browned and wilted, turning once.

For relish, chop grilled mango and onion. Combine in bowl with 1 Tbsp of the jerk seasoning, and salt and pepper. Serve brats in buns with relish and romaine.

Grilled Potato Chips

 

Plan time: one – 2 hours before event

1 lb- potatoes (russet or long white), cut diagonally into 1/16-inch slices

3Tbsp cooking oil

5 _ cloves of garlic

2 - bay leaves

2 Tbsp - dried thyme, crushed

½ Tbsp coarse salt or seasoned salt

Par cook potatoes. That means cook them for 2 to 3 minutes or until potatoes are crisp-tender; drain. Place in a single layer on paper towels.

While potatoes are drying steep oil in garlic. Heat oil on low add garlic cloves whole, thyme and bay leaf cook low for 30 mins. 
 
Carefully brush both sides of potato slices with garlic oil. Sprinkle with thyme and salt.

Preheat gas grill. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place potato slices on the grill rack directly over heat. Cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are browned, turning occasionally. Remove from grill. Let stand on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. (Chips will crisp as they stand.) 

To use a charcoal grill, grill seasoned, precooked potatoes on grill rack over medium coals for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve as above.

Hummus and Grilled Pita Chips

Plan time: one – hummus 1 day, chips day of

1 can garbanzo beans(chick peas)

½ Tbsp – Tahini

3 cloves – garlic

2 Tbsp – fresh lemon juice

½ tsp- smoked paprika

½ tsp- cumin

1 Tbsp – Sesame oil

1 cup- Olive Oil

1 pack – Pita Bread

Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender

Brush Pita with sesame oil and grill till crisp serve with Hummus

Grilled Green Beans

Plan time: day of

12 ounces green beans, trimmed

8 unpeeled cloves garlic

1 tablespoon chicken stock

1 tsp olive oil

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, cut into thin strips (do not seed)*

2 teaspoons lemon-flavored olive oil (or 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice)

Salt

In a large bowl toss together beans, garlic, chicken stock, olive oil, and jalapeno pepper; set aside. Fold a 36x18-inch piece of heavy foil in half to make an 18-inch square. Place bean mixture in center of foil. Bring together 2 opposite edges of foil; seal with a double fold. Fold remaining edges together to enclose the beans, leaving space for steam to build.
For a charcoal grill, place bean packet on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 20 minutes, turning once. Remove packet from the grill and cool slightly. Carefully open packet (some steam will escape). Return open foil packet to the grill rack. Continue grilling 5 minutes more or until beans are just browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place packet on grill rack. Cover and grill beans as above.)
Transfer beans to a serving bowl. Drizzle with lemon-flavor olive oil. Season to taste with salt. To serve, remove peel from garlic cloves, mash lightly, and divide cloves among servings of beans.

Grilled pound cake and Espresso Chocolate Sauce

Plan time: Sauce can be make One day in advance

2 Tbsp boiling water

1 Tbsp instant espresso coffee powder

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 Tbsp light-color corn syrup

8 ounce special dark baking chocolate or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 1-1/3 cups)

1 16-ounce loaf prepared or frozen pound cake*, thawed

1/4 cup orange juice or 2 tablespoons orange juice with 2 tablespoons orange liqueur

1 cup whipping cream, whipped,

1/2 cup pecan/almonds or any of your favorite nuts, (toasted and chopped )

In a very small bowl, combine boiling water and espresso powder. Set aside. 

 

For chocolate sauce: In a small heavy saucepan, combine the 3/4 cup whipping cream and the corn syrup. Bring to boiling; remove from heat. Stir in espresso mixture. Add chocolate all at once. Let mixture stand, covered, for 4 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cover to keep warm.

Cut pound cake into eight 3/4-inch-thick slices.* Poke each slice several times with the tines of a fork. Drizzle orange juice evenly over cake slices.

For a charcoal grill, place cake slices on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals.

Grill for 2 to 4 minutes or until toasted and heated through, turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place cake slices on grill rack over heat. Grill, uncovered, as above.)

Serve grilled cake slices with whipped cream, pistachio nuts, and chocolate sauce.