Independence Day is a great day of fun with friends, family, and food! This year, try some healthier recipes to avoid steering too far off the course of your healthy lifestyle and goals. I’ve put together some July 4th recipes the whole family will love!

• Fresh Berries and Maple Cream

• Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
  • For a dairy-free version, use one can of full fat coconut milk, chilled, and scoop out the solidified milk and blend with syrup as directed.

  Combine sour cream and maple syrup in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine berries, and spoon into dessert dishes; pour maple cream over berries.

• Frose’

• 2 cups sliced strawberries or frozen strawberries
• juice of one lemon
• 1 bottle Rose’ wine
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup (the real stuff, not pancake syrup)
•       Puree’ strawberries, add syrup and lemon juice and blend well. Add one bottle of Rose’. Combine in a large bowl or freezer bag and freeze for 4 hours. Scoop out with a spoon and enjoy.
• Blueberry Lemon Sorbet

• Ingredients
• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon saltPlace all ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Place berry mixture in a freezer-safe container and freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
• Red, White, and Blue Ice Pops

• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 cup lemonade
• 1 cup blue sports drink, make sure it doesn’t have high-fructose corn syrup

  Arrange 8 3-oz. paper or plastic cups on a baking sheet and divide cranberry juice evenly among them. Place baking sheet in freezer and freeze until juice is almost firm, about 1 hour.

  Insert craft sticks into center of slightly frozen juice. (If sticks won’t quite stand up straight, you can reposition them when the next layer starts to solidify.)

  Divide lemonade evenly among cups to make a second layer. Freeze until hard, about 2 hours. Pour Gatorade over lemonade layer and freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Gently pull each ice pop out of its cup (it helps to squeeze the cup lightly from bottom) and serve immediately.

  Zucchini Rollups with Parmesan Pesto

  

  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 6 zucchini
  • Olive oil

  Combine basil leaves, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor; pulse until well-blended. Gradually pour in 1/2 cup olive oil and Parmesan cheese; pulse again. The pesto should be very thick. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper, as desired. Thinly slice zucchini lengthwise; brush lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper. Grill until marked on both sides and tender (about 1 minute per side); remove and cool. Spread about 1 teaspoon of pesto on 1 side of each grilled zucchini slice; roll up and secure with a toothpick.

  Fireworks Daiquiris

  

  Ingredients

  Red:

  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 cup watermelon chunks, frozen
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 2 tablespoons white rum
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup ice cubes

  White:

  • 1 cup coconut sorbet
  • 1/4 cup rum
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 1 cup ice cubes

  Blue:

  • 1/3 cup blue passion fruit liqueur, such as Hpnotiq or Alize
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
  • 2 tablespoons blue curacao liqueur
  • 2 tablespoons white rum
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups ice cubes

  Begin by making the red layer: Put the frozen strawberries, watermelon, lime juice, rum, sugar and ice in the carafe of a blender. Blend until thick and smooth. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water if the consistency is too thick. Transfer to a large measuring cup or small bowl and place in the freezer while you make the next layer.

  For the white layer: Rinse out the blender and add the coconut sorbet, rum, lime juice and ice. Blend until thick and smooth. Transfer to another large measuring cup or small bowl and place in the freezer while you make the final layer.

  For the blue layer: Rinse out the blender and add the passion fruit liqueur, lime juice, blue curacao, rum, sugar and ice cubes. Blend until slushy and there are no chunks of ice left.

  Pour the red layer into the bottom of six 8-ounce glasses, about 1/3 cup each. Gently spoon 1/3 cup of the white layer over the red layer so they stay separate. Finish by spooning 1/3 cup of the blue layer over the second layer in each glass.

  Cilantro Lime Grill Packs-serves 4

  INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 ears corn, quartered
  • 1 zucchini, cut into half moons
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 limes, sliced into rounds
  • 2 tbsp. butter

  1. In a large bowl, combine shrimp, corn, zucchini, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, and cilantro. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss until combined.
  2. Lay out four pieces of foil. Divide shrimp mixture between foil and top each with a pat of butter and lime slices. Seal packs.
  3. Heat grill to high. Add shrimp packs and grill until shrimp is pink, about 10 minutes.
  4. Serve.

  Thanks for reading my blog about July 4th recipes! I hope you find some you can use!

   

References:

Trovato, Rori. “Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan Pesto.” Health.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 July 2017.

Kitchen, Food Network. “Fireworks Red, White and Blue Daiquiris.” Food Network. Food Network, 01 July 2016. Web. 03 July 2017.