4th of July Picnic Recipes
4th of July is one of my favorite times of the year. There are so many exciting events that happen around the holiday, and it can be tempting to fall from your healthy routine. I put together some healthy alternatives to the traditional picnic food so you can “have your cake and eat it too.”
Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday!
Appetizers
Watermelon Feta Blackberry Skewers
How adorable are these red-white-and-blue themed skewers?! These are perfect little apps for the beginning of your picnic while you’re waiting for everyone to arrive and the food to be ready!
Ingredients:
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1 small seedless ripe watermelon, cut into 1” cubes.
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6 ounces of Feta cheese, cut into 1” cubes.
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Fresh, ripe, and firm blackberries.
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Small wooden skewers.
Directions:
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Place the blackberries, feta, and watermelon onto the skewers.
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Place on serving plate and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Roasted Beet & White Bean Hummus
This is a delish & healthy alternative to store bought & unhealthy dips.
Ingredients:
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1 small beet
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1 cup cooked white beans (drained and rinsed)
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2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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1 chopped clove garlic
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1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
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Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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Roast beet and rub off skin.
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Chop beet, then puree with white beans, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
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Serve with your choice of vegetables or crackers.
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Hummus can be stored in refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Side Dishes
Coleslaw
Ingredients:
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2 cups of finely sliced purple cabbage. (one small cabbage will be plenty)
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2 cups finely sliced green cabbage
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2 cups shredded carrots
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1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
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3/4 cups mixed seeds (*these can be optional and can include some or all of the following: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame and poppy seeds.)
Dressing Ingredients:
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1/4 cup olive oil
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2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
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1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
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1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
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1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
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In a medium serving bowl, combine the purple and green cabbage with carrots and parsley. Set aside.
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*If you are not using seeds you can skip this step* Measure seeds into a small skillet. Toast over medium heat, stirring frequently until the seeds are making little popping noises. Pour the toasted seeds into the mixing bowl and toss to combine.
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To make dressing: combine the olive oil with lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the garlic, cumin, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly blended.
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Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss until all the ingredients are lightly coated in dressing.
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Serve immediately or cover and place in the refrigerate to marinate for up to several hours.
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Ingredients:
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4-8 ears of corn husks still in tact.
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Salt and pepper, to taste.
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Butter *optional*
Instructions:
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Prep corn by removing several of the outer husks, leaving enough of them in-tact so that the corn is still covered.
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Carefully pull down the remaining husks to expose the corn, but do not rip them off. Remove all of the silk from corn, then put the husks back in place so the corn is covered.
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Fill a clean sink or container with water and soak the corn for 20 to 30 minutes. This helps prevent the husks from burning. (They will still get the charred look.)
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Pre-heat your grill to medium heat, around 350 degrees. Remove the corn from the water and shake off the excess water.
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Place corn, with the husks still intact on the grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Rotate the corn every 5 minutes so that all the sides can cook.
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After rotating each side, you can remove the corn from the grill or pull back the husks and place the corn directly on the grill if you want a charred look.
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Be sure not to over-cook the corn, otherwise it will be mushy.
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Allow the corn to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing the husks.
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Optional: spread butter and season with salt and pepper or your choice of seasoning.
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Serve immediately.
Main Dishes
Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Herb Yogurt Sauce
Mushroom Burger Ingredients:
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6 large Portobello mushroom caps
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4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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2 tablespoons soy sauce
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2 cloves of garlic, minced
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2 tablespoons of olive oil
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Your choice of bread/bun and toppings such as lettuce, tomato, or onion
Herb Yogurt Sauce Ingredients:
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1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
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2 teaspoons chopped parsley
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
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2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 teaspoon honey, or agave nectar.
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1 teaspoon minced garlic
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Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
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To make sauce: whisk ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Mix together the marinade ingredients: balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic together in a small bowl.
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Place mushroom caps cap side down in a 9×13 baking dish and pour the marinade over the top. Let the mushrooms soak in the marinade for about 30 minutes, occasionally brushing the tops of the mushrooms.
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Make the herb yogurt sauce: mix the sauce ingredients together in small bowl. cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Grill mushrooms for 5-7 minutes per side beginning with cap side down. Continue to brush the mushrooms with the marinade while they are cooking.
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Serve on toasted bread or bun with your choice of toppings and the herb yogurt sauce.
Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
Ingredients:
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24 jumbo shrimp (about 2 lbs)- shelled and deveined.
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1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
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¼ cup light olive oil or light flavored oil of your choice
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2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
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4 cloves garlic, mined. (1 teaspoon of garlic powder will suffice if you don’t have fresh garlic)
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1 teaspoon salt and pepper
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Flat wooden skewers
Instructions:
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Rise the shrimp under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels.
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Make the marinade: Whisk the lemon juice, oil, Worcestershire sauce garlic, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
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Stir the shrimp, and let marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour.
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Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
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After marinating, drain the marinade off the shrimp and discard the marinade.
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Thread 3 shrimp on each flat skewer, inserting the skewer near the head and tail ends so that the shrimp curls like the letter “C”.
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Brush & oil the grill grate. Arrange the skewered shrimp on the hot grate so that the shrimp are over the fire.
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Grill shrimp until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
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When done, the shrimp with turn a pink/white color and feel firm to the touch.
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Take the shrimp off skewers, serve immediately and enjoy.
Desserts
Red White & Blue Popsicles
These red, white, and blue not only fit into the holiday theme, but they are super yummy and a healthy substitute to ordinary popsicles.
Ingredients:
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1 small container of raspberries
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1 small container of blueberries
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2 cups of plain Greek Yogurt
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Popsicle Sticks
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Popsicle Molds
Instructions:
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Place a few blueberries in the bottom of a popsicle mold.
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Add a layer of yogurt with a spoon and tap it down so it surrounds the blueberries.
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Then add a layer of raspberries to the yogurt layer.
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Tap the raspberries down, and add another layer of yogurt.
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Add some more blueberries.
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Add a think layer of yogurt and tap down to surround the blueberries.
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Insert popsicle stick.
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Freeze for 6 hours or until pops are completely solid.
*Running the molds under warm water may help to remove the popsicles from the molds.
*Add a scoop of AboutTime ProHydrate to your yogurt to give your popsicles extra flavor and added protein.
Okay, obviously I’m a little obsessed with the red-white-and blue theme, so I chose berries for this recipe. You can swap out those ingredients to fit your taste buds.
Frozen Watermelon Slushie
I can totally vouch that these slushies are fantastic! They are a not only a great snack treat for a picnic, but also for after a workout.
Ingredients:
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1 cups watermelon chunks.
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6 to 8 ice cubes (You can use regular ice cube tray size cubes. Ours was perfect with 7)
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1 scoop AboutTime Strawberry Watermelon ProHydrate
Directions:
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Blend watermelon chunks with the ProHydrate and 1 single mint leaf.
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Add 6 ice cubes, pulse, you may need to add 1 to 2 more depending on the size.
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Spoon into a glass, serve with a watermelon wedge, eat with a spoon.
**Make this recipe ADULT friendly: add a shot of your favorite liquor.
Happy 4th of July from all of us at AboutTime, and we hope you enjoy these recipes!
