Holiday Food – Red, White, And Blue
Published 1:54 pm Tuesday, July 2, 2013
The Fourth of July festivities are about to begin – time to declare independence from spending all day in the kitchen!
In keeping with the holiday theme, today's recipes have that red, white, and blue look: Fruits of Summer Salad, Fresh Berries with Cream, Watermelon Shell Punch, Raspberry Punch, Berry Topped Lemon Cheesecake.
2 pts. strawberries, hulled and halved, 1 pt. blueberries, 1 pt. raspberries, 1 pt. blackberries, 2 kiwi, peeled and cubed, 2/3 c. maple syrup, 1/3 c. orange juice, 1 T. fresh mint, chopped
Combine all berries and kiwi fruit in large bowl. Whisk maple syrup, orange juice, and mint in small bowl. Pour over berries; toss gently to coat. Chill until time to serve.
2 T. sugar, 2 tsp. cornstarch, 1 c. skim milk, 1 egg, beaten, 2 T. light sour cream, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 3 c. fresh berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, 2 T. sugar
For custard, in small saucepan thoroughly combine 2 T. sugar and cornstarch. Add milk and beaten egg. Cook and stir mixture with wooden spoon until it starts to bubble. (Do not overcook.) Immediately pour custard into small bowl; let cool 5 minutes. Whisk sour cream into custard; add vanilla. Cover and thoroughly chill for up to 24 hours. At serving time rinse berries; drain well. Divide berries evenly among four dessert dishes, custard cups or goblets. Spoon chilled custard over berries. (If necessary, thin custard with a little milk before spooning over berries.) For topping, heat remaining 2 T. sugar over medium high heat until sugar just begins to melt, shaking skillet occasionally (do not stir). Reduce heat to low and cook until sugar is melted and golden, stirring as necessary with wooden spoon after sugar begins to melt. Quickly drizzle caramelized sugar over each dessert serving. Serves 4.
1 watermelon, 6-oz. frozen limeade, 6-oz. frozen orange juice, 4 c. cold water, 1 lg. bottle ginger ale, chilled, 6-oz. frozen lemonade
Remove top third of watermelon and scoop out all but one inch of melon. Trim top of shell with a scalloped edge. Combine orange juice, lemonade, limeade and water and pour over ice cubes in melon shell. Garnish with slices of lemons, oranges and small cubes of watermelon. Add ginger ale just before serving. Serves 12 to 15.
5 tea bags, 1/4 c. orange juice, 1 T. sugar, 1-1/2 c. raspberries, 6-oz. frozen lemonade, thawed
In 2-quart clear glass pitcher combine 4 cups cold water and tea bags. Cover with a lid of plastic wrap. Let stand in full sun 2 to 3 hours until tea reaches desired strength. Remove tea bags. Stir in orange juice and sugar. Place fresh or thawed raspberries in blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds. Add raspberry puree, lemonade concentrate, and 2 cups cold water to tea mixture. Stir gently to mix. Cover and chill until ready to serve Serves 16.
1/4 c. cold water, 1 c. sugar, 3 8-oz. fat free cream cheese, softened, 2 tsp. grated lemon peel, 1/4 c. almonds, sliced, 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice, 1 c. blueberries, 1 c. raspberries, 1 c. fat free sour cream, 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Coat an 8-inch spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle gelatin over water in small saucepan. Let stand one minutes, then stir with rubber spatula over low heat until granules dissolve completely and mixture is clear, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sour cream. With mixer on low, beat in dissolved gelatin, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Pour into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours until firm or up to two days. A few hours before serving run a thin knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen. Remove pan sides. Arrange berries on top of cake, press almonds around sides and sprinkle some over berries. Serves 8. (Only 283 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving.)
