Anyone trying new recipes for the 4th/holiday WE? Or staying with tried and true?

[Saffron]

I found a recipe for watermelon cake I'm going to try.

I can't decide if I'm going to have an "all American" 4th or switch it up and try different ethnic dishes to celebrate the USA. I can't decide what to do. I guess I better decide soon since I'm doing the grocery shopping tomorrow.

 

[suzannen]

Saffron,
The timing of your post is so funny. My DH and I had just said we were so tired of the usual burgers and hot dogs that we normally do for all the relatives on the 4th, and we wanted to do something ethnic. We had just come up with this menu, along a Moroccan theme:

Hummus Dip with Crudite & Pita Bread
Grilled Grape Leaves stuffed with Goat Cheese, Olive Oil & Herbs
Mixed Spiced Olives

Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Kebobs
Couscous with Dates, Dried Apricots, Almonds, Scallions & Mint
Tomato & Cucumber Chopped Salad
Assorted Marinated Grilled Vegetables

We're still trying to think of an appropriate dessert, so if anyone has one, let me know.

 

[Saffron]

Oh yummy!

How about Baklava, or there is another Middle Eastern dish, something like Kaylah, which is baked in the oven. It's shredded phillo dough baked with ricotta cheese, then a sweet syrup made of sugar water and lemon is poured over it. Or how about grilled pineapple slices with carmel sauce. Or grilled or chilled fruit kabobs with some sort of dipping sauce or plain.

I was looking at Middle Eastern recipes today too. I like having themed holiday foods and tables. So I can't decide whether to do the "red, white and blue", or mulit-cultural, which I've never done before.

 

[suzannen]

I don't know if I could find the Kaylah, but the pineapple with caramel sauce sounds like a great idea and YUMMY! Thanks!

If you did Red, White & Blue, what would you fix?

 

[Saffron]

I have a great recipe for potato salad using red potatoes and blue cheese, a great recipe for stuffed cherry tomatoes, a recipe for stuffed eggplant pockets (ya just have to pretend the eggplant is blue, not purple ) bbq chicken, strawberry shortcake. Then I'd also make hamburgers, baked beans and watermelon. I guess it would be "mostly red and a little white and blue". LOL!

 

[suzannen]

Oh, that sounds really good too!