“And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.”

The 4th of July is a time for hot dogs, donning red, white and blue, and for fireworks. But it is also a time to stop and reflect on this wonderful country of ours from “sea to shining sea.” A time to remember the foundation that our country was built on. A time to remember the courage our founding fathers displayed. And a time to appreciate the wonderful gift of freedom that we all enjoy on a daily basis.

Want to shake things up a bit with a new dish, below are a few easy dishes that will be a hit at any gathering especially a BBQ.

Watermelon Feta Salad

6 cups watermelon, cubed 

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes) (Suggestion, always use real lime juice) 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Place the watermelon, feta, red onion, and mint in a large bowl. Pour the lime juice and olive oil over the ingredients and gently toss to mix. Serve immediately. If not serving immediately, you can toss everything but the feta cheese together, then sprinkle the feta over the top before serving. Serves 6-8 people 

Pomegranate Hibiscus Spritzers 

(Want to make this an adult beverage add your choice of alcohol)

 1/4 cup Hibiscus tea (I used Acai, Pomogranate, & blueberry green tea, by Private Selection)

 1/2 cup Pomegranate Juice

 2 tbsp lime juice

4 ounces Club Soda

Add 1/4 cup of  water into pot and bring to a boil add the hibiscus tea and let steep for 1-2 minutes 

Layer ingredients over ice starting with Hibiscus tea and work your way down the list. Then stir well and garnish with lime twist. Drink and be instantly refreshed!

Roasted Corn & Tomato Summer Salad with Lemon- Basil Yogurt Dressing
3 cups romaine, chopped
2 cups baby spinach (I took this out of my dish, add if want)
1 avocado, diced
1.5 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup sweet corn, fresh or frozen ( I boiled fresh corn on the cob and sliced the corn off) 
1/2 red onion (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 eggs, hard-boiled

Lemon Basil Yogurt Dressing

6 ounces low fat yogurt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons lemon juice (used two lemons)

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (ran out of fresh basil, used dried basil instead 4 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 400°F then heat one tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté red onion for several minutes and then remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, and corn along with another tablespoon of olive oil and salt & pepper. Mix well then spread vegetables onto a roasting pan or dish and set aside.

In the same large bowl, combine the rinsed garbanzo beans with one tablespoon olive oil, one teaspoon lemon juice, garlic powder and dried basil. Mix until beans are well coated in the oil and spread onto a second roasting pan.

Place the vegetables and the garbanzo beans in the preheated oven and allow to roast for 20 minutes. While veggies and beans are roasting, prepare the dressing by combining the all of the ingredients listed into a food processor and blend for about a minute or until a liquid texture has formed.

Place the chopped romaine and baby spinach onto two separate plates and top with diced avocado and hard-boiled egg. Remove veggies and beans from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before dividing on top of each salad. Drizzle the Lemon-Basil yogurt dressing on top and serve!