Community Cookbook: These Fourth of July recipes will start the holiday with a bang

Summer is swiftly rolling along, and Independence Day is just ahead. Planning and preparations are in full swing. Many will be traveling over an extended three- or four-day holiday weekend. It’s America’s 250th Independence Day. A lot can happen in 250 years, and a lot has. We still have much to celebrate and be thankful for, irrespective of the turmoil we see around us. So, relax, celebrate and be safe this Fourth.

Spokane residents and visitors will have plenty of opportunities to celebrate the holiday. Daylong activities on July 4 can be enjoyed at Riverfront Park and Liberty Lake Pavilion Park, culminating in fireworks at 10 p.m. Coeur d’Alene will have its annual Independence Day festivities on and around the city’s beautiful waterfront.

Most smaller towns will have organized activities celebrating the Fourth, many with fireworks displays toward the end of the day. Several television specials will offer plenty of music and fireworks, including PBS’s annual presentation, “A Capital Fourth,” broadcasting on July 4. Public and backyard barbecues will be prevalent.

Meat and vegetable kebabs make a delicious and colorful combination for a backyard dinner or barbecue. Vegetable kebabs are a great vegetarian main dish on their own. Pair these kebabs with some combination of potato salad, macaroni salad and baked beans for a lip-smackingly good meal. And don’t forget the Yōs. Orange Yō-sicles are orangeliscious, and can competently handle dessert or snack duties, especially with the kids.

Marinated Meat Kebabs

Kebabs are great for outdoor summer grilling, but they can also be enjoyed anytime and in any weather by cooking them indoors under a broiler. Use beef, pork, or lamb. Serve these kebabs with Greek tzatziki sauce, horseradish sauce, or ranch dressing. Delicious!

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

¼ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

1 pound, fat trimmed off, boneless beef, pork, or lamb roast, steak, or ribs

Salt and black pepper

Make the marinade by combining the first eight ingredients (through black pepper) in a container large enough to hold the cubed meat (a sealable plastic bag sitting in a bowl works great). Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Add to the marinade and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Marinate at room temperature for the last 2 hours. Using a 10- to 12-inch skewer (double-pronged is best), carefully slide a meat cube onto the sharp end of a skewer, to within an inch of the other end. Repeat with additional cubes, leaving a little space between each, to within an inch of the sharp end (about eight pieces). Repeat with two more skewers and the remaining meat (the meat can alternate with vegetable pieces, such as onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms, which have similar cooking times). Lay the filled skewers crosswise on top of a large, shallow baking pan, leaving a little space between each (a rack placed in a baking pan is ideal). Cook 6 inches below an unpreheated broiler. Remove from the oven at 8 minutes of broiling and turn the kebabs over, brushing both sides with marinade. Bake until the meat browns and reaches a temperature of 145 degrees, about 6 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest for several minutes before serving.

Notes: Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that the meat cooks to a safe temperature. Beef, pork, and lamb should be cooked to 145 degrees, then allowed 3 minutes to rest.

Yield: Three or four main-dish servings

Vegetable Kebabs

Vegetable kebabs are easy to make, look and taste great, and are healthy. Pair these with marinated meat kebabs for a great outdoorsy meal. Kebabs are perfect for cooking under a broiler or on an outdoor grill. The quantities of vegetable pieces given are approximate.

24 (1½-inch) onion pieces, layers separated

12 button or crimini mushrooms, halved or whole

24 (1½-inch) bell pepper pieces, seeds and veins removed

1 (10-ounce) carton grape tomatoes

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and similar vegetables cook at about the same rate. Place them on separate skewers or alternate on the same skewers, including with meats. Tomatoes cook quickly, so put them on separate skewers. Using a 10- to 12-inch skewer (double-pronged is best), carefully slide a vegetable piece onto the sharp end of a skewer to within an inch of the other end. Repeat with additional pieces, leaving a little space between each, to within an inch of the sharp end. For example, alternate two pieces of onion, a mushroom, two pieces of bell pepper, two pieces of onion, a mushroom, two pieces of bell pepper, and so on. Repeat with 4 more skewers and the remaining vegetable pieces. Place the tomatoes on two or three separate skewers. Lay the filled skewers crosswise on top of a large, shallow baking pan, leaving a little space between each (a rack placed in a baking pan is ideal). Brush the kebabs all over with olive oil. Cook 6 inches below an unpreheated broiler. Turn the tomato skewers over at 6 minutes of broiling and remove at 8 minutes; season with salt and black pepper. Turn the remaining kebabs over at 8 minutes and bake to the desired doneness, about 6 minutes more. Remove from the oven and season with salt and black pepper.

Notes: Suitable vegetables include seeded and cored, quartered Roma tomatoes, cubed pineapple, squash and zucchini.

Yield: Three or four side-dish servings

Orange Yō-sicles

Orange yō-sicles furnish a creamy orangeness that cools and refreshes while delivering a nice serving of protein to help fuel the muscles between meals. Popsicle molds make these summer treats easy to prepare and to eat. I like the Tovolo Popsicle molds I recently bought at Bi-Mart for $13.99.

2½ cups whole milk vanilla-flavored yogurt

½ cup thawed frozen orange juice concentrate

4 teaspoons granulated sugar or equivalent sweetener

Put the ingredients in a blender and blend until uniform in color. Taste and blend in more sweetener, if needed. Pour the contents into Popsicle molds or small yogurt cups. Freeze for at least 8 hours before use (overnight is best). Insert Popsicle sticks when the mixture thickens enough. When fully frozen, place the molds or cups in cool standing water up to the tops for a couple of minutes to loosen, then carefully remove the yō-sicles from the molds (a drinking glass or measuring cup for singles or a tray for all six) or run hot water over each for 30-40 seconds. Place in an ice-cold tray in a single layer and return to the freezer until served.

Notes: Substitute lemonade or limeade concentrate for lemon or lime yō-sicles. Make vanilla yō-sicles by whisking 3 cups of vanilla-flavored whole milk yogurt with a teaspoon each of vanilla extract (use real extract instead of artificial) and sugar. Spoon it into the molds or cups, or freeze in a single container for serving in bowls or cones.

Yields: Six servings

Dick Sellers is a freelance writer. Contact him at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com