Healthy Variations for the Traditional July 4th Barbecue

Article first published as Healthy Variations for the Traditional July 4th Barbecue on Blogcritics.

Healthy Variations for the Traditional July 4th Barbecue

The big Fourth of July barbecue is at your house this year, and you're looking for healthy ideas for the whole family. I know that is something we face every year, and I have come up with some things that I'd like to share that are quick, easy, and healthier than what is considered "traditional" for the holiday.

On the Grill

Over the last few years we have done away with red meat completely in our home and at our barbecues. We use turkey hot dogs and turkey burgers, and almost no one notices or complains, and even the dogs approve.

You can get very lean ground turkey around 98% fat free. As I fashion the patties for burgers, I add minced onion, garlic, and a little parsley that makes the burgers taste great.

Another thing I love to grill is chicken. I usually marinate the chicken (either pieces or cutlets) the night before in a mixture of low sodium soy sauce, ketchup, red wine vinegar, garlic, and onions. This chicken can be cooked right on the grill or cut up and used in kebabs with onions and peppers. I the kebabs cook quickly on the grill and they come out great.

Some people like salmon or tuna steaks, and I also marinate these (in white wine, teaspoon of sage, minced garlic, and onion) but for about three to four hours. They come out very nicely and always seem to please our guests.

I slice up red and white onions, mix them with cloves of garlic, and wrap the mixture in aluminum foil. These go right on the grill at the very beginning of my cooking session, and by the time I am done they are thoroughly cooked, look almost translucent, and taste great as a side dish or as a topping on anything else served.

Finally, I love to grill vegetable kebabs. You can be as creative as you like here. I usually mix up red and green peppers with chunks of onions and potatoes. They are done when slightly singed on all sides and have been a crowd pleaser.

The Cold Stuff

Keeping with kebab themes, I have noticed that a variation on the vegetable kebabs can be served uncooked as some people like these things that way. I usually put out generous bowls of dipping sauces: yogurt, sour creme, spinach dip, and Dijon mustard.
Bowls of fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and sliced peppers always accompany these kebabs on the table.

Another thing I do is a variation on tomato and fresh mozzarella on the kebab sticks. Alternate the chunks of cheese and tomatoes, and I guarantee they will go as fast as you can make them.

One thing people have really liked is my egg whites egg salad. I remove the yolks from the eggs, chop the whites up finely, and then add low-fat mayonnaise, a little Dijon mustard, chopped celery, and diced onions. This dish is refreshing and very popular with our guests.

The Drinks

Besides offering traditional favorites such as beer, soda, iced tea, and lemonade, we have found that putting out a case of sixteen ounce bottled waters in a large bucket of ice has made everyone happy. Almost everyone takes at least one icy cold bottle of water before the party is over to quench their thirsts the best way of all.



The are all sorts of virgin drinks that can be made to order for your guests, but the one I like most of all is my Virgin Sangria. I use Welch's Concord grape juice, seltzer, orange juice, and sliced up apples, oranges, and lemons. Mix with generous amounts of ice and then serve in tall glasses with ice cubes. Your guests will love it.

Also, want a drink for the kids and adults that is low calorie and refreshing? Put a cup of low fat milk and a shot glass of any flavored soda or syrup to order into a blender with lots of ice. Mix it up well and serve in tall glasses. It tastes like an ice cream soda and is a delicious treat.

Desserts

The most obvious stuff works the best in our house here. Icy cold watermelon wedges are a must. The kids love these and they are easy for them to eat. I also like cutting up honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pears, apples, and watermelon in a big bowl for a healthy fruit salad.

We make ice pops in the freezer from orange juice, lemonade, and grape juice and the kids love these for an on the run snack. Of course, ice cream and sorbet also bring big smiles to the kids and adults and provide a fun finish to your wonderful holiday barbecue.

I hope you can use some of these ideas or make variations of your own. In this way you can have a happy and healthy Fourth of July barbecue for you and your guests.

Turkey Meatloaf: A Healthier Version of an Old Favorite

Article first published as Turkey Meatloaf: A Healthier Version of an Old Favorite on Blogcritics.

When I was growing up, meatloaf was part of the weekly menu. My Mom made it with ground beef from the butcher's shop, and I can remember sitting there and watching her prepare it. In my kid's mind, this seemed like some kind of magic because a dash of this, a pinch of that, and Mom had whipped up something truly delicious.

Well, cut to my adult life and the reality that we are trying to stay away from red meat completely in this house. We have been eating fish and chicken and then the usual non-meat things like pasta salads, pizza, and veggie omelets. All of this is healthy and we can come up with enough variety, but this old red meat lover felt nostalgic for some of those things from my childhood, especially good old meatloaf.

When I met my wife and she came to my parents' house the first time for dinner, she stunned everyone because she did not know what meatloaf was (besides a chubby singer who had a great hit album). She did come to appreciate this unique culinary experience to some degree, though she still believes that ground beef can be utilized more suitably as meatballs or hamburgers.

I got the idea to make a turkey meatloaf one day last week, and I went to the supermarket (we no longer have butcher shops in my neighborhood) where butchers are rarely scene and seldom heard. I did see a couple of guys behind a hazy partion in white aprons smeared with blood, but I decided against asking for their advice when I heard the slam of the meat cleavers.

Anyway, I sorted through many different varieties of ground turkey and chicken to be found in the refrigerator case, and was happily surprised to discover that ground turkey looks a lot like ground beef. I settled on two pounds of 98% fat free ground turkey, bought the rest of my ingredients, and headed home with my eighteen month old son, who was probably wondering what meatloaf was going to look and taste like.

Using a large bowl (the way Mom always did), I dropped the two pounds of ground turkey into it. I then added two eggs, three slices of crumbled white bread (you can substitute bread crumbs if you wish), two cloves of crushed garlic, one sliced and diced onion, a generous amount of parsley, a pinch of salt, a dash of red pepper, and half a cup of ketchup. Now came the fun part (and the one thing Mom used to let me do to help her as a kid). All of this mish-mash has to be mixed thoroughly by hand. As I mushed all the ingredients together, the memory of the experience in my mother's kitchen came back to me and the sweet smell of the mixture was exactly the same as it used to be.

Once everything is completely mixed, it is time to fashion the "loaf" part of this culinary endeavor. I decided on separating the mixture into two smaller loaves, but you can keep it all together and make one big loaf too. I happen to have Mom's reliable old meatloaf pan, which allows the grease to drip through holes in the bottom to a second pan, and I would advise you to use this kind of device that is available in stores or online.

Coat the pan with a thin film of olive oil, place the mixture into it, and pop the meatloaf into the oven at 350 degrees for one hour. The other loaf went into a large Ziploc bag and was stored in the freezer. This I also learned from my mother, and it is a good way to give yourself a second fresh portion for another dinner.

Once it is done, serve with whipped mashed potatoes and vegetables of your choice. My Italian father always preferred to have spaghetti with his meatloaf and put marinara sauce on top of it, which is a perfectly fine way to eat it. I prefer it served as it is as to not complicate the wonderful aroma of the meatloaf and its intricate flavorings that are detectable upon first bite.

This turkey meatloaf was a success. It tasted remarkably like what my Mom had made with beef, and even my son ate a few little pieces without squawking. It made us all happy to be enjoying something that was delicious and healthy too.