Happy belated Independence Day everyone! With every 4th of July it brings BBQ, Burgers and Beer (at least that’s what I think). This 4th of July was spent with my family and then an unexpected group of family friends. I had intended on making a feast since the original number in our party was supposed to be small, but with the welcome additions I reworked the menu so as not to get stuck in the kitchen all afternoon.  So I went with: Sweet Potato Fries w/Lemon Cilantro Dipping Sauce, Veggie Burgers with balsamic onions & mushroom w/a balsamic mayo, Watercress & Watermelon Salad, Green Chile Macaroni & Cheese, Blueberry & Raspberry Slushie, and Strawberry Lemonade Pie – my Vegan friends I will put substitutions for each recipe in pink so you can make the same at home

Sweet Potato Fries w/Lime Cilantro Dipping Sauce

- 1 bag frozen sweet potato fries thawed
- 1 1/2 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (vegannaise)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (vegan sour cream – try tofutti better than sour cream if you can’t find it in your store recipe to make your own below)
-  1 tsp lime zest
- 1 1/2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- salt to taste

Vegan Sour Cream
- 1/2 block firm silken tofu
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay out fries on a cookie sheet or pizza pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Once fries have been cooked sprinkle Cajun seasoning over them.  In a bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, and cilantro. Add salt as necessary.  Serve with fries.

Vegans – In a blender combine all ingredients and blend until silky smooth. Follow directions above for creating dipping sauce as follows

Watercress & Watermelon Salad

- 1 bunch fresh watercress
- 1 cup watermelon chopped
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled (soy cheese crumbles)
- 1/4 cup summer squash (optional)
- 1/4 cup zucchini (optional)

Citrus Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or you can use bottled)
- 1/3 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1/4 tsp lemon & orange zest
- salt and pepper to taste

Rinse watercress and pat dry. The nice thing about watercress is that you don’t need to remove the stems or anything you can eat as is. Throw into a salad bowl. Add chopped watermelon and feta.  If you decide to add zucchini and squash I grilled it.  Preheat a grill pan on medium-high heat. Slice zucchini and squash into thin rounds (try and keep them all the same width so that they cook evenly). Place on grill pan and light salt. Allow to grill for 4-5 minutes and flip over. Once they are done cooking add to salad.

In a separate bowl combine olive oil, lemon and orange juices, zest and whisk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into salad bowl and toss salad to coat then serve.

Veggie Burgers w/Balsamic Mayo
- 6 Morningstar Original Veggie Burger Patties (or any veggie patties you like)
- 6 sets of Hamburger buns (I used cracked whole wheat)
- 6 slices Swiss cheese (soy cheese)
- 2 cup white onion sliced into rings
- 1 cup brown mushroom sliced
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Balsamic Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (vegannaise or eggless canola mayo)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat two pans on medium high heat (if possible for you).  In one pan lay out veggie patties and cook on one side for about 6-7 minutes.  In a separate pan add part of balsamic vinegar reserved for burger and onions.  Add onions and allow to cook for about 2 minutes or until soft and semi-translucent.  Add mushrooms and remainder of balsamic vinegar.  Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes then remove from heat.

Flip burgers to the other side and cook for about 5 minutes.  During the final minute or so add cheese and set on top of patty and allow it to melt.  Place a piece of foil over pan to allow fast melt and keep the patties from drying and allowing the cheese to melt quicker.  Toast buns in toaster oven for 1-2 minutes.

In a bowl combine mayo and balsamic vinegar.  Spread balsamic mayo on one side of top bun. Remove patties from heat and place in bottom buns.  Place balsamic onion & mushrooms on top of patties.  Top and serve.  Repeat steps for any additional burgers.

Green Chile Macaroni & Cheese

- 1/2 package elbow macaroni
- 2 1/2 cups pepper jack cheese shredded
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded (any combo of soy cheeses)
- 1 cup green chiles diced
- 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (or plain bread crumbs)
- 1/4 cup milk (plain soymilk)
- 2 tbsp butter or unsalted margarine (unsalted margarine is suitable for vegans most times otherwise use a butter substitute)
- 2 tbsp unbleached white flour
- salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Add macaroni and allow to cook for about 10-12 minutes or until al dente. Heat a separate pot on medium heat. Add butter and allow to melt.  Whisk in flour to create a roux.  Add milk and whisk.  Add shredded cheeses. Allow all cheese to melt.  Whisk frequently to remove any lumps. Add salt, pepper and chopped chilies.  Drain macaroni.  Add macaroni directly to pot to coat all the pasta.  Pour cheesy pasta into a baking dish. Pour bread crumbs over the top.  Bake for about 5-10 minutes in the oven.  Then broil on low setting until you get a nice crusty top.

Blueberry/Raspberry Slushie
- 1 cup frozen blueberries thawed
- 1 cup frozen raspberries thawed
- 2 tbsp sugar/sugar substitute (raw sugar)
- lemon-lime soda (i.e. Sprite, Sierra Mist) — (Diet Lemon-Lime soda)

In a blender blend raspberries and blueberries together.  Add sugar and continue blending until you get a smooth mixture.  Pour mixture into a freezer safe container (preferably something more wide than tall) — if necessary strain the mixture first to remove any seeds.  Freeze blueberry/raspberry mixture for at least an hour (i did it overnight).  When ready to make slushies, remove mixture from freezer and allow to slightly thaw.  Using an ice cream scooper, scoop slightly frozen berry mixture and put into glasses about halfway full.  Pour lemon-lime soda to top of glass. Serve with straws.

Strawberry Lemonade Pie

- 1 pre-made graham cracker crust (Vegans make your own crust below)
- 1 cup strawberries chopped pureed (frozen strawberries are ok just thaw first)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (bottled is also fine)
- 1/3 cup sugar/sugar substitute (raw sugar)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 egg (egg substitute — you can buy egg substitutes at your local grocery store)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Vegan Crust:
- 8-10 whole graham crackers crushed to crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar/raw sugar
- 1/3 cup melted unsalted/vegan margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a blender, combine pureed strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, zest and egg and pulse  for about one minute.  Add flour and baking powder. Blend until you get a smooth mixture.  Pour filling into ready-made crust.  Bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set.  Once pie is finished remove from oven and allow to cool.  Once pie has cooled put in the fridge for at least an hour to an hour and half before serving.  When ready to serve add mint leaves for garnish, slice and eat!

Vegans – in a bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and margarine and stir. In a circular pan pour in graham cracker mixture. Press down on the bottom and sides of the pan to form crust. You may slightly pre-bake the crust if you’d like by placing in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Then follow the instructions above.

Note: (I made this some time ago thus the crappy photo ha!) Also, this recipe is non-Vegan due to the boxed cake mix which includes non-fat milk. For the Vegan recipe click here.

Strawberries and lemonade two things that signify the start of summer. What’s more perfect then to combine the balance of sweetness and tartness into cupcakes topped with fresh strawberries? Recipe below:

- 1 box lemon cake mix (Duncan Hines/Betty Crocker whatever is your fix)
- water, vegetable oil, and eggs (egg substitute) according to cake box
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute i.e. Splenda — raw sugar for Vegans) (optional) – this is optional because the cake mix already has sugar however depending on how sweet the strawberries you are using are, the cake could lean more on the tart side. this is just for added sweetness
- 1/4 cup strawberries, pureed
- 18-24 slices of fresh strawberry

Frosting
- 1/2 cup cream cheese at room temperature (or 4oz of an 8oz pkge – you can also use light cream cheese here)
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
- 2 tbsp pureed strawberries
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (or sugar substitute)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, water, oil and eggs. Once all ingredients are incorporated add strawberry puree. Fold in puree and taste batter. If it’s too tart add sugar.
Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Pour batter into lined cupcake tins. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until it passes the “”toothpick test”

While cupcakes are baking, put together the frosting. In a bowl combine cream cheese, strawberry puree, rind, and sugar. Fold all ingredients together and set aside.

Once cupcakes are done, remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before frosting. Frost cakes and enjoy!

Makes 18-24 cupcakes.