Monday, July 5, 2010

4th of July Weekend

On Saturday, Dave and I hosted a 4th of July BBQ.  Because we just got back from our Mediterranean Cruise, I wanted to do a Mediterranean Themed Menu.  How un-patriotic of me!  
Here's the Menu:
Baguette Sandwiches
 Chicken Kabobs
Lamb Kabobs
 Tzatziki Sauce
Veggie Burgers
 Lamb Burgers
Bulger Tabouli 
Italian Panzanella 
 Greek Salad
 Nutella Crepes
 Baklava (bought this from Kabob House, Boston)
I didn't remember to take pictures of everything.  The big hits were the kabobs, veggie and lamb burgers and the Italian Panzanella.  All really easy to make.  I forgot to take pictures of this kabob but it was so good! Here are some the recipes:
Marinated Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small plain greek yogurt container (I used Chobani)
1/8 olive oil
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/4 cup of lemon juice
dried rosemary
salt pepper
garlic
cumin
coriander
1 cup of green grapes
15 Wooden Skewers
Instructions:
Combine the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and seasonings in large bowl. Add chicken pieces and marinate overnight or at least 5 hours.  Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.  This prevents burning when you grill! Thread chicken pieces and grapes on stick and cook over gas grill until cooked through, ten-ish minutes on each side.

People loved the flavors of these chicken kabobs and it was so easy to do! I made another chicken kabob with pretty much everything in this recipe except the yogurt.  I then threaded the skewers with green peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and red pepper.

For the lamb burgers, I bought ground lamb an these were yum!
Lamb Burgers:
Ingredients:
1 pound ground lamb
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of onion powder
2 teaspoons of oregano
1 teaspoon of rosemary
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of thyme
1/4 cup of good olive oil
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
12 whole-wheat buns 
Serve with store bought  Tzaki Sauce
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly together and let marinate overnight.  Form patties and grill on each side for 3-4 minutes.  Serve on buns with extra tzaki sauce.
Another recipe that was WICKED easy that everyone seemed to love was the Italian Panzanella.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/4 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cans of cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
3 cup of baguette bread, cubed
1 pound of plum tomatoes, cut in small pieces
1 English cucumber, diced
1/2 Red onon, diced
  4 ounces of provolone cheese, diced
basil torn
Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil with salt and pepper.  Add Beans, bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and cheese.  Mix together and refrigerate for a few hours.  Stir in basil before serving.

Veggie Burgers
Ingredients:
1 cup of bulgur wheat, cooked
salt and pepper
2 can of pinto beans, rinsed drained and mashed slightly
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
5 scallions, diced
2 eggs
1 large carrot, shredded
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 tablepoons of hummus
3 tablespoons of veggie oil
whole wheat buns
Instructions:
Mix mashed pinto beans with bulgur.  Add breadcrumbs, scallions, eggs, carrots, cayanne, hummus, and salt and pepper.  Form patties about 1 inch thick.  Cook in skillet or hot grill until browned on both sides. Serve on bun.
Alright, now on to some fun! Flip cup!
Such a fun party!
For the 4th, we went out on BFF Courtney's family boat.  We did the same thing last year and its so amazing to see the Boston fireworks from the Charles River!
I love Boston!!!!! I love the Charles River... but I think this guy is crazy.  Who swims in the diirrty water!
The sun is setting and the clouds are prretty!
And this is how we all decided to watch the Fireworks.  Comfy? Maybe not. haha
I love Boston!!!!!! Happy 4th of July!!

7 comments:

  1. All this food looks delicious! And you cooked lamb! How did you like it? Next you will be making duck :)

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  2. jealous of your prime firework viewing spot on the Charles River!! Looks like such a fun party too.

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  3. Everything looks wonderful! Love your blog, too! :-)

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  4. oh yum! Love your spread, especially all that lamb... I'll be waiting for my invite next time ;)

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  5. Awww those photos are beautiful!! I've been craving lamb burgers or meatballs all week and now I'm craving them even more!

    Sues

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  6. Lizzy, the baguette sandwhiches were awesome that day. Where did you get the bread? It was perfect

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