Whether you plan on hosting or attending a Fourth of July gathering, you will probably want to make at least one summertime salad. The seven righteous Fourth of July recipes featured below all have easy-to-find ingredients and require little time to prepare. Almost all have been slightly amended for greater convenience... or simply to up the ante on the healthy side. Only one recipe contains mayonnaise and so would not endure the temperatures at an outside barbecue; this, then, must be served and consumed immediately. And only the first recipe contains shellfish, while the rest contain purely vegetarian ingredients. Happy Independence Day!

Warm Pasta Salad with Shrimp

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach

  • 1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1/4 cup minced red onion

  • 2 tablespoons chopped capers

Method

Cook pasta in water for the time specified on package; drain.

Combine lemon juice, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray or olive oil, whichever you prefer. Add shrimp to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until done. Stir in spinach, cannellini beans, red onion, and 2 tablespoons capers; toss to combine. Add the pasta and juice mixture to shrimp mixture; toss.

Courtesy of Jennifer Martinkus at Cooking Light.

Original Potato Salad

(Serves 8)

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. potatoes (5 to 6 medium), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

  • 1 cup Mayonnaise (Hellmann's preferred)

  • 2 Tbsp. vinegar

  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt

  • 1 tsp. sugar

  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery

  • 1/2 cup chopped onion

Method

    Cover potatoes with water in 4-quart saucepot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.

        Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper in large bowl. Add potatoes, celery, onion and eggs and toss gently. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

          Courtesy of Hellmann's Mayonnaise.

          Rainbows and Butterflies Pasta Salad

          (Serves 4)

          Ingredients

          • 8 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta (whole grain, if possible)
          • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
          • 1 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
          • 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
          • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
          • 2 medium carrots, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
          • 1/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
          • Salt to taste

          Method

          Cook the pasta as the label directs. Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil to prevent sticking; let cool.

          In a large bowl, toss the cooled pasta with the corn, edamame, bell pepper and carrots. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Add the romano and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss again and season to taste.

          Courtesy of Elie Krieger.

          Mediterranean Potato Salad

          (Serves 16)

          Ingredients

          • 2 pounds potatoes
          • 1 green bell pepper, minced
          • 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
          • 1/2 cup sliced red onion
          • 2 cups of crumbled feta cheese (8 ounces)
          • 1 lemon, juiced
          • 1/2 cup of oil & vinegar dressing (3/8 cup of olive oil, 1/8 cup of vinegar, whisked together)
          • salt and pepper to taste

          Method

            Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.

            In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, red onion and cheese.

            Whisk together the lemon juice, oil & vinegar dressing, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

            Courtesy of AllRecipes.com.

            Lemon Arugula Potato Salad

            (Serves 6)

            Ingredients

            • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

            • 7 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

            • 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 3 small)

            • 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

            • 2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard

            • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

            • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

            • 3/8 teaspoon salt

            • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

            • 2 1/2 cups loosely packed arugula

            Method

              Place potato pieces in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water to 2 inches above potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and gently simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes.

                  Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Combine shallots, vinegar, mustard, lemon rind, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk until combined. Drizzle dressing over warm potatoes; toss gently to coat. Cool completely.

                      Add arugula to potato mixture; toss gently. Serve immediately.

                        Courtesy of Cooking Light.

                        Mama's Homemade Guacamole Recipe

                        (Serves 8)

                        Ingredients

                        • 4 ripe, Fresh Hass Avocados, seeded, peeled, cut in chunks

                        • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

                        • 1/2 small sweet white onion, minced

                        • 1 ripe Roma tomato, seeded and diced

                        • Salt and pepper, to taste

                        Method

                        Mash avocados with lemon juice in a bowl, leaving some chunks.

                        Gently stir in remaining ingredients and serve immediately with chips, wedges of pita bread, or as a side to an entree.

                        Courtesy of Hass Avocados.

                        Insalata Caprese (Tomato and Mozzarella Salad)

                        (Serves 4 to 6)

                        Ingredients

                        • 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick

                        • 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced1/4 inch thick

                        • 1/4 cup packed fresh basil or arugula leaves, washed well and spun dry

                        • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

                        • fine sea salt to taste

                        • freshly ground black pepper to taste

                        Method

                        On a large platter arrange tomato and mozzarella slices and basil leaves, alternating and overlapping them. Sprinkle salad with oregano and arugula and drizzle with oil. Season salad with salt and pepper.

                        Courtesy of Faith Willinger.