A Meatless Fourth

 Millions of Americans are going to sink their teeth into burgers and dogs tomorrow .More son than Thanksgiving, July 4th is a true Yankee carnivore holiday. Yet, what about the vegans, vegetarians and those who want to eat healthier. The answer is easy - go meatless.

Eight  years ago, I wrote about vegan barbecues and even then the market was expanding. There are some tasty burgers out there, thanks to recipe improvements. Morningstar Farms, is the leader in soy products and they have a wide variety of burgers. They have Griller primer Burgers which have a smokey steak-y flavor. These are perfect for those wanting a taste like the real thing but without the cholesterol. Kids will love the company's tomato and basil ones that even have mozzarella bits in them. Serve them on the chewy Italian rolls, ciambatta, for extra goodness. For those on a diet Morningstar has their Mediterranean chickpea burgers which is kind of like a textured  hummus, and brimming with spinach and tomatoes along with Greek herbs and spices. Grill these and serve on grilled toasted pita  with tahini sauce. There are also hickory riblets that can be grilled and served with cole slaw and grilled corn for a real down home meal.

Hot dogs are another Fourth must have. Morningstar also has some good veggie dogs that can pass for the real thing. To make them more like Sabrett's , slice the dogs in half before grilling. Doing this will grill them up nice and crispy , perfect for tasty eating. The company also produces corn dogs which can be a fun barbecue extra.Of course there are other brands too, namely Tofurky, They also produce deli slices and sausages too however it's their dogs and jumbo dogs that are the stars. Grill the jumbo ones and serve on those bready Portuguese rolls for a fun , filling treat.If you want chili dogs, then also go vegan. You can make your own using Morningstar  Farms meat crumbles. Try a  a chili salsa, using fresh tomatoes and onions mixed chili powder and sliced jalapenos.Grilled chicken is always good too. and again look to Morningstar for this. They have both the regular and buffalo style patties that are just as easily barbecued as their burgers..Serve them on biscuits with honey mustard for a Southern take along with piccalilly relish .

Yes , you can have a meatless Fourth. It's healthier and tastier than the standard fare.It makes for good eating and good holiday memories.

A Very Foodie Fourth

Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers both here and abroad. We're in interesting times right now with a heightened xenophobia that harks back to a more close minded era. We cannot be that way. We have to be more like our diets and be more welcoming to new ideas and flavors.

Remember that it was a wide variety of immigrants that gave us the foods we're munching on those special day that celebrates not only only our freedom but our grit as a people.After all those okras and yams, so long ingrained in the American diet. were brought here by  the enslaved from Africa , along with  several of our most treasured cooking techniques. Germans gave us hamburgers, hot dogs and potato salads. The French and Belgians provided us with the recipe for French fries. Ice cream? Thank first the urbane Thomas Jefferson who brought it from the French who probably got it from an ancient Roman recipe. That ice and pizza? Definitely from the Italians who came here a century ago. The fish tacos and burritos at the pool snack bar? Mexicans immigrants carried those recipes with them. What about those wontons or egg rolls? Variations of them came over thanks to  two centuries of Chinese newcomers . Our diets as well as our lives would be as bland  as ever without the contributions of foreigners.

We have always been a country of immigrants, ever since that first step upon Plymouth Rock. Foreigners have given us our language, our government  and most importantly an ever changing diet. We should thank each new wave as they come in for their culinary contributions instead of vilifying and isolating them.