Whether you are kicking back at the beach or grilling out with friends in the city, this 4th of July weekend you’ll find yourself with fork in hand more than once.  If you’ve played your cards right, your only duty may be to bring your sparkling wit and appetite to the table.  More likely, you’ve got some cooking to do (or at the very least, some dishes).  Don’t despair; there’s still plenty of time for that hammock.

Back in November, I posted a list of some of my favorite Minced recipes for Thanksgiving. It was a hugely popular post and now, with long summer days demanding our attention, I thought that a list of my favorite summer recipes from this blog might be just as useful.  So here it is.  From the summer corn salad that has been one of my most popular recipes for two years now to a finger-licking recipe for grilled chicken with chipotle-maple barbecue sauce, there’s a recipe for everyone and every warm-weather occasion below.

No matter what you eat this weekend, I wish you safe travels and good times with family and friends.  Happy 4th of July!

Because it’s hot:
Ginger, Lemon and Rosemary Tea
Roasted Plum and Ginger Pops

Because it’s hot and 5 o’clock (somewhere):
Strawberry Mojitos
Watermelon Margaritas
Mint Juleps

Nibbles and Starters:
Southern Caviar
Fried Coconut Shrimp with a Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp on Rosemary Skewers
Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip
Spicy Asian Chicken Wings
Deviled Eggs with Shrimp or Curried Deviled Eggs
Vietnamese Shrimp Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

For those who celebrate with flame and fireworks:
Chipotle-Maple Barbecue Chicken
Sweet Tea Brined Pork Tenderloin with Peach Salsa
Grilled Flank Steak with Watermelon Salsa
Lime and Jalapeño Marinated Flank Steak
Grilled Fish Tacos 

I went to a cook-out and now I have the meat sweats:
Quinoa Burgers
Tomato Sandwich with Homemade Mayonnaise
Black Bean Burgers 
Cold Soba Noodles

For those poor souls who find themselves at the beach:
Pan-browned Red Snapper with Lemon and Capers
Shrimp Po’Boys
Spicy Shrimp Fajitas
Shrimp and Feta Pasta (hot) or Shrimp, Feta, & Tomato Salad with Orzo (cold)
Macadamia-Encrusted Mahi-Mahi with Mango Salsa
Squid Ink Linguini with Clam Sauce

Sides and Salads:
Summer Corn Salad (this is one of the most popular recipes on Minced)
Farro with Bell Peppers and Olives
Summer Herb Tabbouleh
Grilled Vegetable and Farro Salad
Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk-Dill Dressing
Cole Slaw
Fried Okra

Sweet Endings:
S’more cupcakes
Upside-Down Cherry Almond Cake
French Yogurt Cake with a Tropical Twist
7-Layer Bars
Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone and Ginger Snaps
Peach & Almond Clafouti
Classic Cheesecake
Granny Ivey’s Strawberry Roll
Blueberry Pie with a Lattice Crust

I want summer to last forever and have the time to make it so:
Peach and Jalapeño Jelly
Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce