Healthy and Festive Appetizers for 4th of July

The fourth of July is just around the corner and in full disclosure I haven’t even thought about our plans yet🙈 With the wedding only a month a way let’s just say quite a few things have been slipping my mind and taking a backseat lately (in a good way! #celebrationoverload)

But I refuse to miss out on any type of festive fun so here are some quick, easy, and healthy apps you can make even if you’re saving the planning to last minute like me. ENJOY!

Caprese Skewers

INGREDIENTS

• wooden skewers (usually in the kitchen gadget section of the grocery store)
• cherry tomatoes (a couple pints or so)
• 1 or 2 containers mozzarella balls (sold in the specialty cheese section of most grocery stores)
• fresh basil leaves (be careful when handling these because they bruise easily…just pick the leaves off the stems instead of cutting to minimize bruising)
• Optional: olive oil, salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Assemble tomatoes, basil (roll from one end to the other), and mozzarella balls on wooden skewers. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Enjoy! Note: Add grilled chicken to make more filling.

Taco Salad Flag

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground beef  (or vegetarian crumble)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 4-6 cups tortilla chips
• 4  cups shredded lettuce
• 1/2 cup  pitted large olives, sliced lengthwise
• 2 cups  shredded cheddar cheese
• 2-3 cups cherry tomatoes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over a medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain off any extra grease. Next,  stir in the water, salsa and taco seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
2. Place chips in a 13-in. x 9-in. dish.  Next spread beef evenly over the top of chips.
3. Cover beef  with a layer of lettuce.
4. Arrange olive slices together in the upper left corner to form stars. For the  stripes, alternate tomatoes and cheese. I added a couple extra chips to the side of the dish for some extra crunch.

NOTE: If you are making this several hours in advance, I would skip placing the chips at the bottom of the taco salad and just serve them on the side.

American Flag Fruit Tray

INGREDIENTS

• Strawberries (or Watermelon) cut into pieces
• Blueberries
• White Chocolate Covered Pretzels (or yogurt covered pretzels depending on your preference)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash your blueberries and strawberries (or watermelon)
2. Place Blueberries in a bowl, then place them in the upper left hand of the platter
3. Slice your strawberries or watermelon and place in lines
4. Place your chocolate or yogurt covered pretzels in between the strawberry or watermelon lines.

Red, White and Blue Deviled Eggs

INGREDIENTS

• 1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
• ¼ cup nonfat plain yogurt (or desired amount)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise ( I prefer Hellman’s/ Best Foods)
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cut eggs in half and take out yolks and place them in a medium bowl.
• Use a pastry cutter or fork to break up yolk until it’s super fine.
• Add yogurt, mayo, mustard, s&p and whip up with a spatula until smooth and creamy.
• Place mixture into piping bag fitted with a 2D tip.
• Mix 1 cup hot water and 1 teaspoon Americolor food coloring and 1 tablespoon vinegar. The vinegar helps the color stay bright, I tried it both ways and the eggs with vinegar have a brighter color.
• Place egg whites into the colored water and let sit until the desired color is achieved about 1-2 minutes.
• Take out egg whites and place on paper towel to allow the excess color to drip off.
• Then arrange eggs on a platter.
• Pipe the egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves.

Red, White, and Blue Cheesecake Strawberries

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 12 large strawberries, cut in half
• 36 blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. With mixer on LOW, beat in whipped topping and almond extract.
2. Place filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
3. Pipe filling on the cut side of each strawberry.
4. Gently press 3 blueberries into the filling on each strawberry.
5. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Blueberry, Strawberry & Jicama Salsa

INGREDIENTS

• 1 16 oz. package fresh strawberries
• 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
• 2 cups diced jicama, about half of a large jicama
• juice of one lemon or lime
• agave nectar (optional)
• 3 tablespoons, chopped mint

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash and hull strawberries, place on a paper towel and pat dry. Slice strawberries into a large bowl.
2. Wash and pat dry blueberries and add to the strawberries.
3. Peel and slice a large jicama in half. Place jicama flat side down and slice 4 to 5 ¼ to ½ inch slices and set aside. Continue to slice and dice the remaining jicama until you have 2 cups.
4. Place jicama in the bowl with the berries, add the lemon or lime juice and mint.
5. If you want to add an extra bit of sweetness, drizzle with a small amount of agave nectar, I added 3 teaspoons.
6. Toss gently with a spoon or use your hand to mix. Transfer to serving dish.
7. For an extra patriotic feel cut stars out of the sliced jicama that was set aside earlier and place on salad.

There you have it! Six delicious AND healthy appetizers for your 4th of July celebration. Healthy does not have to mean blah, plain or boring! Do you have a favorite appetizer for holiday gatherings? Share it with us in the comments!