The Fourth of July is almost here, which means it’s time to plan your ultimate summer menu! This roundup is packed with easy and crowd-pleasing 4th of July recipes—think grilled hot dogs with all the fixings, fresh and colorful summer salads, backyard-style pizzas, and homemade ice cream that’ll cool everyone down. Whether you’re hosting a party or heading to a potluck, these festive July 4th dishes are guaranteed to bring the flavor and keep your guests happy from the first bite to the fireworks.
Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli Bites
Of all the textures, crispy is my favorite, and these chickpea flour battered broccoli bites fall into that important category of food snacks. To make the batter crispy, I’ve used a science trick by mixing chickpea flour with cornstarch, cold water, and oil to make a slurry.
Pizza Toast
The beauty of pizza toast is not in its looks; though I do think it does look beautiful, it’s in its remarkable ability to exist as convenient. There’s no dough to be prepared, or sauce prepped ahead of time. The composition is simple: a slice of bread subbing in for the pie’s dough and all the accompaniments that make pizza, pizza. It’s also flexible.
Lentil and Potato Croquettes with Yogurt Tartar Sauce
This is a vegetarian version of my grandmother’s ground beef croquettes. I’ve used a combination of mashed potatoes and lentils to build the body of the croquette and then made it extra crispy by tossing it twice in a breading mixture of panko breadcrumbs, chia seeds, and sesame seeds. I prefer tangier dips to go along with crispy and fried foods, and the tanginess of this yogurt-based tartar sauce is a fantastic partner to the croquettes!
Parsi Prawn Kebabs/Kolmi Na Kavab
This prawn kebab recipe from the Parsi cookbook quickly became a favorite in our home. The unique combination of spices, flavors, and comforting textures made it a clear winner. Serve it as an appetizer, a side, or in a sandwich.
Season Cookbook Special – Spiced Beef Kebabs
Hi Friends, I can’t believe we’re almost 12 days away from the release of my first cookbook, Season. How do I feel? Honestly, it is a mixture of eager anticipation and happiness and I cannot wait for you to hold a copy in your hands. And with that note, I have wonderful news to share with you!
Seekh Kebabs
Seekh kebabs are a standard item on the menu of kebab stalls in India, and they’re also my favorite type of kebab. They’re slightly hot and spicy and use a combination of toasted chickpea flour and egg as binding agents to hold the meat together. These kebabs are made with ground meat like beef, chicken, or mutton; I’m using American Lamb, which is excellent as it produces the best flavor and quality kebabs in this recipe. Unlike some other kebabs, seekh kebabs have an extra advantage. Because the meat is ground, they take the flavors from the spices quickly, and you don’t need to marinate it before cooking. Mix, shape, and grill. It’s quick and easy.
Kachumber Salad
One of the most iconic salads served at Indian restaurants and made in homes; this salad is served as an accompaniment to a large meal. When in season, I toss in diced chunks of crisp pink radishes. If you don’t like cilantro, fresh dill or mint is delicious here. In addition to eating it as a side, I also love it with fried or roasted discs of papad/poppadum, just like tortilla chips and salsa.
Sweet Potato Kale Caesar Salad
After reading this book (Veg-Table), you might conclude that I really like Caesar salad dressing anyway. It’s true. This version is the classic upon which Avocado Caesar Dressing (page 120) is based. Roasted sweet potatoes, tender massaged kale, and crispy chickpeas with delicious umami and salty notes are mingled with luscious creaminess.
Ranch-Style Potato Salad
This Ranch Potato Salad is easy to make, tastes fantastic, and is perfect for any occasion that calls for a potato salad. Tender potatoes are tossed in Primal Kitchen Ranch dressing with crispy bits of pancetta and fresh dill.
Potato and Anchovy Salad
A simple herb-loaded potato salad inspired by France’s love for anchovies. This salad is lovely in summer and great with grilled meat and fish. I’ve included vegan options in the note section. This recipe is available to paid subscribers of my newsletter, The Flavor Files. Get the recipe here.
Italian Soppressata Salad
It’s been brutally hot; the temperatures were in the late 90s all week, and I fell into the comforting pavilion of the world of cold salads. It’s also tomato season, meaning tomatoes play a prominent role in my cooking, and you might see them pop up often here for the next couple of weeks. We’ve
Chaat Masala Cauliflower Tacos
Tossed and roasted with chaat masala and served with a cool herby yogurt sauce, these tacos pack a lot of flavor with minimum effort. Add your favorite garnishes to add your signature to these tacos. Use my special Chaat Masala Blend made with Oaktown Spice Shop to amp up the flavor.
Steak Sandwich with Chipotle Preserved Lemon Mayo
Michael loves steak in any form or shape. He’s also biased toward steaks in salads, sandwiches, burritos, and tacos. When we have leftover or extra steak (a rare occasion), I pair it with this chipotle preserved lemon mayo, briny pickled artichokes, and sweet peppers to bring out the flavors of the steak. The bring flavors add a spot of tangy brightness to the savory taste of the grilled steak. BTW, this mayo also goes great in roast beef sandwiches.
Asparagus Gribiche Pizza
This might seem like an unusual combination for a pizza, but it works superbly. It’s also a fantastic way to clean out the pantry and the refrigerator. My Asparagus and Sauce Gribiche Pizza is here! We make and eat pizza year-round in this household; it’s not a seasonal dish. What does change are the toppings.
Double Onion Barbecue Sheet Pan Pizza
This unfussy double-onion barbecue chicken pizza has a luscious layer of barbecue sauce and two layers of onions. Sweet, caramelized onions and a topping of thinly sliced red onions that get roasted over the mixture of gouda and mozzarella as the pizza bakes. Make it for game night or a weekend party; either way, it’s a crowd pleaser.
Crispy Fish Sandwich with Chipotle Lime Tartar Sauce
I simply love fried fish sandwiches and wanted to share how I make them at home, of course, with extra spice.
North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork
North Carolina-style pulled pork is a favorite for its rich, tangy, vinegary, and smoky flavor. I’ve reimagined this barbecue classic by enhancing the smokiness and boosting the umami. Perfect for meal prep—make a big batch and serve it on soft white sandwich bread for the ultimate pulled pork sandwich!
Indian-Style Hot Dogs
Here is my take on the famous Sonoran hot dogs, based on the ones I tried on a trip to Arizona. Sonoran hot dogs contain bacon wrapped around the hot dog. The recipe isn’t formal, so adjust the amounts to suit your needs. Dal makhani takes the place of the beans while kachumber salad becomes the veggie topping along with crumbles of soft feta. Mustard is optional but some love it here.
Indian-Style Roasted Eggplant Parmesan
This is a fun take on this beloved Italian classic called melanzane alla parmigiana, aka eggplant parmesan, through an Indian lens. I stuck with a theme – Go bold and go hot! The tomato sauce gets infused with heat from red pepper flakes, there’s turmeric and garam masala in the tomato sauce, and a sprinkling of nigella seeds (don’t use mustard seeds here, it doesn’t work nicely in this combination).
Roast Chicken With Chorizo
In this one-pot or sheet-pan dish, the flavorful fat arises from the chicken and the chorizo. You can easily adjust this recipe to utilize any chicken cut, but the skin and bones give the chicken extra flavor and texture. Select a good chorizo – I prefer one with a robust blend of spices. If you don’t eat pork, some delicious soy-based versions of chorizo in stores work as fantastic substitutes, but you might need to add a little oil. Besides potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots work great here; remember to cut them into smaller chunks and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Don’t forget to add the feta at the end, providing a cool and salty counterpoint.
Yogurt- and Mint-Marinated Chicken Thighs With Pickled Nectarines
I often use this yogurt marinade at home, and it works equally well with boneless, skinless chicken breasts as it does with the boneless, skinless chicken thighs I call for here. Made from just a few ingredients, it’s quite aromatic and very flavorful, and offers a plethora of sensations, from the cool notes of mint
grilled lamb chops with asparagus and green beans
American lamb chops are a quick and easy cut of meat to season and cook. Typically, I’ll season the meat in a marinade for a short time and then cook them over heat till they develop a nice crust to the desired degree of doneness and then serve it with a salad or some sort of vegetable. I’m taking advantage of spring produce – asparagus and green beans. Try to use young asparagus and green beans, so the final texture is tender and not chewy. The older these vegetables, their more fibrous and chewy their texture. The addition of pumpkin seeds adds a pop of crunchiness to the vegetables while the lemon juice helps pop the flavors out and the fish sauce adds a note of savoriness.
Lamb Chops, Chickpeas, and Tomatoes
Of course, I’m grilling a lot this summer. I don’t think either of you expect any different. Grilling is satisfying and the simplest recipes can transform into something remarkable, if grilling is introduced. Think of a fire-roasted eggplant, sweet corn, and even bell peppers thrown onto the grates of a hot fiery grill, they develop gorgeous flavors and even distinct smoky profiles. Meat is no exception to this experience and lamb with its juicy fat is the perfect candidate for grilling.
Lamb Chops with Cucumber Mint Salad and Sweet and Smoky Tahini
This satisfying dinner can be put together quickly on a busy weeknight. Succulent American lamb loin chops are served with a sweet and smoky tahini dressing alongside a quick salad of fresh cucumber, crushed smoked almonds, and mint. Be generous with the tahini dressing; it makes this dish.
Grilled Peach Salsa and Steak Salad and My Grilling Tips and Tricks
Summer is a beautiful season and one of my favorites of the year. Bright, juicy yellow peaches, big ears of sweet corn, peppers, and tomatoes in a gazillion different colors and shapes are all starting to appear in abundance. While I can and do grill year-round, this is typically the peak season for grilling. Hey, the Fourth of July is coming up, and I wanted to get this recipe out to you early, so you have enough time to plan. For those of you who are looking for an easy, no-fuss recipe, I think you will appreciate the unfussy nature of this grilled steak salad recipe that comes with a grilled peach salsa that also acts as the dressing for the salad.
Paleo Pork Ribs
Sometimes I crave ribs that aren’t sweet, and this is the recipe I turn to. Smoked chilli powders in chipotle and paprika give the ribs the necessary smokiness, while a splash of vinegar on the hot ribs is one of the most delicious aromas filling your room. The ribs are cooked by braising and a quick broil to create a deep char flavor. Since no liquid is added to the ribs, they are cooked by baking at a low temperature in the oven; this allows the water inside the meat to turn into steam and create a juicy and tender meat texture. For this reason, creating and maintaining a tight seal between the foil and the baking sheet is essential.
Lychee Pastis Refresher
I’m headed to Marseille in France this year for my summer vacation to relax, and this lychee Pastis refresher is the only thing I need to take with me besides my luggage. Pastis is made with herbs like fennel, anise, star anise, and licorice, and this one is called the Milk of Marseille. You need only lychee, limes, water, and mint. Chill, and then give it a good bubble infusion with the Breville InFizz Fusion. I’m going to serve it all summer long.
Iced Pineapple Chai
Here’s another way to stay cool this summer, this sweet and ice pineapple drink is infused with dark Darjeeling tea leaves and chai masala. If you can’t find chai masala, you can use the whole spice combination I’ve listed in the cook’s notes. Make a big batch often to enjoy it for the rest of the summer.
The Best Strawberry Basil Lemonade
One of my favorite go-to drinks for guests (or just for me!) is fruit and herb-infused goodness. I love creating my own flavors, like this delicious and simple basil-strawberry lemonade 🍓🌿✨ using the Breville InFizz Fusion, which can carbonate any beverage. (Please check with manufacturer instructions when using other products.)
Bombay Lemonade/Nimbu Paani/Shikanji
Nimbu Paani, Shikanji, or, as I like to call it, Bombay Lemonade, is one of my favorite summer drinks. Typically made with green limes in India, it’s also a spectacular drink with lemons (try Meyer lemons in the recipe for a different aroma). Sweet and sour with a smoky, spicy, and citrusy flavor will quench your summer thirst and keep you coming back for more.
The Flavor Equation : Sumac and Saffron Refresher
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be giving you little snippets from my upcoming book, The Flavor Equation, and share a new recipe for you to try until my book goes on sale October 27. This week it’s all about Emotion and Taste and their role in Flavor. Our emotions help influence our taste and taste in turn helps influence our emotions. When I’m happy and want to celebrate I often turn to lemon, lime, or passion fruit based sweets. I find them extremely comforting. When I’m feeling down, I lean towards food that I ate as a kid when I was feeling sick or sad; kanji/congee is a dish that does that for me. Think about the last time you were happy or sad, what did you crave or what did you avoid eating and drinking?
Lychee Lime Popsicles
In India and in many countries in Asia, lychees (aka litchi) are a beloved fruit. The fruit has an outer pink shell that is easily peeled off to reveal a translucent white jelly like fruit. Inside the fruit is a large brown seed that is discarded. Often during the blazing hot months of summer in Bombay , we’d eat lychees by the dozen but one of my favorite frozen treats was a lychee sorbet that this recipe is inspired by. These popsicles are sweet, and full of tropical fruit flavors of lychees mingled with the distinct citrusy flavors of fresh limes. One is not enough.
Peach and Elderflower Ice Cream
This is my adult version of peach ice cream—the flavor of sweet ripe peaches and the delicate floral aroma of St. Germain pair excellently well together. This is one of my favorite summer ice creams, and it goes down very fast on a hot day.
Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream
What are your favorite movie snacks? I love popcorn and ice cream so much that I combined them! First, I make fresh popcorn milk for the ice cream base in my Breville the Smart Scoop. Then, I fold caramel popcorn and drizzle it with plenty of caramel sauce. It’s the ultimate movie treat that makes me so happy!
Lemon Poppy Seed Buttermilk Ice Cream
I LOVE tangy and tart ice creams; if it’s made with lemons or some citrus, sign me up! This ice cream is based on the classic combination of that bright, citrusy flavor of lemons sprinkled with dots of black poppy seeds and hints of yellow lemon zest. You could call this a lemon poundcake ice cream!
Peach, Cardamom, and Saffron Cake
This is a busy summer, I’ve embarked on the process of remodeling the house. Of course, the idea to do this, started with my kitchen! When we moved into this home a year ago I fell in love with the kitchen and the garden. But as time progressed, I realized working in this kitchen became a challenge.
Blueberry Lime Poundcake
This week, I’ve got some exciting news to share. The Flavor Equation just got long listed for the prestigious Art of Eating award for 2021 , it is such an honor to be included among all these wonderful authors and their books. I’m also going to begin working on two new cookbooks with Chronicle Books over the next couple of years and I will reach out here and on Instagram with questions, so do keep an eye out.
Blueberry Coconut Cake with Date Sugar
After a few of you asked me about using natural sweeteners in baking, I decided to try some of them and see how they behave in my recipes. I’ve been experimenting with natural sweeteners and whole-grain flour, so this cake recipe is more of an experiment. I’m curious to know your thoughts on it should
corn and cardamom tart
This is a versatile custard that I could bake in a tart or a pie or skip the pastry entirely and bake it in a ramekin to eat straight out of. While this recipe celebrates summer sweet corn, you can also use frozen (if frozen, use directly and add an extra 5 to 6 minutes for roasting). The roasting of the corn kernels amplifies the sweetness of the corn. Also, it introduces a tiny hint of caramelization that pairs well with the cool cardamom infused into the custard. Adding cornmeal to the crust gives the tart a wonderful texture.
Blueberry Rhubarb Cornmeal Pudding
Puddings are wonderfully easy to make and unfussy, a big reason why I deviate to them as a choice when I need something sweet. This pudding is made with finely ground yellow cornmeal and tossed with fresh slices of rhubarb and sweet juicy blueberries (and you can use fresh or frozen!).