4th of July Meal Suggestions
RED WHITE AND BLUE DAY!
Happy 4th of July! Many of you will be heading over to barbeques, friend’s homes and just partying like rock stars, in celebration of our freedom in America. However, we must not forget that while you might be floating in a pink tube down a lazy river with a colorful cocktail in your hand, we must not forget the men and women fighting overseas who are helping to keep you and your family safe from terrorism.
As a survivor from the 9/11 attacks back in 2011, I can tell you this; life is truly a precious gift from G-d, and for that, I will never take it for granted. G-d brought me uptown that day when I should have been amongst the madness downtown on Wall Street. I remember walking from 56th and Broadway all the way downtown to Essex and Grand after a long morning of complete confusion and delusion, where no one thought that it was even real. I walked downtown back home without cell phone service (because back then, there weren’t the satellites that we experience today) observing the broken up faces and feelings of complete disarray on all the New Yorkers who escaped that area. Covered in dust and sweat from running for their lives, the city that never sleeps would truly never sleep for a long time after 9/11.
No one needed to be in New York City that day to remember the feeling of confused emptiness. No one, to this day, will ever forget the heroes involved in the rescue efforts of 9/11. We should therefore never forget the people who continue to serve us overseas and on our land today as we celebrate the fourth of July. No matter where life takes you this Thursday, I ask that you take a moment of silence to pray for those heroes that are with us and for those who no longer are. While spreading your appreciation and gratitude for our heroes, please feed your body with the best that life has to offer you, and avoid the junk that will hinder your health in the end. Your body is your temple. Treat it with respect, since like I said, life is precious. Happy 4th of July!
Breakfast: Egg white scramble with 1 slice of Havarti cheese, cherry tomatoes, and blue eggplant served with fresh salsa
Snack: Cucumber slices with salmon lox, capers and Laughing Cow cheese served with ½ cup of blue berries
To serve to guests before they eat lunch: Check out the above photo- a gorgeous plate of veggies and dip. Yum!
Lunch: On top of a bed of dark green lettuce, chop up some jicama, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, 1 oz of low fat feta cheese and chopped strawberries, add a 5 oz piece of free range bbq grilled chicken breast on top. The veggies in the salad can be a whole mixing bowl size which will really fill you up!
Snack: 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese topped with chopped blue berries and strawberries ( 1 cup only)
Dinner: Jalapeno Grass Fed Beef Kabob:
What you will need:
- 1 Jar of jalapeno pepper jelly
- 2 tbsp of lime juice
- 1 small jar of minced garlic
- 1 Red onion
- 4 baby patty pan squash, halved cross-wide
- 1 pound of grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic free beef
- 4 fresh tomatillos
- 1 medium sweet pepper cut into 1 inch squares
- Hot cooked polenta (optional)
- Skewers
Directions:
- For glaze, in a small saucepan combine the jalapeno jelly, lime juice, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until jelly is melted. Remove from heat.
- In a small covered saucepan cook onions in a small amount of boiling water for 3 minutes. Add squash; cook for 1 minute more; drain. Trim fat from steak. Cut steak into 1-inch cubes. On eight 6- to 8-inch metal skewers, alternately thread onions, squash, steak, tomatillos, and sweet pepper.
- For a charcoal grill, grill kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 14 minutes or until meat is slightly pink in center, turning once and brushing occasionally with glaze during the last 5 minutes of grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place kabobs on grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.)
- Serve kabobs with hot polenta, if desired, and any remaining glaze. Makes 4 servings. Just add onto the ingredients for more individuals in the party
Desert: If you read my book, Breaking the Chains of Obesity, 107 Tools, you would know that July 4th is one of the days that you can eat a bit off of what would be considered optimal. Please note that by eating healthy all day long, and limiting your drinking to perhaps 2 glasses of alcohol only (notice I am not telling you what to drink, but I would stay clear of sugary libations cause dang are those treacherous for the blood sugar levels!) you can still remain at your optimal weight after the holiday ends. Now, that’s what I’m talking about.
So, back to desert: You can serve:
Pink Berry Frozen Yogurt to be topped on JZ’s famous Almond Flour cookies
OR
Pound cake topped with low fat whipped cream with strawberries and blueberries arranged to look like an American Flag! Check out the Photo above!
Happy 4th of July my beautiful people! Xo JZ
