While discussing what we’d like to grill for the recent holiday we really were thinking a nice duck but said duck could not be easily found (is it not in season, perhaps?). Instead we brainstormed a bit and, on a laugh, I suggested beer-can chicken.

As these things tend to do, the silliest of ideas take hold and suddenly don’t seem so silly.

Only I don’t particularly like canned bear (enough to buy a 6-pack for a single use) and I still didn’t want just plain chicken. So I wondered, aloud, about game hens? And then, because a standard-sized can inside a poor little game hen seemed ludicrous, the small 6-oz cans of juice on the bar seemed ideal.

Pineapple juice, in particular. Which led to somewhat tropical thoughts, line and cilantro joining the mix.

And that’s how our 4th of July grill became:

Pineapple Can Game Hens

Pineapple Game Hen

1 stick (4 oz) butter, softened
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 Tbsp lime zest (approx. 1 lime)
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp rubber sage
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Cornish game hens, approx. 1 pound each
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
olive oil
2 6-oz cans pineapple juice

While the hens are defrosting, combine the butter, lime zest, cilantro, salt, sage and pepper in a small bowl, transfer to a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a cylinder. Chill until firm (about an hour or so).

Prepare your pineapple cans by removing the paper labels and scrubbing off any glue left behind. It took a combination of hot water and steel wool to get the job done, but not much time. Open each can and pour out about half, then punch 2 more holes in the top.

Rinse and pat dry the hens once they’re removed from their wrappings. Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder inside and out of each bird. Slice coins of the chilled butter and slip them under the skin all around the bird–don’t forget the back, too. Tuck the wings back, drizzle the birds with olive oil before settling them over the pineapple cans.

Carefully transport each vertical bird to the grill and cook over indirect heat for 45 minutes (in my case this meant cranking up the flame on either side, leaving the middle off and setting then hens there; if you’ve got a charcoal grill, scoot the briquettes over to one side or the other).

We paired them with grilled corn and blue-cheese potato salad (the latter we picked up from Fresh Market). They look small, but half a hen is totally enough for one person with the usual sides.

This  cake is one of many creations that can be made for the holiday. I personally like this one because it is simple, yet you can mix it up a little bit. My tradition way of making this is using white cake, with vanilla frosting. If you want something different, try pound cake or angel food cake. You can also substitute the icing for a whipped topping. On top of this cake, add cut strawberries in horizontal lines, and a square patch of blueberries in the top left hand corner. This will make a wonderful looking American Flag that your guests will surly love.

If you are not into making cakes, try a red, white and blue trifle or a nice fruit bowl with red and blue berries and vanilla ice cream. There are many ways to make 4th of July desserts so go out and explore. Have some fun along the way!

Popsicles and summer go together like reading a good book and the beach, not that I’m anywhere near a beach. Thank you to SELF Magazine for sharing and creating a few easy recipes inspired by Las Paletas, a popsicle shop in Nashville. Now you can indulge a chilling low-calorie snack without guilt. The popsicles are made with fresh, natural ingredients such as watermelon, mango, and peanut butter.  Mix and match flavors to make your own combination.

These recipes are simple and great for a backyard barbecue, for the kids, or would be fun for a brunch.  Healthy creative fun.

Popsicle Guide: Use the chart below as a guide: buzz a base, sweetener, and a flavor in a blender and stir in a booster for texture. Pour into eight 3-ounce Dixie cups and insert a craft stick or plastic knife and freeze for six hours. Then enjoy!

Watermelon-Lime-Cilantro–62 calories
Base: 3 cups cubed seeded watermelon
Sweetener: 6 tablespoons sugar; 1 tbsp honey
Flavor: 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
Booster: 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Chunky Pineapple-Chile– 61 calories
Base: 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
Sweetener: 3/4 cup pineapple juice; 3 tbsp sugar
Flavor: 2 tbsp fresh lime juice; 1 tsp ground ancho chile
Booster: 1 cup coarsely chopped pineapple

Crunchy Peanut Butter-Banana–165 calories
Base: 3 medium bananas; 1 cup 1 percent milk
Sweetener: 3 tbsp honey
Flavor: 5 tbsp natural peanut butter
Booster: 1/4 cup lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Avocado-Mango—93 Calories
Base: 3 cups cubed mango; 3/4 ripe avocado
Sweetener: 5 tbsp sugar
Flavor: 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
Booster: 1 tbsp grated orange zest

These all sound good especially the last one. It almost sounds like a frozen salsa. Does anyone have any suggestions for an Asian inspired popsicle to pair with my Asian inspired brunch that I’m hosting soon? I’m thinking something with ginger…

Photo: JB Cumberland

Thank you to rising culinary star, Chef Anthony Jacquet, executive chef of the Whisper Lounge in L.A. for this recipe of  grilled Australian lamb burger with brie cheese, cranberry compote, and roasted jalapeno aioli.

The recipe, originally conceived for fine dining establishments, won Chef Anthony a trip to Sydney, Australia after winning the “Make Australian Lamb America’s New Favorite Burger” contest, sponsored by Plate Magazine and Meat & Livestock Australia.

Recipe: Grilled Australian Lamb Burger with Brie Cheese, Cranberry Compote & Roasted Jalapeno Aioli

Ingredients (Serves 4):

Burger Patty
2 lbs ground Australian Lamb (Blogger’s note: or any ground lamb)
2 shallots, minced
1  jalapeno, minced
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Cranberry Compote
1 bag fresh cranberries (Blogger’s note: I wonder how difficult it is to find fresh cranberries in July?)
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pinot noir
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup riesling wine (Blogger’s note: If you don’t have two different wines open, use one or the other)
1 cup sugar
zest of 2 orange
5  sprigs of thyme
2 tsp pink peppercorns
1  chili de arbol
1 fresh bay leaf
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
pinch of salt

Roasted Jalapeno Aioli
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp garlic, minced
2  jalapeno, roasted, peeled, rough chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 cup canola oil
to taste salt and white pepper

Other Ingredients
4 brioche burger buns, cut in half
8  3-inch x 1/4-inch slices of brie cheese
2 cups wild arugula

Preparation:

Heat your grill.

First make patties. Mix ground lamb with shallots, jalapeno, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well and weigh into 8 oz balls. Use the top of a 3 lb spice container and form the patty into a round. Be careful not to pack too tightly. They should be about an inch thick. Set aside.

To make the compote, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add all ingredients and bring to boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes until cranberries have burst open and mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency. Set aside.

To make the aioli, place eggs in food processor. Add garlic, jalapeno, lemon juice and cilantro and start machine. As the blade is twirling, slowly incorporate the olive oil and canola oil, until the emulsification occurs. Season with salt and white pepper. The mixture should be of a mayonnaise consistency. If it is too thick, thin with a little water a teaspoon at a time. Set aside.

To prepare burgers, place patties on hot grill. Cook for 2 minutes and then turn a quarter turn and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip burger and cook another 2 minutes. Turn a quarter turn and cook another 2 minutes. Add brie cheese and cover with a stainless steel mixing bowl for another minute. Pull burgers off of grill and let rest. They should be medium rare.

Meanwhile, place buns on grill to toast for a minute. Place aioli on both sides of bun. Add arugula to bottoms of the bun, followed by the burger patties and brie cheese, top with cranberry compote and top with other side of bun. Serve immediately.

Blogger’s note: This recipe looks divine but I fear not being able to find fresh cranberries in July. Otherwise, you might be able to find a good quality store bought cranberry compote on the shelves of your favorite upscale market. If not cranberry, maybe plum compote or apricot compote. I think those flavors would be equally complementary to the lamb and aioli. As for the wine, what about a Chilean Cabernet or Australian Shiraz?

Chef Anthony Jacquet is always pushing himself to learn more and make each dish better than the last. A graduate from San Diego State University and the California Culinary Academy, Chef Jacquet discovered his love of food while cooking for friends in college. It was then that he discovered the satisfaction involved with seeing the happiness and sense of community when good food is on the table—the same satisfaction that continues to propel him today.

I was just looking at our most popular posts (thank to Mary for adding that feature) and it’s been fascinating to watch how many page views appeared through the week of people looking for red, white, and blue desserts or patriotic desserts.

What patriotic palates you have! Now of course, I want everyone to comment on which red, white, and blue dessert they made.

Here were the most popular posts

Patriotic Desserts – Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes - At 8 p.m., on July 4, there were 1,087 page views.

Easy Red, White, Blue Desserts - had 1,024 page views

Recipe: Patriotic Twinkie Cake - had 309 page views

Red, White, and Blue Food Recipes - had 260 page views

God Bless America.