Showcase and Celebrate your American Pride with these healthy red, white, and blue, festive recipes!!

No Cook Black Bean Salad

Ingredients

• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 medium ripe avocado, pitted and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup limejuice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 cups mixed salad greens
• 2 medium ears corn, kernels removed, or 2 cups frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed

Directions

1. Place onion in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.
2. Combine avocado, cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic and salt in a mini food processor. Process, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth and creamy.
3. Just before serving, combine salad greens, corn, tomatoes and beans in a large bowl. Drain the onions and add to the bowl, along with the avocado dressing. Toss to coat.

Serves 4. Each serving contains Calories 322, Fat 16g, Protein 11g, Carbohydrate 41g, Fiber 13g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 407mg.

Teriyaki Pork Chops with Blueberry Ginger Relish

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in center-cut pork chops, (about 1¾ pounds), trimmed of fat

Marinade

• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry, (see Ingredient Note)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Blueberry-Ginger Relish

• 1 cup fresh blueberries, coarsely chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon limejuice
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. To marinate: Place pork chops in a large sealable plastic bag. Whisk soy sauce, sherry, garlic, brown sugar and crushed red pepper in a small bowl.
2. Add the marinade to the bag, seal and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. To prepare relish: About 20 minutes before grilling the pork, combine blueberries, shallot, chile, cilantro, lime juice, ginger and salt in a small bowl.
4. Preheat grill to high. Remove the pork chops from the marinade (discard marinade). Grill the chops 3 to 5 minutes per side. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving with the relish.

Make Ahead Tip: Marinate the pork (Step 1) for up to 1 day.

Ingredient Note: The “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets can be surprisingly high in sodium. We prefer dry sherry, sold with other fortified wines in your wine or liquor store.

People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use soy sauces that are labeled “gluten-free,” as soy sauce may contain wheat or other gluten-containing sweeteners and flavors.

Serves 4. Each serving contains Calories 219, Fat 8g, Protein 29g, Carbohydrate 8g, Fiber 1g, Cholesterol 88mg, Sodium 272mg.

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil.
3. Bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Serves 4. Each serving contains Calories 86, Fat 6g, Protein 3g, Carbohydrate 6g, Fiber 2g, Cholesterol 4mg, Sodium 387mg.

Spicy Barbecued Oysters

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• 5 tablespoons mild chili sauce or ketchup
• Few drops of your favorite hot sauce
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 24 large oysters

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in chili sauce (or ketchup), lemon juice and hot sauce.
3. Bring oysters along with the sauce, a cutting board, an oven mitt, tongs and an oyster knife (or other small knife) to the grill.
4. Place oysters flat side up on the grill rack. Close the lid and grill until the top shell pops open, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the oysters to the cutting board with tongs; keeping them as level as possible so the oyster “liquor” (salty seawater) doesn’t spill out.
5. Wear the oven mitt to hold the oyster and use the knife to remove the top shell, cutting the oyster away from the top shell and leaving it in the bottom shell. Periodically wipe your knife clean. Discard the top shells. Spoon about 1 teaspoon sauce onto each oyster. Return the oysters to the grill, close the lid and grill until the sauce is bubbling, 2 to 4 minutes more. Serve with small forks.

Serves 4. Each serving contains Calories 80, Fat 5g, Protein 4g, Carbohydrate 5g, Fiber 1g, Cholesterol 37mg, Sodium 228mg.

Deep-Dish Strawberry Yum Pie

Ingredients

• 30 chocolate wafers
• 5 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• Dash of salt
• Cooking spray
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, divided
• ¼ cup seedless strawberry jam, divided
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ⅔ cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 4 cups frozen low fat whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Finely grind wafers in a food processor. Add butter, egg white, and salt; process until well combined.
3. Gently press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 5-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Freeze 30 minutes or until well chilled.

Serves 10. Each serving contains Calories 264, Fat 8.5g, Protein 4g, Carbohydrate 43g, Fiber 2g, Sodium 196mg.

Peach-Vanilla Slab Pie

The new trend in dessert for a crowd is slab pie, made in a sheet pan, with an ultra thin crust; this version will feed your whole crowd!

Ingredients

• 2 ounces whole-wheat pastry flour (about 3 ⅓ cups)
• 4¼ ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (1 cup)
• 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ⅔ cup plus 1 to 2 Tbsp. cold water, divided
• 6 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (about 12 cups)
• 1⅓ cups packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon room-temperature water

Directions

1. Pulse flours and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor 2 times. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, 4 to 5 times. Stir together oil, lemon juice, and ⅔ cup cold water in a small bowl. While pulsing, pour oil mixture through food chute. Process just until dough comes together and starts to form a shaggy ball. Add an additional 2 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to bring dough together. (Be careful not to over process.)
2. Turn dough out onto a work surface; knead until dough just comes together, about 2 times. Divide dough into 2 pieces, one roughly 60% of the dough and the other 40%. Flatten each into a 1-inch-thick disk; wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, and remaining  ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl; toss well to combine. Set aside.
4. Remove dough disks from refrigerator and unwrap. Place larger dough disk between 2 lightly floured sheets of plastic wrap; roll into a very thin 20- x 15-inch rectangle. Using a thin pan or cutting board for support, carefully slide dough from plastic wrap onto a 13- x 18-inch rimmed baking sheet.
5. Remove plastic wrap, and press dough into corners of baking sheet. Spoon peach mixture evenly over dough. Place second dough disk between 2 lightly floured sheets of plastic wrap; roll into a very thin 13 × 18-inch rectangle. Cut dough lengthwise into ¾-inch thick strips. Arrange strips in a lattice pattern over peach mixture; crimp edges to seal. Whisk together egg yolk and 1 teaspoon room temperature water in a small bowl. Brush dough lattice evenly with egg yolk mixture.
6. Bake at 375° F until filling is thick and bubbly and crust is browned, about 50 to 55 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 18. Each serving contains Calories 278, Fat 9g, Protein 4g, Carbohydrate 47g, Fiber 4g, Cholesterol 24mg, Sodium 140mg.