Red, White & Blue

Patriotism can be a great inspiration for your culinary creations.  The colors red, white and blue are found in many of nature’s most succulent foods, serving as wonderful, key ingredients to delectable dinners and drinks.

Cotton Candy food contributor Chef Evelyn Paul gives us these one-of-a-kind treats that are ideal for celebrating American pride.

Grilled Jerk Spiced Shrimp and Berry Salad

Berry Salad

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 16-ounce container strawberries trimmed
1 8-ounce container blueberries
1 6-ounce container raspberries
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice orange juice, and agave nectar. In a large bowl combine the berries and the herbs. Pour the dressing on top and toss gently. Keep chilled and prepare the shrimp.

Jerk Spiced Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:

24 jumbo shrimp, deveined and shelled
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk marinade (recipe follows)

Directions:

Combine olive oil, lime juice and jerk spice in a large bowl. Add shrimp and let marinate for 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat grill on medium-high heat. Remove shrimp from marinade and season with salt and pepper. Place shrimp on grill and cooked two to three minutes per side. Serve on top of red, white, and blue berry salad.

(Click the photos below.)

Jerk Marinade

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
¼ cup fresh lime juice
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
6 Scotch bonnet
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons whole pimento or allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
¼ tablespoon whole peppercorns
1 tablespoons liquid smoke (optional)
2 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions:

Purée all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, and keep refrigerated.

Roasted Red White and Blue Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound unpeeled rinsed small or baby red-skinned potatoes
1 pound unpeeled rinsed small purple or blue potatoes
1 pound unpeeled rinsed small white creamer or White Rose potatoes
1 large red bell pepper diced
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh purple basil or green basil
2 scallions (green parts only) sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Transfer potatoes and bell pepper to large rimmed baking sheet, spreading out in single layer. Drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake until tender, about 40 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. Remove from oven let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add remaining olive oil, vinegar, paprika and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently. Serve at room temperature.

Red White and Blue Burgers

Ingredients:

1 ½ pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons  Worchestire  sauce
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
2 teaspoon garlic powder
½  teaspoons kosher salt
½  teaspoon black pepper
6 hamburger buns
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced
2 large ripe tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat grill on medium-high heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine meat, herbs, salt, and pepper until well mixed. Divide the meat mixture into 6 equal portions. Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Place patties on lightly oiled grill grate and cook for 8-10 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and serve on buns with crumbled blue cheese, sliced Vidalia onions and sliced red tomatoes.  Serves 8.

Flag Berry Tart

Tart Dough

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter
1/3 cup cold water

Direction:

In a small bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Sprinkle the water evenly over the mixture and toss gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.

Distribute the dough into a 13-by-4-inch tart pan

Lay plastic wrap over the dough and press it into the pan so that it is an even thickness. Remove the plastic and freeze the dough until it is firm, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover the dough with foil and fill with uncooked beans. This will keep the dough from slouching in the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and beans, bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the crust is a light golden color. Allow to cool to room temperature and prepare the mascarpone cream.

Mascarpone Cream

Ingredients:

8 ounce container of mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
½ cup freshly whipped cream

Directions:

Beat an 8-ounce container of mascarpone cheese and 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar with a mixer until it holds stiff peaks. Smooth. Gently fold in ½ cup freshly whipped cream. Spoon mixture into shell, spreading evenly.

Fill the upper left corner of the tart with blueberries then place 3 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe.  Finished tarts will hold at room temperature for several hours.

Red, White, and Blue Lemonade

Ingredients:

1 gallon of water
5 whole lemons
1 basket of blueberries
1 basket of raspberries
1 cup of agave nectar
Ice
Watermelon slices cut into star shapes using a cookie cutter

Directions:

Thinly slice the lemons and add them to the gallon of water. Stir in the agave nectar until dissolved.

Let the water, agave and lemon mixture rest at room temperature for two hours and then add the blue berries and raspberries, gently stirring to combine the mixture, but not crush the berries.

Once stirred, place in the refrigerator to chill. Just before serving, add ice. Garnish each glass with a watermelon star.