The Fourth of July is all but upon
us! It's one of my favorite holidays, for multiple reasons: I love summertime,
I love being patriotic, I love fireworks and, last but not least, I love
celebratory cookouts!
All this adds up to a great time,
but a friend of mine was confronted with a dilemma recently, and her story is
worth sharing, I think. She intends to have a July 4th cookout, but get this:
some of her guests are pretty adamant about having all the classic foods at the
party (burgers, sides - you get the idea), while two of the other attendees are
gluten and dairy free. The gluten-free guests still really want to be able to
participate without demanding a separate menu, and my friend is at a loss about
how to cater to both sides.
Luckily, there are simple answers
both for my friend, and for anyone else in a similar situation! It turns out
that you absolutely can put on an old-fashioned Independence Day cookout, while
making it accessible to gluten and dairy-free guests. Check out the great news
below!
Burgers
Don't fret about the main course:
these can be easily made or purchased gluten free. Use ground chuck or sirloin
to make your own, or buy a pack of Bubba Burgers. Udi's buns are gluten free,
as are Heinz ketchup, French's mustard and Vlasic pickles!
Salads
There are so many options here!
Potato and pasta salads and the like, when prepared properly of course, are
gluten free. Do watch out for dressings, but major brands like Kraft label
their ingredients very well.
Sides
Worried about the chips, dips and
baked beans? No need! Lay's brand chips are excellently labeled and offer
plenty of options, and a simple bag of gluten-free tortilla chips and guacamole
can go a long way. As for those tasty beans, all of Bush's beans are now gluten
free, if you need something quicker than homemade.
Desserts
Watermelon (or any kind of fresh
fruit!) is an obvious choice, but the options don't stop there. Fruit salads
are a logical step! Want something sweeter? There are tons of summer dessert
recipes out there using Oreos - check out Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe’s as a g-free substitute, and get creative! And who doesn't like S'mores? Hershey's
chocolate is gluten free, as are Schar's graham crackers and Campfire
marshmallows. Get that fire going once the grilling is done!
These are just the beginning, but
as you can see, the potential is there for a classic - and gluten-free - Fourth
of July cooking experience. Hungry for more? Check the links below!
http://www.chicagonow.com/gladly-gluten-free/2012/07/top-ten-fourth-of-july-foods-done-gluten-free-and-dairy-free/
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