Fourth of July Picnic Ideas

With barbecues blazing, cool drinks flowing, bands playing and fireworks putting on quite a show, the Fourth of July is one of the highlights of the year for families in the USA. For those of you who struggle with acid sensitivity, there are plenty of foods and drinks that you can enjoy without irritating your stomach or bladder. Here are some inspired recipes from our columnists perfect for the Fourth of July and/or any summer celebration! Don't forget the Prelief if you're eating any risk foods!

Grilled Chicken Kebobs - Julie Beyer RD

• 12 to 16  bamboo skewers
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 green and 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch square pieces
• 12 – 16 small cleaned mushroom caps
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. pear juice
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 2 t. onion powder
• 2. t. dried rosemary leaves, crushed slightly
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper, if tolerated

Preparation:  Soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Arrange chicken pieces, peppers, and mushrooms on soaked skewers.  In a small bowl, mix together the oil, pear juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.  Place the kebabs in a 13 x 9 baking pan.  Pour marinade over kebabs. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

Grilling:  Set gas grill to medium-high. Place the skewers of chicken on the hot grill and grill for 6 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, on an uncovered grill. Chicken pieces should reach a temperature of 165°F. Serve immediately over rice or pasta.

Grilled Steak Kebabs: Substitute 1-1/2 pounds round steak cut into 1-inch cubes for chicken.

Roasted Corn with Herb Butter - Bev Laumann

Corn has a delicious caramel sweetness when roasted-- perfect for a summer barbeque!

• 3 medium  ears of fresh corn, trimmed and shucked
• 1/3 cup  slightly softened butter or dairy-free spread (see note)
• 2 cloves   fresh garlic, minced fine
• 3/4 tsp.  onion salt
• 1 tsp.  finely chopped fresh basil (or 1/4 tsp. dried basil)
• 1/4 tsp.  finely chopped fresh marjoram (or a pinch of dried marjoram)

In a small dish, mash together the butter garlic, onion salt, and herbs with a fork. Cut 3 squares of aluminum foil, each about 6 to 7 inches longer than the longest ear of corn. Smear each ear of corn with the butter mixture, working it in between the kernels all over the corn surface. Place each ear of corn in the middle of a foil square. Pull up the foil, putting top edges together (corn will be in a sling). Roll the edges down, folding or rolling until you’re back down to the ear of corn and the edges are sealed tight. Now fold up and over the left and right sides to form a tight packet. Repeat with other ears.

Place on a low heat barbecue grill and roast for 20 minutes, giving them a quarter-turn every five minutes. You can serve in the packets, or open and let sit for a minute or so to cool before serving on plates.

NOTE: For those who can’t have dairy or gluten, a great tasting organic, trans fat-free, preservative-free, non-dairy spread (with an amazingly butter-like taste), is Earth Balance. Made by GFA brands (and now found in many grocery store chains), its flavoring and coloring is totally derived from vegetable sources.

Red, White and Blue Spinach Salad by Julie Beyer RD

Ingredients

• 1 c. washed baby spinach leaves
• 1 c. washed baby red bib lettuce, torn to bite size pieces
• 1/2 c. fresh blueberries, washed and drained
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds
• 1/2 c. feta cheese (if desired)
• 2 T. coarsely chopped fresh basil (if desired)

Combine spinach and red lettuce in large salad bowl. Sprinkle blueberries, almonds, and cheese over lettuce. (Hint: Even if you can’t have tomatoes, others you are serving the salad to may want them. Add a handful of tiny grape tomatoes to the salad that will be easy for you to push aside or avoid.) Drizzle with Basil Blueberry Non-Vinaigrette Salad Dressing:

Basil Blueberry Non-Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 c. frozen blueberries, partially thawed
• 1/2 c. organic, pure blueberry juice
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1 t. lemon zest
• 1/2 t. sugar
• 2 t. finely chopped fresh basil (may substitute thyme)
• Pinch salt
• Pinch white pepper as tolerated to taste

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend using one-second “pulses,” checking consistency after every couple of pulses.  May also be made without using frozen berries. Simply increase juice to 1 cup.

Blackberry Cobbler (From ICN ICChef Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh Blueberries or Blackberries
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp double-acting baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)
  

Wash and dry the berries if using fresh, or thaw, drain and dry the frozen berries. Place in the bottom of a 2 quart (2 l) ovenproof casserole or souffle dish. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon rind. Mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter over the berries and bake in the center of a 350F (180C) oven for one hour, until the top is browned. Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Top individual portions with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired. Serves 4 to 6

 

Ice Cold Milkshakes (By Jill Osborne)

There's nothing quite so satisfying as an ice cold vanilla milkshake on a hot summer afternoon. The challenge? Aside from often insane calories, many of the milkshakes available from fast food outlets are filled with extra ingredients that can irritate, such as preservatives, colorings and flavorings. I find it better to make my milkshakes at home, using high quality products and low acid fruits. The good news is that you can add ice to reduce calories and dilute the residual acid of the fruit. Lactose intolerant?? Simply use coconut or almond milk products. Don't forget Prelief can help reduce acid too, especially if you're using a more acidic fruit like strawberry! My personal favorite is coconut with ice cold berries on top! Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup low fat milk (substitutes: coconut milk, almond milk or lactose free milk)
• 2 or 3 scoops vanilla ice cream (substitutes: coconut milk ice cream, almond milk ice cream, or frozen yogurt)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Sugar to taste (substitute: 1/2 a frozen banana can add sweetness and thickness.)
• Your choice of fruit or fresh herb (1/2 cup of shredded coconut, blueberries or blackberries. You can even use a few fresh mint leaves!)
• 1 scoop of ice is you prefer an icier drink (optional)
• Whip cream (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until proper thickness. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

 

 

Our Generous Sponsor

The IC Diet Project is made possible by the generous support of AkPharma, Makers of Prelief.  Prelief is an acid reducing food supplement that can help you enjoy some of the foods that you may be missing!  Prelief even takes the acid out of favorite foods containing “hidden” acid you aren’t aware of, like chocolate, baked beans, sherbets, yogurt and too many others to even name. Try Prelief for a week or two and see if there isn’t a difference you can feel. Buy it now!

 

The Simply Delicious Team

We admit it. We love to eat even though we all have IC. The authors know the in's and out's of eating low acid because we are fellow patients and activists, including:

• Julie Beyer RD, author of the Confident Choices: Customizing the IC Diet, Confident Choices: A Cookbook for IC and OAB & Interstitial Cystitis: A Guide for Nutrition Educators
• Bev Laumann, author of A  Taste of the Good Life: A Cookbook for an IC Diet & the Fresh Tastes by Bev feature column
• Jill Osborne, MA, president & founder the IC Network and author & editor of the 2012 Guide to the IC Diet & the ICN Food List iPhone Application