Red, White, & Blue Skewers In Honor Of 4th Of July

You've tried your hand at mixing red, white, and blue cocktails, and you've even attempted layered jello shots, but why stop showing your American colors there? When it comes to expressing your patriotism, there is nothing you can't make using this trifecta of hues — and that includes red, white, and blue skewers.

Thanks to their versatility, skewers are always a crowd-pleaser at cookouts and backyard barbecues — not to mention, they are as easy to cook as they are to eat. From vegetables and meat to fruit and sweets, there is no limit to the different kinds of kebabs you can make that color-coordinate with the American flag. While finding blue food can be a challenge, making your skewers red, white, and blue is simpler than you think (seriously). With the help of naturally colored ingredients along with those enhanced with dye, there is no snack stick, main bite, or dessert that can't get a patriotic makeover in time for the Fourth of July.

Think you are up for the challenge? It's time to fire up your grill, grab your skewers, and raise the flag, because here are four red, white, and blue kebabs for your Independence Day cookout. Get ready to enjoy them all.

Tomato & Potato Skewers

Like potato salad on a stick, these grilled skewers make a delicious salty snack, and the tomatoes add a burst of juice and flavor. And although the fingerling potatoes are technically purple, their deep hue is close enough to blue, and they look great next to their red and white counterparts.

Ingredients

• Red, purple, and white fingerling potatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Garlic salt
• Onion powder
• Pepper

Directions

1. Put rinsed potatoes in a pot of cold water with a dash of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender but not too soft, about 10 minutes.

2. Drain. Run cold water over potatoes for a couple of minutes, until cool enough to handle. Cut in half.

3. Combine cherry tomatoes, potatoes, and onions in a mixing bowl, and lightly coat with olive oil. Season with garlic salt, onion powder, and pepper to taste.

4. Add ingredients to skewers, and grill each side for six to eight minutes, until tomatoes are tender and potatoes and onion have grill marks.

Vegetarian Skewers

Every grill needs a vegetarian option, and tofu offers a healthy protein that's super easy to dye and holds a great flavor. Surround it with crispy, juicy vegetables, and you've got yourself an irresistible meat-free kebab option.

Ingredients

• Onions
• Cherry tomatoes
• Red peppers
• Extra firm tofu
• Stir fry oil
• Salt
• Blue food dye

Directions

1. Add a few drops of blue food dye to some stir fry oil. Mix well. Add in tofu, and gently toss until well coated.

2. In a separate bowl, combine cherry tomatoes and sliced peppers and onions. Coat lightly with stir fry oil. Add salt to taste.

3. Add ingredients to skewers, and grill each side for five to six minutes, until vegetables are tender and tofu has grill marks.

Chinese Sausage Skewers

Full of flavor and fun in color, Chinese sausage is sweet and savory, and looks great surrounded by brightly colored vegetables. But how to get something blue? You can easily dye butter any color, which makes adding a blue hue to your kebab's color pallet a cinch.

Ingredients

• Chinese sausage
• Onions
• Peppers
• Hot dog bun
• Softened butter
• Blue dye
• Olive oil
• Garlic salt
• Onion powder
• Ginger powder

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix blue dye into softened butter until uniform in color. Use one to two drops of dye for each tablespoon of butter, depending on what shade of blue you want to achieve. Cut hot dog bun into six bite-sized pieces, and spread butter over one side.

2. In a separate bowl, combine vegetables and coat lightly with olive oil and spices.

3. Add ingredients to a skewer, and grill for about 10 minutes on each side, until sausage is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Dessert Skewers

The options for these no-grilling-required dessert skewers are limitless. Sweet and refreshing, you can design these to fit your own taste preferences and table decorations.

Ingredients

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Marshmallows
• Melting chocolate (red and blue)
• Sprinkles or other toppings

Directions

1. Melt chocolate as directed on packaging. Dip marshmallows and strawberries in chocolate of your choice, and roll in topping of your choice. Lay out on parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least one hour, until chocolate is hardened. Tip: Leave the blueberries plain, as the chocolate coating tends to break off once added to the skewer.

2. Add ingredients to skewers. Refrigerate until served.

Images: Sadie Trombetta (9)