4 Must Haves for Your Memorial Day Barbecue
Burgers
An American staple, grilling up a few burgers is a great way to ensure your barbecue-goers are happy and well-fed. The traditional cheeseburger features a bun, burger patty, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion, but can be customized with different cheeses (cheddar, bleu, etc.) or a myriad of condiments. If you’re feeling adventurous, add a few strips of bacon, slices of avocado, or even a fried egg. You can’t go wrong with a delicious, juicy burger.
Salad
The warm, summer weather ushers in the time for fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. What better way to take advantage of this than with a salad? Start with a base of lettuce, spinach, or arugula, sliced into strips and then add in some sliced cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, or celery. Some combination of a cheese (feta, blue or parmesan), a nut (walnuts, cashews, or pecans), croutons, and a dressing can be customized to your liking. One of my favorite salads is a simple combination of spinach leaves, golden raisins, cashews, and green apple slices, dressed with apple cider vinaigrette.
Guacamole
It may be difficult to find ripe avocados, but whipping up a quick guacamole is a great way to elevate your Memorial Day spread. Apart from avocados, you will need an onion, limes, oregano and salt. Slice the avocados, finely dice the onion, juice the lime, and combine with a fork. Add oregano and salt to taste. Some like to add tomato, cilantro or garlic, but they are completely unnecessary to a good guacamole. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.
Homemade Salsa
If you decide against guacamole, homemade salsa is a labor-intensive but worthy alternative. You will need lots of plum tomatoes, limes, and onions. Slice the plum tomatoes into tiny cubes, then combine with the diced onion, lime juice, and sliced cilantro. Add salt to taste and optionally add finely chopped jalapeno for a bit of spice. The perfect amount of lime juice is up to you; keep trying until you get it, but keep in mind this will be a chunky salsa. Serve with tortilla chips.