Fourth of July Cookout, Ballet Beautiful Style! Hi Beauties, As the United States celebrates our Independence Day with cookouts all over the country, we've gathered our team's favorite summer seasonal favorite recipes from the Ballet Beautiful Kitchen! Host your warm weather get togethers and serve your guests these Ballet Beautiful workout friendly dishes all summer long!

Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is a classic summer side! This version is quick, easy, and a healthy alternative to mayo-heavy macaroni salad. You can also add mozzarella balls, fresh basil, and grilled chicken for a heartier main dish.

Cooked pasta (we used Farfalle) Pesto sauce Cherry tomatoes Roasted red peppers Green beans Salt & pepper

Plate together and serve!

     

Summer Spinach Salad One of our summer staples! Make the most of strawberry season with this light refreshing salad.

Baby spinach Strawberries Feta cheese Walnuts Balsamic vinaigrette

Plate together and serve!

   

Stuffed Peppers

Mini bell peppers Ground pork or beef

For Filling Onions or shallots Garlic 1/2 tbsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper Red pepper flakes Onion & garlic powder 1 tsp dijon mustard 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari Egg Parmesan Salt & pepper

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the peppers in half – top off or vertically, either works! Remove the seeds inside. Meanwhile, cook the meat and mix with all the filling ingredients. Stuff the filling into the peppers. Lastly, into the oven it goes! Bake for around 20 to 25 mins. Feel free to flip them around if you’d like to get all sides. Serve and enjoy!

Summer Squash

Zucchini and/or yellow squash Olive oil Italian seasoning Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Thoroughly wash quash and cut off stem ends. Cut into coins and place in mixing bowl. Coat with olive oil, Italian seasoning mix (or seasoning of choice) and salt and pepper to taste. Toss together until all coins are well-coated in oil and seasoning. Spread squash coins in an oven pan or baking sheet (no need to grease, since coins are already coated in oil). Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to ensure all coins are cooked evenly. Plate up and serve with your favorite main dish!

Chocolate Mousse 1 pint heavy whipping cream 1/4c stevia or monk fruit sweetener 1/4c dark 100% cocoa powder

Whip heavy whipping cream on medium speed with beaters until surface bubbles. Add in sweetener followed by cocoa powder. Whip until consistency is like cool whip. Store in container in fridge for up to 5 days. Serve with local berries or seasonal fruit. We love to top this with local honey for added sweetness, or dark chocolate morsels! Comment below to share your go-to cookout dishes, and be sure to tag us at #BalletBeautifulKitchen Have a wonderful holiday! With love, The Ballet Beautiful team