Memorial Day is right around the corner, friends. This means that barbecue season will soon be in full swing. Now is the perfect time to start planning your first summer barbecue. The beauty of the great American barbecue is that it can be as extravagant or as simple as you’d like. For this Memorial day, all you will need is a few glorious Memorial Day recipes and a set of good friends to enjoy them with.

We’ve taken the hassle out of scouring the internet for hours and are rounding up a few of our favorite Memorial Day recipes. Test them out with your friends and be sure to report back. And don’t forget to share with us some of your favorite summer barbecues!

Martha Stewart, a pioneer in the quest for fantastic food, has a wonderful recipe for Grilled Pepper-Crusted Sirloin. This recipe is simple, straightforward, and delicious. What more can you ask for?

What you need:
2 teaspoons coarse salt
4 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 ½ pounds sirloin steak

What you do:
Fire up that grill, baby. Heat it on medium-high with the cover down. Season your sirloin with both salt and pepper. Make sure you’re covering both sides well. If you need a little more of any spice, go crazy. When your coals are toasty and ready to go, oil the grates and put the steak on the grill. Cover the grill and cook it as much as you want. A good guideline for cooking steak is about 10 minutes on each side or until it hits 135 degrees on a thermometer. This is the temperature you’re going to want for a good, old-fashioned medium-rare steak. When your steak is done, cover it with tin foil and let it rest for a about 10 more minutes.

Since your protein is taken care of, what can you serve for a side? Obviously any type of salad is a beautiful and healthy choice. But since this is a barbecue, why not live on the wild side with some delicious grilled potato wedges? Live Better America has an awesome and easy recipe that will pair beautifully with your steak.

What you need:
cooking spray
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (can be substituted with ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon ground oregano, and ¼ teaspoon onion or garlic salt)
4 medium white potatoes
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
½ cup fat-free sour cream

What you do:
Heat up your grill. While that’s warming up, cut each potato into eight, long wedges. Make sure your potatoes aren’t overly wet–pat them dry with a few paper towels or napkins. Spray the wedges with cooking spray and sprinkle with your cajun seasoning. Place the wedges in a grill basket or grill wok. Put the basket on the grill rack over medium heat. Cover the grill and cook for 30-40 minutes, shake or stir them every 10 minutes. When the wedges are tender and golden brown, they are ready to be served! In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce with some sour cream. Serve the sauce, wedges, and steak on the same plate and enjoy!

Protein: check. Side dish: check. What’s next? Oh, yes. Something delicious and sweet to wash down your meal. How about a little glorious Basil and Mint lemonade? Taste and Tell blog has a wonderful, simple recipe that will quench even the greatest thirst.

What you need:
2 cups water
2 cups lemon juice
2 cups basil and mint simple syrup

What you do:
If you have never made simple syrup, fear not! Not only is it, well, simple, but it’s also delicious. Combine 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water, half a cup of loosely packed basil and half a cup of loosely packed mint in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Strain and discard the herbs. Now, onto the lemonade. All you do is simply combine the simple syrup with 2 cups of water and 2 cups of lemon juice. Let it cool in the fridge, serve with ice, and garnish with a piece of mint or basil!

On to dessert! Since our Memorial Day recipes have been fairly heavy so far, let’s settle in for a simple, easy dessert with an American twist. Cooking with Kids over at About.com has a delicious recipe for Cream Cheese Dipped Strawberies.

What you need:
3 ounces cream cheese (lowfat or otherwise)
1 quart fresh strawberries
¼ cup sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk
red, white, and blue sprinkles

What you do:
First, wash those strawberries. Pat them dry with a paper towel and leave the stems on. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together with a mixer until smooth. One tablespoon at a time, beat in the milk, until the consistency is not too thick and not too soupy. Put the sprinkles in a bowl. Dip each strawberry in the cream cheese mixture. When the berries are coated well, roll them through the sprinkles to coat on all sides. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve!

Since your food options are taken care of, be sure to stock up on fun, red, white, and blue products! And don’t forget to pause for that moment of silence at 3 p.m.–it’s the law. Bonus points go to anyone who dresses up like lady liberty at their party!

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