We should all grant ourselves freedom from complicated, involved cooking on this day and instead focus on enjoying the fun with our friends and family as much as possible. 

There are times when spending hours slaving in a kitchen is really worth it. Thanksgiving, Rosh Hashanah, a special romantic meal. But not on the Fourth of July. This is, of course, not to say that the Fourth of July doesn't deserve wonderful food--that's not the case at all. But it's a holiday celebrating freedom, and as such, I think we should all grant ourselves freedom from complicated, involved cooking on this day and instead focus on enjoying the fun with our friends and family as much as possible. 

With this in mind, I bring you what I believe is my cleverest, easiest summer dessert yet: grilled strawberry shortcake. It's really, really simple. All you need is cubed, storebought pound cake, though I suppose if you are more ambitious than I, you could make it yourself (if you don't eat gluten or are paleo, try this coconut flour version), plus fresh strawberries and bamboo or metal skewers. 

After being assembled, the skewers get grilled very briefly, just long enough to char the berries and crisp the cake. Then I top the finished product with a dollop of whipped cream (whipped coconut milk is also delicious and dairy-free/paleo and makes a good substitute for traditional whipped cream. Sprigs of fresh mint are lovely but totally optional.

Hey, you're grilling anyway. Why not throw your dessert on the grill too, while you're at it?