Red, white and blue, Celebrate Independence Day Friday with these colorful recipes.

Strawberry salsa
Ingredients:
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and julienned
1/2 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and julienned
1/2 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and julienned
1/4 cup finely shredded fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 pint (1 cup) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place red onions, jalapeno pepper, bell peppers, cilantro, strawberries, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours. Fifteen minutes before serving, remove the salsa from the refrigerator, so it loses some of its chill.
This sweet salsa can accompany anything from toasted pita triangles to a cut of grilled fish, shrimp or chicken.

Blueberry and chicken salad
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
2/4 cup low-fat lemon flavored yogurt
3 Tbsp. reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 tsp. salt
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken breasts or turkey breasts
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

Reserve a few blueberries for garnish.
In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise and salt. Add remaining blueberries, chicken, green onions, celery and bell pepper, mix gently.
Cover and refrigerate to let flavors blend for at least 30 minutes. Serve other endive or other greens with reserved blueberries and lemon slices, if desired.

Watermelon cake
Ingredients:
1 white cake mix
1 small package mixed fruit gelatin powder
1 1/3 cups seedless watermelon cut from the center and cubed into 1-inch blocks
3 egg whites
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup miniature chocolate chips, optional

Frosting:
1/4 cup watermelon juice
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 packages cream cheese
2-3 drops red food coloring, optional
1/8 cup miniature chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan, or a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cake mix and gelatin powder until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat watermelon, egg whites and vegetable oil until smooth. Add dry ingredients, half at a time, and mix until well-blended. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
Pour into prepared pan and bake about 35 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before frosting.
For the frosting, blend watermelon juice, butter, powdered sugar and cream cheese until combined and fluffy. Add food coloring to achieve a rosy watermelon color. Frost cooled cake. Place chocolate chips sporadically around the cake to simulate seeds. Refrigerate to set frosting. Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

Patriotic cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 package French vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup applesauce
3 eggs
1 cup water
2 cups small fresh blueberries, divided use
1/2 cup dried cherries
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar or to taste
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 roll red-colored fruit snack or fruit leather

Soak dried cherries in hot water for 15 minutes to plump. Drain thoroughly, then dry with paper towels. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin tin with foil or pepper muffin cups.
Combine cake mix with applesauce, eggs and water, mixing on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase to medium speed and beat another 2 minutes. Fold in cherries.
Divide batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Drop 5 blueberries on top of the batter for each cupcake. Do not mix or press the blueberries into the batter.
Bake 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature on wire racks before proceeding.
Beat cream cheese with confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Spread cream cheese frosting on tops of cooled cupcakes.
Using remaining blueberries, stud cupcakes with blueberries in rows (for stars) over the upper left quarter of the cupcake.
Cut the roll of fruit leather snack into strips of 1/8 inch wide and 2 inches long. Place red fruit strips across the remainder of the cupcake surface in rows (for stripes) over frosting. Refrigerate to set frosting.