Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Tasty Tuesday, Vol. 5

Happy First Day of February! :-)

Today, for Tasty Tuesday, I've decided to focus on something that I've become a huge fan of using: marinades! I decided to do a little bit of research so that I could bring you some yummy sounding marinades that you could try at home. I'm a huge fan of using the marinades that come in a packet--McCormick's Grillmates are my favorite! But for those of you who like to create your own, here are some possibilities.

Chipotle Marinade (for chicken or pork)

Ingredients:
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp adobo sauce from can
1/2 tsp salt
2 canned chipotle peppers

To make this marinade, you combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree them. Then add it to your meat in a zip-lock bag or a glass container and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes. Yum!

Fresh Herb Marinade (for vegetables)

Ingredients:
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp fresh oregano
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 sprig fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

This marinade is brought together by whisking all of the ingredients, and it's recommended to be tossed with your veggies (broccoli and portabello mushrooms are suggested) and marinated for at least 30 minutes.
*I know we don't all have access to fresh herbs, but I'm sure with a little doctoring, you might be able to make something similar using your regular spice-rack.

Chili-Garlic Marinade (for shrimp)

Ingredients:
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce (called Sriracha, available at most supermarkets)
1 tbsp honey

This marinade should also be blended by whisking all of the ingredients together. It sounded like a yummy combo--and only needs four ingredients! Just toss it with about a pound of shrimp and let it marinade in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Charley's Steak Marinade

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 finely chopped garlic clove
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt and pepper

Place steak inside a large bowl, and poke holes into the steak with a fork. In another small bowl, combine mustard, garlic, brown sugar, salt and pepper; let refrigerate for 15 minutes. While rub is refrigerating, pour the soy sauce on the steak. When 15 minutes is up, take the steak out of the soy sauce and rub the mixture over it.

Let refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. You can add another 1/4 c. of soy sauce to the steak if you would like the flavor.

So there you have it! Four marinades that cover almost all of your culinary bases! So share in the comments--if you try one and love it (or if you hate it), or if there's a standby marinade that you love to use.

Happy Cooking!

See you tomorrow for our next Writer's Corner Wednesday.

♥ Marlee

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