Marinade Recipes

And the winner of the Giveaway!

Before I announce the winner of the giveaway…

Several of you have asked about the spiritual gifts test I took. Well… I took a few different ones. When I didn’t get the results I was hoping for, I just tried another test. Hahahahaha!

You should first check with your church. Most churches have or will recommend a spiritual gifts test. You can also do a quick online search. Many versions are available to take right online and they will give you the results instantly. Here’s a link to one of the online versions:  http://www.churchgrowth.org/analysis/index.html

OK – I know you are all anxious to know who won the set of Rachael Ray Knives and the one-year subscription to Food Network Magazine! Drumroll please…

The winner of the She Cooks giveaway is Jessica B. Jessica’s comment posted on June 25th at 2:57pm. If you are Jessica, please get in touch with me through the “contact me” page so that I can get your gifts sent to you this week.

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment. I promise there will be lots more giveaways. Gift-giving is so much fun!

I promised to share some easy marinade recipes with you today. I think my all time favorite marinade has to be my NaNa’s teriyaki marinade recipe. She got it from a friend when she and my mom lived in Hawaii in the 1950s. It has been a favorite in my house for as long as I can remember and I have never served anything using this marinade and the recipe NOT been requested. I posted the recipe over at SeaShineMag.com so pop over to get the recipe. This one is a keeper!

Here are a few other easy favorites that you can make with very simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

Notes about marinating:

1. Always cover and marinate meats, pork, poultry or seafood in the refrigerator.
2. Remove food from marinade before cooking.
3. If you want to serve extra marinade with your entree, make sure you bring it to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes to kill any bacteria.
4. If your marinade has a high acid content (lots of citrus or vinegar) you do not want to marinate as long and you especially do not want to marinate seafood for more than 30 minutes. The acid in the citrus will begin to cook the seafood and leave it a little rubbery.
5. Most marinades are delicious on vegetables but I marinate in separate containers. If making kabobs, marinate your vegetables in one container and whatever meat you are using in another, before assembling the kabobs.

Brown Sugar and Soy Marinade

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• dash or two of cayenne (o ptional – add as much or as little heat as you like)

Blend all ingredients and pour over beef, pork, poultry or salmon. Cover and marinate 2 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Sweet and Tangy Marinade

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Blend all ingredients and pour over beef, pork, or poultry. Cover and marinate 2 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Citrus Chile Marinade

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• the zest of one lemon
• the juice of two lemons
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (or more to taste)

Blend all ingredients and pour over beef or poultry (this one doesn’t work as well with pork). Cover and marinate 2-24 hours in the refrigerator. This also works really well with shrimp and scallops but only marinate 30 minutes.

Note: for a Greek variation, add some fresh or dried oregano to the marinade and then sprinkle with a little bit of Feta cheese after the meat or seafood is cooked – right before serving.

My Top Secret Family BBQ Marinade Recipe

Ya’ll… I am not kidding. For years I have been making this “secret” recipe. Everyone absolutely raves about it and begs for the recipe. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “I have just never had bbq like this. It has something special. PLEASE tell me what it is!” I have shared with a few of my closest friends and they stare at be with disbelief before they fall down laughing.

OK… are you ready? This is it… the top secret, highly coveted, Family BBQ Marinade Recipe.

Combine equal parts of your favorite bbq sauce and your favorite vinegar based Italian salad dressing. Marinate several hours or overnight in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Remove from marinade before grilling.

That’s it! This tastes so delicious on grilled steaks, chicken or, my favorite, pork tenderloin. The vinegar tenderizes the meat that little bit extra and that’s what sends this over the top. Oh… that and the fact that it’s incredibly easy!

I’ll be back tomorrow with side dish recipes to go along with your Fourth of July cookout! Praying for good weather and great friends!

Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn