The Basics of Marinating

Do you find yourself cooking the same things over and over, with little variations to seasonings or flavors? A great way to add flavor, with the minimum amount of calories, to your favorite proteins is with marinates! Here are some starting points:How? Start with a large plastic zipper lock bag for easy clean-up, or use any air-tight containerWhat? Cut your protein of choice into similar sized pieces, this can be done with one or a combination of the following: skinless, boneless chicken breasts/thighs, trimmed flank steak, trimmed pork loin, trimmed pork chops, peeled and deveined shrimp, boneless and firm white fish filets , firm tofu, Portobello mushroom, eggplant, tempeh, paneer cheese, seitanWhere? Always marinate in the refrigerator to avoid any health hazardsTime? Meats can be marinated for a few hours, overnight, or up to 5 days, but seafood and vegetarian proteins are more delicate and need only 2 to 3 hours to pick up the flavorsThree basic recipes:Tart and Tangy Balsamic• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar• 1 tbs of olive oil• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauceOrange glaze• 1 tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce• 4 tbs orange juice• 1 tbs sesame oil• 1 tbs fresh ginger• 1 tbs chopped garlicRosemary Lemon• 2 tbs lemon juice• 1 tbs chopped rosemary• 1 tbs olive oil• 1 tbs chopped garlicMix the ingredients in air tight container or bag along with 1lbs (450g) of your protein of choice, and let those flavors have a party! -Chris Robinson