Mix It Up with Marinades this Summer

Outdoor grilling is a regular activity during the summer months and its hard to deny the wonderful flavor a barbeque adds to meat, fish and veggies.  Yet, you can boost that flavor even more by marinating your meats or veggies.  A variety of herbs, spices, vinegars, wines and citrus juices bring out and complement the flavors of your food, while giving you a different spin on your grilling experience.  Here are a few easy marinades to try:

The first is a Basil Maple Marinade for grilled vegetables.  Other than the basil and maple syrup, this marinade also contains lemon juice, garlic and dijon mustard among other basic ingredients.  After letting your favorite vegetables to sit in the marinade for a few hours, simply place on your grill over medium-high heat until tender.
A marinade that works for chicken, fish or vegetables is this Sunkist Lemon Marinade.  Lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic and herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano give it a great flavor.  If using this marinade on chicken or fish, marinate for several hours so the flavors are fully absorbed.
 Finally, I’ve selected a marinade that’s a little more “robust” than the others–Red Wine Marinade.  This marinade uses red wine, balsamic vinegar, lots of garlic and Worcestshire sauce and is best used for steaks and chops.  It requires justs a few hours of marinating, but for best results poke “holes” in the steaks so the marinade can better penetrate the meat.
You’ll find there are plenty of ready-made marinades available at your supermarket, but as you can see it’s really easy to make your own.  The plus side of making your own (besides the fact it will taste much better!) is that I can promise your version will have much less sodium than the store brand and no preservatives.  Enjoy!

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