Healthy Marinades for the Grill

Summer definitely has one thing going for it, and that is the ease of cooking healthy, high-protein foods in a hurry. Throwing a couple of lean steaks on the grill, or tossing some chicken breasts, fish, vegetables--you can't go wrong. They all taste great with a little lick of the flames and a little seasoning for flavor. 

But what is the best type of marinade? Lean cuts of meat or fish (and definitely vegetables) need a little oil based goodness in order to keep them from sticking and to lock in the flavors of the grilling and the spices, without drying the meat out. 

So, we gathered you a couple recipes. 

You are welcome. 

Garlic & Rosemary Marinade

Gather:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried Italian style seasoning
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Mix all together in a bowl and then put into a container and refrigerate or use immediately. Best on meat or vegetables. 

Dijon Garlic Marinade

Gather:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp pureed garlic (or one clove minced)
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Combine all ingredients and brush on meat before grilling. Best for meat.

Lemon Dill Marinade

Gather:

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped dill or 1 tbsp dried dill
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp honey

Method: Mix together in a bowl and brush over food before grilling. Best for fish, chicken or vegetables. 

Three marvelous marinades to make your summer a little healthier, and a lot tastier. Check back here next week for another recipe to help you keep your goals in check and your fitness on fleek. 

DIY Salad Dressing & Marinades

There are some things that are worth spending money to have other people do or make for you. A haircut. Movers. Your wedding cake.  A bikini wax. (Ouch!)

Salad dressing is not one of these things. Yet, we are constantly wasting money on expensive "natural" salad dressings that can cost upwards of $9. Or we buy extremely inexpensive marinades or dressings that are made from ingredients that can probably used in plastic manufacturing or are some type of chemical plant byproduct. 

STOP it. 

Making your own dressing or marinade is much healthier because you know exactly what is going into it. It's less expensive, because the ingredients are simple and can be purchased in bulk. And it's just as easy. Seriously, swirling around 4 different ingredients in a jar is NOT rocket science. (And you get to say, "Oh, yes, I made the marinade myself" Oh you fancy, huh?)

Today we have two recipes that can be used as a dressing for salads or as a marinade for fish, chicken or shrimp. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

(Makes 8 servings, about 6 tsp each)

 Ingredients:

6 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp honey or pure maple syrup

2 tsp Dijon mustard

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Combine vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend. 

Stir mustard and mix well.

Slowly add oil while whisking, mix well. Store leftover dressing in a covered container in the fridge. Dressing may thicken when cold. Hold at room temperature for 30 minutes and stir before serving.

That's LITERALLY it. 

And the second recipe is a wonderful, high-fructose corn syrup-free Honey Mustard Dressing:

Honey Mustard Dressing or Marinade

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 T yellow mustard

1 1/2 T raw honey

1 T lemon juice

Method:

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl. Done. BOOM!

Whip up a batch of these recipes and give  them a try this weekend. Creating delicious, complex flavors for your healthier food options is as easy as reading this blog!