Rachael’s Favorite Recipes: Marinades and Spices

Though my relationship with food has transformed dramatically over the past few years, I truly enjoy cooking and baking for my friends, family and community.  It is a real treat to be able to make and serve home-made food with love.  When available, I choose to purchase locally grown produce and organic meats.  Many of the basic spices I grow in my own yard: basil, oregano, garlic, chives, rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme and cilantro/coriander.  A personal delight, I challenge myself to create a variety of healthy food made with real ingredients that tastes delicious.  Here are some of my favorite recipes.

Marinades and Spices

When kabobbing, place vegetables and meat with a bit of space between each piece to cook more evenly.  Remember to soak your bamboo skewers first before loading them up.

Oriental Marinade

This amazing and slightly spicy marinade is great for brushing over veggie shish-kabobs, and as a meat marinade for cut beef or chicken pieces.  Prepare marinade by combining all ingredients.  Allow meat to marinade about 4 hours in the refrigerator or overnight.  

Makes enough marinade for 2 ½ pounds of meat.

This meal is especially great with steamed rice!

1 cup soy sauce

½ cup lime juice

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon dry sherry

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh ginger root (Tip: use a spoon to peel ginger root)

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Suggested vegetables to shish-kabob and grill with the oriental marinade

·         Zucchini slices

·         Whole mushrooms

·         Sliced peppers

·         Cubes of eggplant

·         Cherry tomatoes

·         Onion quarters

Vegetable Shish-Kabob Marinade

This marinade completely changed my child’s attitude toward eating mushrooms.  She asked for more!  While we were grilling this for the first time, she said it smelled so good it was like we were in a restaurant.  

You’ll need a food processor or blender for this recipe. Use fresh and green herbs when you can.  It makes a noticeable difference.

A mezzaluna (moon-shaped blade) is my favorite tool for finely mincing fresh herbs before adding to marinades or sauteing with other things.

The Best Grilled Vegetable Marinade Recipe

¼ cup soy sauce

¾ cup olive oil

1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 ½ teaspoon ground pepper

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root (Tip: use a spoon to peel ginger root)

Blend all of the above together for 30 seconds.  Pour into a tightly sealed container with all prepared vegetables and refrigerate for one hour.  Grill shish-kabobs while continuing to occasionally baste vegetables with marinade.

Suggested Vegetables to use

·         Cherry tomatoes

·         Eggplant cubes

·         Whole mushrooms

·         Quartered onions

·         Sliced Yellow squash

·         Sliced Zucchini

·         Peppers cut into 1 inch squares

Blackening Spices

These spices can be used for chicken, fish, shrimp or burgers.  Warning: this rub is hot and spicy- use at your discretion.  The more you use, the spicier your dish will be.   I do use dried spices for this dry rub.  

A mortar and pestle is great for combining and grinding dry herbs to help release their flavor prior to cooking.

* Great for blackened chicken caesar salad or blackened shrimp pasta alfredo!

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Dash cumin

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

Mix all dry ingredients together then dip or toss in raw chicken, prepared shrimp, fish or burgers.  Grill or pan fry with a little butter or olive oil (no need to add butter or oil when frying blackened burgers).