Freezer Marinades for Summer Grilling!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet hubby!  He is the big 40 today.  I love you, sweetie.

Today I am adding the article for the Mom’s Spa newsletter.  It seems appropriate on my sweetie’s b-day as he does love a good BBQ.

Freezer Marinades for Summer Grilling!!

It’s time to gear up for grilling season by tenderizing and seasoning your meat with marinades. With pre-seasoned marinades in your freezer, half the work is done, so you can have more time to relax with the kids later this summer.  You can marinate meat for up to 3 months in the freezer.  Simply pull the meat, thaw, and grill away!  If you have used boneless, skinless chicken or steak, you can thinly slice it and use it for stir fry, too, with all those summer veggies.

For those of you who gotta have your tofu, firm tofu works great in a marinade, too!  Tofu will absorb the flavors and frozen squeezed out tofu can be shredded or cubed and stir fried.

Use the following marinade recipes to stimulate your creative juices. The following marinades will season one pound of raw meat or poultry. Mix in a freezer bag, throw in the meat, seal (after squeezing as much air out as possible), give it a shake to coat, label and toss into the freezer.

Remember to thaw your creation in the refrigerator.  And don’t “recycle” the marinade as a dipping sauce after the food has been cooked or use it to baste your meat unless it has been boiled first.  Be sure to discard any thawed marinade when you grill, so you won’t get sick.

For those of you on the web, Recipezaar has a nice selection of freezer marinades and rubs to help you get through the summer (click here).

Have a great summer and happy grilling!!

Cajun:

1/3 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon packed brown sugar

Citrus:

1/3 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon each of minced garlic

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind

½ teaspoon basil

½ teaspoon black pepper.

Curry:

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon curry powder.


Garlic:

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger.

Ginger:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons white wine or apple juice

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic.

Fajita:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 garlic clove (minced)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (minced)

Peanut Sauce:

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 Tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

¼ teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes



Lemonade Marinade

1 ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (I use a fruit sweetened one)

1/2 teaspoons celery seeds

1/4  teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Mediterranean Rub

1 teaspoons ground sage

1 teaspoons dry thyme

1 teaspoons pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Rub paste over meat before freezing.


Italian Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 shallots, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce

1 teaspoons pepper

Chicken Kabob Marinade

4 boneless skinless chicken beasts cut into 1 inch cubes

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup olive oil

½ teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag.

To serve:  Soak 8 (8-inch) wooden skewers 30 minutes to prevent burning. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers, leaving 1/4-inch space between pieces.  You can also alternate the meat with veggies of your choice.  Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350[degrees] to 400[degrees]) 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until done. Serve on gluten free pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes