Marinades Are Easy and Flexible

Our certified tender beef can't be beat for its fabulous fork-tender flavor.  To lend variety, try putting together your own marinades.  Be creative with your ingredients, and see what you can come up with.

To marinade a cut of meat, mix together the ingredients you've selected and place the meat in a ziploc-type bag or a glass dish, making sure to cover all the surfaces.  Let the marinade seep into the meat, but don't let it sit longer than overnight:  from marinating beef for a few hours to overnight is plenty.  You want subtle flavor that enhances, not masks, the beef itself.

As to ingredients, you need a liquid base for the marinade.  These can include:

• garlic olive oil
• soy sauce
• red wine
• pineapple juice
• sherry wine vinegar
• teriyaki sauce
• beer

Add to your own taste flavors, such as:

• honey
• horseradish
• brown sugar
• Worcestshire sauce
• whole grain mustard
• ketchup
• molasses
• peanut butter
• lemon juice

Finally, seasonings in small amounts, again not to overwhelm the beef:

• onion or garlic salt
• crushed red pepper
• fresh rosemary
• finely chopped green onions
• finely chopped green chiles
• oregano
• jerk seasoning

Play around with the marinade until you get a flavor combo that you like, and then test it out on various cuts of meat, making adjustments to your own personal taste.  Soon you'll discover that your "secret" marinade recipe is in demand...and leads to more experimenting in the kitchen.  And isn't that what great food is all about?

This old-fashioned favorite is often paired with salmon, but it's great with almost anything.  It's even tasty if you drain the liquid and add it to a hearty sandwich.

Ingredients

• two English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced thinly
• half a white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• sesame seeds, caraway seeds or chopped fresh dill

Steps

1. Mix together the salt, vinegar, sugar and pepper.
2. Pour over sliced cucumbers and onions in a shallow, non-metallic bowl, making sure to cover all the cukes.
3. Refrigerate several hours, or until the cucumbers and onions are soft and the puckery flavor has penetrated the veggies.
4. Serve at room temperature and top with your choice of sesame or caraway seeds or chopped fresh dill.

If you have a few morsels left of sweet, rich lobster meat, you might want to assemble a lobster roll sandwich.  These are popular East Coast treats that stand back and let the flavor of freshly-cooked lobster come through.

Ingredients

• Cooked and chopped fresh lobster meat
• Mayonnaise
• Shredded lettuce
• Hot dog buns

Steps

1.  Split the buns in half, longways, and spread with mayonnaise.

2.  Top with the lettuce and lobster.

3.  Eat immediately!

(Options:  try different bread, different sauces beyond mayo, vegetables, cheese...endless variations on a very simple, basic, delicious recipe!

These are hearty enough for a main course, quick to fix for an evening snack, and as decadent or as healthy as you wish.  Experiment with different types of potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Russian Blue, to tweak the overall flavor.  You can make them even richer by adding some cream cheese or dollops of butter.

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, baked
• 1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar, mozzarella or your choice
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup chopped cooked bacon, well-drained
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 3-oz. can chopped jalapeno peppers
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice potatoes in half (longways) and scoop out the filling.
3. Lightly coat the potato shells with olive oil and place on baking sheet.
4. Bake five minutes or until crispy.  Let cool.
5. Mix together potato filling and all other ingredients.
6. Stuff each potato shell and reserve a bit of cheese for topping.
7. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.
8. Serves eight people for snacks or four really hungry people.

If you tend to favor salty foods, you will appreciate this easy salad.  Like most salads, it adapts to whatever is available.  It is surprisingly satisfying.

Ingredients

• Red or green leaf lettuce, chopped
• Red onion, sliced and diced
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Ripe avocado, sliced
• Big handful of Kalamata olives, pitted
• Crumbled feta cheese, to taste
• Salad dressing of your choice (try Annie's Woodstock or Goddess; or else make your own with one part lemon juice, two parts olive oil, pressed fresh garlic and a generous handful of sea salt)

Steps

1. Carefully wash and dry lettuce.
2. Top with onion, tomatoes, avocado, olives.
3. Toss with salad dressing.
4. Add the feta cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas or 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil for frying

Apples and sweet potatoes together in butter, sugar and cinnamon; is this a side dish or a dessert? Well, that's up to you. This is a great dish to accompany your grilling favorites, or to enjoy afterward as dessert. It's simple, easy and great tasting.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced
• 1 apple - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• ground cinnamon to taste
• white sugar to taste
• 1/2 cup butter

The strawberries in the store right now are perfect for dipping.  Select large, firm berries with stem leaves attached for the best presentation.  This is a simple and elegant dessert that takes no time at all.

Ingredents

• strawberries
• dark chocolate
• powdered sugar

Steps

1. Wash and air dry as many strawberries as you plan to serve.
2. Melt squares of dark chocolate in the microwave, about 20 seconds at a time, stirring between cooking, until all the chocolate has melted.
3. Holding the berries by the stem, dip and swirl into the chocolate so all sides are completely covered.
4. Sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar.
5. Let dry on waxed paper or a plate and serve within a few hours.
6. Note:  amounts are approximate depending on how many berries you want to make.  You can also use white or semisweet chocolate, and can sprinkle with colored sugar or even very finely chopped nuts. 

There are many variations of this tasty salad, and I generally find it's a good one for using up the last bits of this and that.  You can sub out the dried fruit or the nuts with what's on hand.  I prefer a simple dressing, but some people think it's better slathered with mayo and a pinch of sugar.  Either way, good healthy eating.

Ingredients

• One pound chopped broccoli
• Two cups chopped grapes, red or green, seeds removed
• One cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• One T vinegar
• 3 T oil

Steps

1.  Mix the vinegar and oil together; toss with the remaining ingredients.

2. Chill for a few hours; serves four to six people.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2-3 tablespoons vegetarian worcestershire sauce (regular can be used as well)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• fresh cilantro (optional)
  sliced green onion (optional)

This is a 50s-vintage recipe for leftover ham that always, as Mom used to say, "hits the spot."  If eternity, it's been said, is two people and one ham, then this is one good use for some of that!

Ingredients

Eight thin slices baked ham

Eight slices Swiss cheese

1/4 onion, finely chopped

Four Kaiser-type bread rolls

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

4 tablespoons butter, softened

Steps

1. Mix onion, mustard and butter together.

2. Slice rolls in half; spread mix on top of rolls and inside each half.

3. Sandwich in two pieces of ham between two pieces of Swiss cheese.

4. Place on baking sheet: bake at 400 degrees for about ten minutes, or until cheese melts and the topping turns golden.

5. Serves four.  Variations: you can use mini rolls for slider-style snacks.  Double the filling recipe for a heartier flavor.

These come together in a snap so you can get dinner on the table in a hurry.  You can vary the fillings to what's available in the frig, too!

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into thin strips

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground pepper

1 tsp. cumin

cooking spray

four flour tortillas

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 green pepper, seeded and sliced

Steps

1.  Mix first four ingredients together; set aside.

2. Spray saute pan; heat to medium and add chopped onion and sliced pepper.  Cook until soft (about five minutes).

3. Add more cooking spray if needed: saute chicken until juices run clear.

4.  Warm up tortillas in the oven or microwave (just for a few minutes).

5.  Fill with chicken and vegetables, top with cheese.  Add bonus toppings like sour cream, guacamole or salsa if you like.

6. Serves four hungry people.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tbsp espresso or strong coffee (optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (toasted or raw)

Enjoy these moist, king-sized meatballs topping a mound of red sauce and your favorite pasta or adorning a big homemade sub sandwich.  Excellent, too, all by themselves!

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1 16-oz. container ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, beaten well
• 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs or panko crumbs, seasoned
• salt and pepper to your taste
• l clove garlic, well-chopped

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Peppers
• 3C mushrooms-stems trimmed
• 4T olive oil
• 4T unsalted butter
• 1 lemon cut into small wedges
• 4T minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried whole thyme
• 1 tsp San Pedro season salt

Ingredients

• 6 salmon steaks ¾-1 inch thick
• San Pedro season salt to taste
• Olive oil or non-stick spray
• 6 T Basil pesto (recipe below)

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup basil leaves (stems removed)
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 cup asiago or parmesan cheese (grated)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp fruit fresh (opt)
• 1 cup olive oil (plus a little more for storage)

Ingredients

• 2 c Mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped thyme
• 2 tbsp chopped savory
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 tbsp chopped rosemary
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp soy sauce