Put a Ring On It....Best Marinade EVER!

If you like it, better put a ring on it...went to pick up our wedding rings today! WooHoo! And I found it hilarious that every time we told someone today about it, they each started singing "Well if you like it better put a ring on it....whoa oh oh, oh OH....". It was awesome.

He likes it. He put a ring on it. And so I cook mounds and mounds of yummy food for him :)

I am also assuming you all made the yellow butter baste because LAKE SHOW was in full affect this evening. Good work. And good buttering.

This is called "The Only Marinade You'll Ever Need"....and it really is. It REALLY is. It is so so delicious. And easy. And you can put it on anything: chicken, meat, veggies, fish, pork, you name it! I cubed up some chicken breast this evening, marinated for 2 hours, put in on some skewers, grilled and served over a greek salad and it was to die for. If I do say so myself.


The Only Marinade You'll Ever Need
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth)
- 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes (I used crushed red pepper)
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt (kosher or sea)
- 4 strips lemon zest
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, cilantro, oregano, or mix
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine lemon juice, hot pepper flakes, cracked pepper, and salt in glass bowl and whisk until salt crystals dissolved. Then add lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and other herbs and whisk in olive oil.


The true amazingness of this marinade is the freshness so substituting the squeeze bottle of lemon juice or dried herbs may not be quite as finger-licking, but I think it is still pretty dang good. I literally kept dipping my finger in it while whisking. And after whisking. And then again. And again. I'm salivating now thinking about it. Oh, and I don't know what "strips of lemon zest" are. I just use my microplane grater thingy to get the lemon zest and just wing it with the amount.

A couple things to keep in mind:
* 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons (this is only important if you wish to halve the recipe, which I thought was perfect for 2 decent size boneless chicken breasts)
* 1 Tbls of fresh herbs = 1 tsp dried herbs (don't be afraid to use dried herbs, they are still good. But fresh herbs are cheap to buy in store. They don't last super long, but they really do make things taste amazing. And like veggies, if you have them in the fridge, you will find ways to use them.)
* If you use fresh herbs, and fresh juice, marinade should be used within 1-2 hours of making.


Marination Times
I still don't think "marination" is a word. But I'll use it. And this doesn't just apply to this marinade so feel free to use for whatever you put together for best results.
- Very large piece of meat: 12-24 hours (brisket, prime rib, turkey, etc.)
- Large piece of meat: 6-12 hours (port tenderloin, racks, whole fish, whole chicken)
- Medium-size piece of meat: 3-8 hours (porterhouse steak, pork chops, chicken halves)
- Medium-to-small piece of meat: 1-3 hours (bone-in chicken breast, fish steaks, tofu, veggies, steaks)
- Small piece of meat: 30 min to 2 hours (boneless chicken, fish fillets, shrimp)


There aren't very many "rules" I set for myself when cooking. But A) I always double the amount of garlic called for in a recipe. And B) I always try to marinate for as long as possible. But I also really love strong flavors.

That's why I love cooking so much! It's trial and error of what works for you: you marinate too long? Cut it down next time. Not long enough? Make it longer next time. You hate garlic? You should be shot. You get the idea.