In the last article, (Grilling Can Increase Cancer Risk. Cut That Risk With These 4 Easy Tips) I talked about the evidence linking charred meats to cancer risk. But, there are a few easy tips for keeping that risk low. One of those is to marinate your meats. Another is to grill veggies instead. I actually grilled a lot of veggies over the weekend including bok choy, beets and turnips.
The marinade recipes today com from Zest for Life: The Mediterranean Anti-Cancer Diet, a book with lots of great mediterranean recipes and evidence based suggestions on cancer prevention and healthy survivorship. The author is a survivor herself!
Garlic, Lemon and Herb Chicken Kebabs
This recipe works well with cubed tofu, too. Just cut up your chicken into kebab pieces. And if you’re pushed for time, you don’t have to cut up the chicken. Chicken breasts can be marinated and grilled as whole pieces.
This is enough marinate for 1 pound of chicken.
Ingredients:
- 4 cloves garlic
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- grated zest of 1/4 lemon
- 2-3 T fresh or dried herbs (parsley, oregano, rosemary and/or sage)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 4 T olive oil
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- In a small blender or food processor, combine garlic, lemon juice, zest, herbs, turmeric, olive oil and pepper
- Blend into a smooth, creamy paste.
- Pour pasted over chicken and mix well so the meat is coated all over with marinade.
- Marinate overnight or at least 2 hours (in the fridge).
- When you are ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, turning frequently.
- Lightly salt and serve with lemon wedges.
Two More Marinades to Try
From the same cookbook, these marinades add flavor and color to your grilled protein (chicken, turkey, fish, or tofu). Simply place ingredients in a blender and blend into a thin paste. Coat meat or tofu and marinate overnight in the fridge. Lightly salt just before serving. The marinade can be made up to 3-4 days ahead.
Mustard Marinade (Perfect for flavoring chicken, turkey or tofu)
- 2 T mustard (can do a combination of different types of mustard, if you want)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 T lemon juice
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 T rosemary
Spicy Barbecue-Style Marinade (can be used in oven or grilled chicken)
- 2 t fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 t turmeric
- 4 T ketchup
- juice of 1/2 orange
- grated zest of 1/2 orange
- 2 T soy sauce
- 2 T honey
- pepper
Enjoy!
– Julie
