marinade madness (archived from old site, originally posted 5/28/07)

So lately I've been attempting to eat a bit better. I've started working out every day and when you're working out, you tend to crave foods that won't undo all that hard work. One of the best ways to accomplish that is by eating a lots of fruits, veggies, and lean protein. This is normally the point where I would expound on the greatness that is fish. But one unfortunate side effect of living up here is that I am no longer able to get fresh, amazing seafood for insanely low prices. When I lived in Florida, grouper was about $11 a pound. Here, it's about $18-20 a pound. Which makes it a bit out of my price range for everyday meals. So, I've come to rely on that other great source of lean protein: chicken.

The problem with white meat chicken is that, unlike fish, beef or lamb, it has very little flavor of its own. But that's not a problem if you happen to have a recipe for one of the greatest marinades ever. Fortunately, I know just such a recipe.

The other weekend T and I were going to a barbecue at a friend's house and she brought some chicken over to his place the night before and so we needed a marinade. Fueled by the large quantities of wine ($15 wine tastings are awesome), we decided to throw something together. And the resulting concotion was soooo amazing that I decided I needed to recreate it for myself. My version isn't exactly the same as the one T and I made. That's because we were several glasses into a bottle of rose at that time and so I wasn't really keeping track. But what follows below is a close approximation.

2-3 cloves minced garlic (about 1 tablespoon)
1/3 cup (packed) cilantro, chopped
1 large or 2 small jalapenos minced (seeds and ribs included)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup tequila
2 limes zested and juiced (optional)

Once I've whisked the ingredients together in a bowl, I pour it in a gallon size plastic bag, add the chicken, and then let the magic begin. The recipe above is to make enough marinade for about 3-4 chicken breasts. I generally try to let them marinate for at least 2 hours but overnight is even better. Then I throw them on the grill (grill pan that is...stupid apartment not letting me have a grill) and they are ready.

As for serving suggestions, this chicken is great as the main attraction in a meal, it's excellent in tacos or fajitas, or is great in a salad. And I happen to have used this chicken in one of the greatest salads ever. So that's the topic of my next post: how to make the most amazing salad for a perfet summer dinner.