Marinades give your food extra flavor. They also tenderize less expensive cuts of meats, by breaking down connective tissues before you cook. Ginger and garlic are classic additions to marinades for meats, vegetables and seafood. Depending on your selected dish, you have a choice of bases that will harmonize with these ingredients while producing more flavorful food.
Fish Marinade
Step 1
Squeeze the juice of four lemons into a bowl.
Step 2
Add four crushed garlic cloves.
Step 3
Peel a 1-inch section of ginger root and grate it into the bowl.
Step 4
Mix the marinade with a fork or wire whisk and pour over 1 lb. of fish.
Step 5
Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Turn the fish in the marinade halfway through the marinating time.
Meat and Poultry Marinade
Step 1
Put the meat into a glass baking dish and use a knife to puncture the flesh in several places.
Step 2
Add 1 cup of low-sodium teriyaki sauce, 4 cloves of crushed garlic and 4 tbsp. of grated ginger.
Step 3
Chop 3 whole scallions and add to the dish. Cover the dish and refrigerate until you are ready to cook the meat.
Vegetable Marinade
Step 1
Combine ½ cup of olive oil with 2 tbsp. of lemon juice in a bowl.
Step 2
Add 1 tbsp. of crushed garlic and 2 tbsp. of grated ginger.
Step 3
Use this marinade for raw vegetables such as baby carrots, coarsely chopped onion, red or green peppers, cauliflower, broccoli and snow peas.
Step 4
Leave the vegetables in the marinade for 30 minutes or more. Remove and drain. Serve in salads, grill outdoors or cook on the stove.
Tips and Warnings
- For easier clean up, use a large sealable plastic bag to marinate foods. The amount of garlic and ginger you use depends on your taste preference and the amount of food you are marinating. Start with a small amount and increase it the next time you make the marinade. For additional flavor, substitute red wine for half of the teriyaki sauce when marinating beef. Honey, allspice, cumin, onion, chives and nutmeg complement the flavor of ginger and garlic.
- After marinating raw meat and fish, you must cook the marinade before using it to sauce the finished dish.
Things You'll Need
- Knife
- Bowl
- Fork
- Grater
- Covered glass baking dish
- Garlic
- Ginger root
- Lemon juice
- Teriyaki sauce
- Olive oil
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