Freezer Friday: One Simple Marinade Base to Make 5 Unique Marinades

I've been on a real chicken kick the last few days experimenting with a ton of flavor ideas to add some real jazz to my family's table with very little extra effort on my part. Why? Because school started this week.  I've got a ton to do.  I don't need to worry about dinner on top of everything else in my zany but perfect nut-fest of a life. Right? 

 We all  need recipes like that! Today I'm saving you the effort of having to test a bazillion ideas. These are keepers...all of them! I'm really partial to making the base and putting it a gallon bag a few times, then just adding the flavor additions to the separate bags.  Then add chicken and throw it in the freezer! It's marinated and ready to bake or grill when you defrost it later. Boom yes!  Yes, I do use Ahuacatlan Avocado Oil in this recipe. They sent me several cases of it to play with and I've been super impressed with the high smoke point and buttery flavors that it adds to my cooking. A high smoking point, by the way, is the best way to ensure that you won't be adding free radicals to your diet. 

Marinade Base

1 cup  Ahuacatlan Avocado Oil

1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

One batch of marinade base will season 1 1/2 lbs of chicken. It's the perfect amount for a fast meal.  Simply combine the ingredients in a gallon sized bag and transfer chicken to the bag.  Allow to marinate at least an hour in the fridge, but I prefer overnight.  Then, drain marinade and bake or grill as desired. 

Here's the flavor options:

Lime Poppyseed

Add 3 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds 

2 Tbsp. lime zest 

Greek Festival

To base add: 

3 Tbsp. fresh minced dill

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp.  ground fennel seeds

 Garnish with kalamata olives and diced red pepper after cooking.

Orange and Onion Balsamic

To base add: 

3 Tbsp. orange zest

1/4 cup garlic

1/4 cup minced white onion

Raspberry and Rosemary

To base add:

1/4 cup raspberry juice concentrate 

1 Tbsp. minced rosemary

1 tsp fennel, ground

Hawaiian Pineapple Orange Guava

To base add:

1/2 cup Pineapple Orange Guava Juice concentrate

1 Tbsp. minced ginger

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1 Tsp. garlic

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

There you go! Easy and delicious marinades to make your life simple!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess