It's not quite summer yet, but my stomach didn't get the memo and I'm craving flame-cooked red meat. So until it's warm enough to cook outdoors, I'll open the windows and use my grill pan indoors instead. Grilling is not only a healthy way to cook because it call for minimal oil -- it also adds a smoky, rich note to your food. Make it even more flavorful when you add a simple marinade created from things already in your cabinets.
Read on for the Orange Chipotle Marinade recipe.
Orange Chipotle Marinade
Juice from one orange
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped chili in adobo sauce
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Combine the orange juice, tomato paste, chipotle chili, garlic, salt, and pepper, then blend until smooth. Put a flank steak (most flank steaks range from 1 pound to 1 1/2 pounds) in a large zipper lock bag with the marinade.
To slim down your cook-outs this summer, consider lean proteins like skinless chicken breasts, turkey dogs, and turkey burgers, and seafood like salmon and shrimp. But what about beef?
It typically gets a bad rap because it happens to be high in saturated fat. If you already have a healthy diet, loaded with fresh veggies, fruits, and whole grain, you can still enjoy beef in moderation.
Nutritionists say to go for 4 ounces -- about the size of a deck of cards -- at a seating. But you'll find saturated fat in other foods as well, especially fast food, highly processed foods, ice cream and high fat dairy. The occasional splurge is OK if you can limit your saturated fat intake to around 20 grams a day. Cuts of meats that are lean, grill beautifully and take well to marinades include flank steak, filet mignon and skirt steak trimmed of extra fat.
Learn more about Jennifer at skinnychef.com, and read her exclusive Slashfood blogs every Monday and Friday.
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