Olive oil marinade with a zing
Including healthy oils with a good source of omegas in your diet is important for good brain function, metabolism and even your hair and skin. Making your own marinade is not difficult and definitely healthier, as you know what goes into it. Adding natural seasonings such as herbs, ginger and lemon to a healthy oil base like olive oil, keeps it interesting, delicious and versatile.
Ready in
15 mins plus marinating and cooking timeServing size
Makes about 200mlIngredients
- 100 ml olive oil
- 1 tsp (5 ml) mustard seeds
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
- 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) each chopped fresh coriander and Italian parsley
- 2 tsp (10 ml) finely grated lemon rind
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice
- 1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- black pepper to taste
Method
- Mix all the ingredients together and season with black pepper.
- Use as a marinade to roast or fry meat, chicken, kebabs, fish portions or veggies, like butternut, carrot, sweet potatoes or even cauliflower. Choose from one of the following ideas.
- Marinate meat, chicken or fish in the marinade and cook over medium coals or roast in the oven. Brush some of the marinade over during the cooking time to make sure it absorbs all the aromatic flavours.
Remember: Different types of meat needs to marinate for varying lengths of time. For example, chicken or fish shouldn’t marinate for much longer than 30 minutes. Lamb or pork chops can marinate for at least an hour or two and even overnight in the fridge. See the tips for more ideas.
- The marinade is also delicious over roasted veggies like butternut. Cut into wedges, in the skin, coat with the marinade and roast at 180 °C for 30-45 minutes or until just cooked. Other veggies like sweet potatoes, potatoes or a mixture of veggies will also be delicious, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Add chickpeas or beans to the veggies as a light vegetarian meal.
Tips
- Do not add any salt when marinating food, rather add a small amount of salt when cooking the meat or vegetables.
- If you prefer a marinade to have a milder flavour, don’t chop the chilli. Add it whole and allow the marinade to stand to develop the flavours. Or prepare the food with the whole chilli and remove before serving.
- The marinade mixture will be delicious as a seasoning for a stir-fry.
- Refrigerate leftover marinade in a jar for up to a week. Remember that the olive oil will solidify in the fridge, but once taken out it becomes runny again within a few minutes.
