Friday 10 October 2014

What to do with Leftover Marinades

It's a common issue, perhaps more so in the warmer months...

We marinate meats (or other things) for the grill, but there's always some left.
You don't want to re-use it for the next batch, because it has juices from the previous, which can spoil the whole lot, but you don't want to just throw it out either. What a waste!

Here's what I do:
I stick the leftover bits in the freezer, in the same Ziplock freezer bags I used for the marinades (they are still labelled, of course). Then, I use them in soups, stews, or casseroles later, often in the crock pot. It's a great way to have an instant "flavour profile" for something which may otherwise be bland or unimaginative. You don't need a "recipe" to make a great meal - Just things from the basic food groups and some imagination!

As an example, a recent dinner was a soup made with the previous day's water from boiling corn on the cob, the leftover Cholula BBQ steak marinade (generous portion Cholula, a bit of whatever BBQ sauce you have lying around, minced garlic, and a bit of olive oil), a can of condensed cream of chicken soup, a can of chicken & rice soup, some leftover roasted chicken, a big can of green beans, a handful of rice, some dried, roasted red bell pepper, and dried mixed vegetables. Started in the slow cooker on low in the morning.

It made a delicious dinner, plus another couple of lunches!

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