Making Tuesday Tasty-Marinade

This marinade is great for veggies, seafood, poultry, and meat! It's Summertime which means lots of grilling going on. This will zing up any meat you want to put on the grill and gives a nice Mediterranean feel.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
4 strips of lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a cleaver or minced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, or a mix of all four
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Combine the lemon juice, hot pepper flakes, cracked pepper, and salt in a nonreactive (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) bowl and whisk until the salt crystals are dissolved. Add the lemon zest, garlic, parsley and basil. Stir or whisk in the olive oil. The virtue of this marinade is its freshness: Use it within 1 to 2 hours of making. Stir again before using.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/The-Only-Marinade-Youll-Ever-Need-103749#ixzz0sGcpuXX3

Making Tuesday Tasty-Grilled Asparagus w/Lemon and Garlic

My all time favorite vegetable, which is now in season, is asparagus. I know some people shudder at the thought of asparagus and I can only say to that, you don't know what you're missing! A major part in a great asparagus eating experience is, the right preparation. I personally like to toss mine in a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and roast until tender and a little crispy. I could and have polished off a bundle myself with that combination.

Here's a Paula Deen recipe that has a good take on bringing out the flavors of the asparagus! I would probably do without the lemon zest and go with a good squirt of lemon juice. If you like a stronger lemon flavor, lemon zest all the way!

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Trim asparagus. In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic, zest and paprika and stir with a fork. Lay asparagus side by side and pierce on 2 wooden skewers to form a raft. Place rafts on the grill and brush with oil mixture. Cook to desired tenderness and season with salt and pepper.

*photo courtesy of Foodnetwork.com*