Everyone loves a barbecue--just the anticipation of a cookout brings a smile to the face and a lift of the spirit. To us, food just tastes better when it's cooked (and eaten) outside. The first ingredients in a barbecue recipe are those for the marinade, which adds flavor to meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables.
And, this is where a person on a low-fat diet can run into trouble, because most marinades are generally oil-based and high in fat grams. We've found that dry rubs or dry marinades, those made without any fat, that are rubbed directly into the food work especially well and gives us options for a variety of flavors and degrees of hotness in our barbecued food.
During the summer when we're more likely to barbecue or grill several times a week, we make up large batches of the dry rubs or dry marinades and store them in tightly sealed glass jars, away from heat and light.
When using the rub or marinade with meat or poultry, you can rub it on up to 24 hours before and store in the refrigerator. Even an hour before will add some flavor. Fish and vegetables only need an hour to absorb the flavors. Fruits need but ten to fifteen minutes.
You can also purchase dry rubs or marinades in the spice section of most grocery stores. Look for those marked "Cajun," Jamaican Jerk," "Mexican Seasoning," "Lemon Pepper," and so forth. Here, you'll need to read the labels as some will tend to be high in sodium. Select those that are lower in sodium and don't add any additional salt to the food.
Here's some of our favorite barbecue dry rubs or marinades; be sure to label each jar and note the date. All should be used within 3 months, applying about 1 tablespoon per pound of meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables. Since none of these contain any appreciable calories and no sodium, they will not add any nutritional value (or exchanges) to the foods on which they are used.
Asian Blend
3 tablespoons Chinese Five-Spice Powder
3 tablespoons hot paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Chili Rub
5 tablespoons mild pure chile powder
2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Creole Dry Marinade
2 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
1 tablespoon crushed dried thyme
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Mediterranean Rub
4 tablespoons crushed dried basil
4 tablespoons crushed dried tarragon
3 tablespoons crushed dried thyme
1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 small bay leaf, finely crushed
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Moroccan Rub
3 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Mustard-Garlic Rub
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons crushed dried thyme
1 small bay leaves, finely crumbled
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Southwest Dry Rub
2 tablespoons good-quality chili powder
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Tex-Mex Blend
2 tablespoons crushed dried oregano
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Garlic & Parsley Blend
9 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Quattro Pepper Blend
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely ground white pepper
3 tablespoons finely ground pink peppercorns
4 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Thai Spice Blend
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon dried lemon peel
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Sweet Spice for Fruit
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon dried lemon or orange peel
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Sweet-Vanilla Blend for Fruit
2 1/2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons powdered or granular sugar substitute
inner scrapings of 1 4-inch vanilla bean which has been split in half lengthwise
Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place. Use within 3 months.
Come back next month for some terrific no-oil marinades that won't add fat grams!
