Marinades inexpensive, easy to make

Marinades, which lend a wonderful tenderness and flavor to meat, don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming to make, an article in the September issue of Family Circle magazine points out

In general, rice vinegar and sesame oil will give a dish an Asian flavor, while yogurt and spices lend an Indian touch. Go easy on the vinegar unless you want a taste similar to sauerbraten. Be equally judicious with lemon juice; its high acid content can turn the meat a whitish color.

Pierce the meat gently in several places with a fork before marinating. The general rule is that the longer you marinate, the stronger the flavor. But don’t marinate meat for more than 24 hours or it will get mushy. Drain the meat and pat it dry before cooking. If you don’t, it will steam instead of sear and brown.

Marinate meat in a nonreactive container such as a glass dish. If you want to baste the meat with the marinade while it’s cooking, reserve some when you first make it, before using it on the raw meat.

Try one of these tasty marinades:

• For an Indian-flavored marinade for chicken, combine 1 cup plain yogurt with 2 minced scallions, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, and salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

• For a wine-flavored marinade for steak, combine 1/2 cup dry red wine, 1 small chopped onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 clove of minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

For best results, marinate meat for at least 6 hours before cooking.

Source: Family Circle magazine September issue

Learn to cook solo

The prospect of maintaining a kitchen for one, cooking alone and dining alone seems to drive many singles to eat out, take out or order out.

But, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, commercially prepared meals often have too many calories, too much fat and sodium, and too few vegetables and fruits for keeping a healthy weight and building protection against chronic disease.

Learning to cook for yourself may be the best way to care for yourself, the AICR suggests to singles. To help do this, the institute has published a brochure, “Cooking Solo: Homemade for Health,” which explains how to organize shopping, storing and preparing food, and tips for fitting cooking and healthy meals into a busy contemporary life.

The brochure can be downloaded from the AICR Web site: http://www.aicr.org.

It may also be obtained by calling toll-free (800) 843-8114, ext. 457, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, to order a single copy.