As the weather warms up I find myself craving barbecued dishes. We usually grill a few nights a week, and this marinade is my favorite to enhance chicken, fish or steak. It requires a little work on the front end, but it is worth the work to grate fresh ginger and garlic.  When you mix them with soy sauce and honey the result is a recipe with complex flavors and versatile uses.  Do yourself a favor and make a double batch to store some in the fridge because it does not disappoint.

 

Indonesian Marinade
Ingredients:
• 4 large cloves freshly grated or minced garlic
-Grating will insure you don’t end up with and bites of garlic
• ¼ cup peeled and freshly grated ginger
• ½ cup honey
• 1/3 cup tamari soy sauce
-You can use other soy sauce, but tamari is just the purest most concentrated soy sauce available and provides the deepest flavor

*NOTE: if you like spice you can add a pinch of read pepper flakes.

Directions:

Stage 1: Grate garlic and ginger and place in a microwave safe bowl.

Stage 2: Add in tamari and honey and whisk. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Your goal is to heat until all ingredients are well combined and honey seems melted. If necessary, microwave for 30 more seconds and stir again. Cool to room temperature.

Stage 3: Cover meat with marinade and refrigerate for between 6-24 hours. The longer it sits, the deeper your flavors will be when cooked.  Cook meat as the recipe instructs.

Indonesian Chicken Skewers or Indonesian Chicken in Foil with CousCous

Ingredients:
• 1 batch Indonesian marinade
• 1 bound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 medium onion, cubed into medium pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cubed into medium pieces
• 1 mango or small pineapple, cubed into medium pieces
• 2 cups prepared couscous

Directions:

Stage 1: Prepare all ingredients by cubing up meat, veggies and fruit. Thread onto skewers and cover with marinade. If you intend to bake in foil you can place all ingredients in a Tupperware dish and cover with the marinade. Marinate in refrigerator for between 6-24 hours.

NOTE: Remember to soak wood skewers in water for an hour so they do not burn on the grill. If using metal skewers you will want to be careful not to burn yourself while turning.

Stage 2: Preheat grill to high or oven to 400 degrees. Prepare couscous according to package directions.

Stage 3: Brush grill with veggie oil, remove skewers from marinade letting excess drip off and then place over the fire. Grill for approximately 3 minutes per side. Or wrap all ingredients tightly in foil and place on a roasting pan in the oven for 30 minutes.

Stage 4: Check doneness and then remove when cooked. Serve immediately over couscous.