Marin-"Aid", not Marin-"Do Everything For You!!!

I love Marinades! I love the flavors that they can bring, but they can also bring out something ugly...A Lazy Cook! It's nice to be able to toss some meat in a sauce and forget about it and that's ok. The problem really arises when the food isn't tasted until it's served! Sure you can get lucky and everything will turn out just fine, but if you either do a test run (especially if you are serving for guests) or at the very least, cut a small section off, cook it, and taste it, you can usually avoid getting burned by too much salt, too little salt, etc.

This is one of my personal favorites, especially for chicken! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Balsamic Chicken
6-8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 C. Balsamic Vinegar
2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Fresh Black Pepper
3/4 t. Granulated Garlic
1/2 t. Onion Powder
1-1/2 T. Parmesan Cheese
1/2 t. Basil
1/2 t. Parsley
1/2 t. Thyme
1/4 t. Red Pepper Flakes (optional)


Rinse Chicken and set aside to dry. In a large bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together and set aside.


With a very sharp knife, trim off excess fat, any stray bones or tendons from each breast. Pound out chicken until about 1/2 inch in thickness. (I like to place them in a gallon Ziploc bag to do this. It keeps the counter cleaner!)


Place Chicken in Marinade and make sure each piece is well coated. Cover and place in fridge for about 4 hours.


After 4 hours is up, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and heat Grill on High heat until almost smoking. Sear Chicken for about 2 minutes on each side and then place on cookie sheet. Continue cooking in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 - 15 minutes. (The chicken will continue to cook and reach 17o degrees out of the oven.)


All done! I like to slice and serve with Capellini Pomodoro (recipe coming soon) and some Grilled Asparagus!


This is a relatively easy recipe, but if you have any questions please post them and I'll try and answer as quick as possible, and as always feel free to post any and all comments!