Have you ever been overwhelmed by the choices in the marinade aisle of the grocery store? There have to be more than 100 varieties on those shelves from  which to choose! All I want is some oomph to my chicken and instead I am faced with an array of choices that requires a degree in statistics to navigate! Worse yet, have you read the ingredients listed on any of those bottles? The front labels may sound tempting but that pesky truth-telling back label reveals they are filled with things like xanthan gum, propylene glycol alginate, artificial flavor, modified food starch, artificial color, polysorbate 60, and other unpronounceable ingredients. Ick. Anyone care for a little propylene glycol alginate on their chicken? I’ll pass, thanks.

That doesn’t mean I pass on marinades altogether. Not in the least. Marinades can be a healthy way to add a ton of flavor to lean meat. And it doesn’t have to be complicated, folks. You’re three ingredients and a piece of chicken away from a delicious dinner. Try it. And kiss xanthan gum goodbye.

Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken

Serves 4-8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

4 boneless chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Trim chicken and pound to 1/2-inch thickness. (You may want to cut breasts in half after pounding. Many pre-packaged chicken breasts today are so large they can easily serve two!)

2. Combine honey, soy sauce, and lime juice in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Add chicken and seal bag, turning to coat. Chill for 30 minutes.

3. Heat grill to medium-high. Coat cooking grid with oil or cooking spray.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and grill 4-6 minutes on each side until cooked through.

If your herb pots runneth over with a bumper crop of fresh basil, and you’ve already exhausted your appetite for Caprese Salad, there is only one thing left to do. Make pesto! Lucky for you, making pesto is a snap as long as you have access to tons of basil and a blender (or food processor). This version from Bon Appetit is a classic, rounding out the sharp bite of basil and fresh garlic with mellow pine nuts and parmesan. (Just promise me you won’t buy the powdered kind in the green can – we need to have some standards for this!)

The trick to keeping the vibrant green color is to protect the pesto from exposure to the air. Easier said than done? Not really. Once the pesto is ready to store, pour some olive oil over the top which will seal it from the air before you cover it. That should help it stay bright green instead of turning black.

If you have enough basil to make a double or triple batch of pesto, you can easily freeze the leftovers for use later. Simply spray a plastic ice cube tray with cooking spray and fill each cube with a spoonful of pesto. Freeze until solid and then transfer the pesto cubes to a heavy duty freezer zip top bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing and then place in the freezer. In January when you’re craving a taste of summer, you can take out as many cubes as you need and savor some summer pesto! Brilliant.

Classic Pesto

Adapted from Bon Appetit August 2004

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts if you prefer)

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Directions:

1. Combine basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until paste forms. Stop frequently to push down basil with a spatula.

2. Add cheese and salt and blend until smooth.

(This can be made one day in advance. Top with olive oil to preserve color, cover tightly, and chill.)

In June 1998 I ran my first marathon. My best friend and I hopped on a flight to San Diego after training for 3 months with the Atlanta chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program. The training was rigorous. The race was the inaugural Rock n Roll marathon which has since become infamous for a number of reasons. 1) It was hot. Reeeeeeally hot. 2) It started late, complicating the heat issue and also causing ridiculous lines for the bathrooms at the start. 3) They ran out of water at the first several water stops because more runners than usual took water at the early stops due to the late start. Not an auspicious beginning, eh? Actually, as a first time marathoner none of it mattered much to me. I was on a high from the first step to the last and had a terrific race. Yet after the race, after burning thousands of calories and able to justify ANY indulgence,  I oddly wanted only one thing. Watermelon. Thank God for room service! To this day, it seems when I’m really hot (and probably a little dehydrated as well), I crave watermelon! It’s the perfect food for a summer day – hydrating, naturally sweet, and cold. Yum.

Then, last summer, when I’d just had a baby and  was melting in July heat, my friend Kathleen brought dinner for our family. The main course was grilled chicken with watermelon salsa and it was amazing! I loved the contrast of this cool and crunchy salsa against the savory chicken. It took watermelon to another level altogether. Kathleen graciously shared the recipe with me so that I could share it with you.

Don’t have any marathons or babies in your immediate future? Me neither. But I do plan to make this salsa…often…this summer. I hope you will too.

Watermelon Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed, seeded watermelon

1 cup (1/2-inch) peeled, ripe mango

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp finely chopped seeded jalapeno (If the seeds touch your hands, wash them immediately before touching your eyes!)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently to combine.

2. Serve over grilled chicken.