Recipes

It's not your imagination. What normally takes overnight is now ready in around 30 minutes. The SealSaver® Marinator was also designed for maximum volume and can fit a whole chicken with little room for air or excess marinade.

The "Pretty" Recipe Series was created by Lisa Pretty, winemaker/owner of Pretty-Smith Vineyards & Winery. Each recipe was developed with the perfect pairing of food and wine in mind.

A Note from the Author

I’ve had a passion for wine and food for many years. Making wine and cooking for friends gives me a great amount of pleasure and I’m always looking for ways to enhance flavors.

When I first tried the SealSaver® Marinator I was delighted to discover how much time I could save. Marinating with wine is one of my many tricks to make a recipe pair well with a selected wine. At the Pretty Café I often create a last-minute menu for groups after they have selected their wine. With the SealSaver® Marinator I can pull off a gourmet meal in a short period of time by creating marinades with wine and lots of herbs.

I was so inspired by the SealSaver® Marinator that I decided to put together a collection of recipes. Many of these are favorites at the Pretty Café.

I hope you enjoy your marinators as much as I enjoy mine. – Lisa J Pretty

Create Your Own Marinade Recipe

Creating your own marinades can be a lot of fun. That way you can select your own favorite combinations of flavors. Here are a few tips to help you when creating your own recipes.

Marinades typically have three main components: oil (such as olive, vegetable, peanut, sesame) to moisten, seasonings (such as basil, pepper, rosemary, tarragon, cilantro, cumin, garlic) to flavor and acid (such as wine, vinegar, citrus juice, buttermilk, yogurt) to soften. The rule of thumb is to use 1/2 cup of marinade per pound -- the food being marinated must be totally coated with liquid.

If you are preparing a fatty piece of meat, no need to add additional oil to the marinade. Similarly if you have a tougher cut you should increase the amount of acid. Just keep in mind your main objective for the marinade and take it from there.

For me, the goal is typically to infuse flavor versus change the texture, so the herbs and spices are what it is all about. There are many tried and true combinations out there but you may have your own blend that works for you. In general it is best not to add too many competing flavors. I often pick a theme, such as Asian, spicy, etc. Start with one dominate flavor you want to shine through and then pick 2-3 others that will work well together. Cayenne or white pepper is a great way to add a little kick.

I have found it works best to season the meat with salt just prior to cooking. Using salt in a marinade may cause the food to release juice instead of absorbing them. When seasoning with salt, keep in mind other elements of your recipe such as soy, stocks and cheese may already provide a high level of sodium. So be careful not to be too heavy-handed with the salt shaker. You want to enhance flavors, not overpower them. Finding that perfect balance of acid, sweetness and spice is what it is all about. Have fun!