*Fruit Marinade contest

I love when fresh fruit is on sale and in season. We have been doing a lot of experimenting with marinades. This week, I want to share two different marinade recipes we've been using with our fresh fruit. The Maple marinade is higher in carbs, but remember serving size will make a difference.

Maple Blackberry lime glaze/marinade

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

2 Tablespoons seedless blackberry preserves

1 1/2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 Tablespoon lime zest. 1 Large lime will yield 1 Tablespoon of zest and about 3 -4 Tablespoons zest.

Directions:

In a small saucepan, whisk together maple syrup, preserves, mustard, lime juice & lime zest. Cook over medium low heat for 4 - 5 minutes or until preserves melt, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

Let marinade cool a few minutes. We like to use Rotisserie chicken (you can buy in bags already deboned - at Costco). Shred Rotisserie chicken into smaller pieces. Put chicken in a gallon Ziploc or in a bowl and pour marinade over it. Make sure to stir it around so that all the chicken is covered.

You can let the meat marinate overnight for more flavor. Cook in a large skillet. Since the chicken is already fully cooked, you just need to cook it until all it warm.

We like to serve this on top of cauliflower rice. Cook with chicken stock/broth and drain extra liquid. Cauliflower rice does not absorb liquid like regular rice, so you are just cooking it until it's all warm and ready to serve.

Strawberry/Mango Marinade

Ingredients:

1 Fresh Mango

1 Cup Strawberries

*Puree from Strawberries and Mango - should be about 1/2 Cup

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar (or Apple Cider Vinegar)

Directions:

1. Blanch the Mango. This will make it easy to peel. Put about 2 - 3 cups of water in a saucepan on high heat, until boiling. Once water is boiling, use a slotted spoon to drop the mango in the boiling water. Keep in water 2-3 minutes.

2. Prepare a bowl with ice and cold water. Pull mango out of the boiling water using the slotted spoon and put in the bowl with ice & water. Keep in for 30 seconds, then pull the mango out of the water.

3. Peel mango, and cut into small pieces. The seed is long narrow and flat, so cut around the seed. Add mango pieces to Blender.

4. Remove the stems from the strawberries and add to the blender.

5. If using a Blendtec blender, select "whole juice" to blend strawberries & mango.

6. Over a bowl or large measuring cup, pour puree through a fine mesh strainer. This will strain out the strawberry seeds and pulp.

7. In a small saucepan, cook puree and vinegar over medium heat until warm and well combined.

Again using Rotisserie chicken, shred Rotisserie chicken into smaller pieces. Put chicken in a gallon Ziploc or in a bowl and pour marinade over it. Make sure to stir it around so that all the chicken is covered.

Shred Rotisserie chicken into smaller pieces. Put chicken in a gallon Ziploc or in a bowl and pour marinade over it. Make sure to stir it around so that all the chicken is covered.

The right side of the plate is the Blackberry lime maple marinade. the left side of the plate is the strawberry mango vinegar marinade.

The Maple marinade is sweeter and more flavorful, but if you just want a subtle fruit flavor on your chicken the strawberry mango is really nice. It's up to you which marinade to try. You can be creative with different fruit combinations. It can really spice up chicken or other meats. Also, if you want to just use the marinade on chicken thighs or breasts you can marinate them overnight and do the chicken that way as well.