By Stefanie Djuric and Dawn Blocklinger, Bloomington Hy-Vee dietitians

As registered dietitians, we are always trying to come up with new ways to flavor our favorite summer recipes. When it comes to grilling meats, there are two options that come to mind to flavor meats: use a marinade or rub. There are pros and cons to both, so feel free to experiment to get your favorite flavorful recipe. Here are a few tips below to get you started:

Marinades

• Generally, a marinade consists of three things: acids to tenderize, oils to moisturize and a flavor profile which may be herbs and/or spices.
• Marinades are best for flat, tougher cuts of meat. If you marinate a large cut of meat in a tenderizing marinade, you end up with a mushy exterior and an unaffected center. Puncturing the meat so the marinade can penetrate gives an uneven result, with the further undesirable side effect of allowing the meat to lose even more juices while cooking.
• Always marinate in the refrigerator and don’t marinate for longer than 24 hours. Meat can become mushy and enzymes may destroy too much of the muscle fiber firmness. The less dense the meat, the less time you need to marinate. Fish only needs about 30 minutes whereas chicken needs two to three hours.

Rubs

• Unlike marinades or sauces, dry rubs are not messy and won’t cause the food to flare up and burn.
• Rubs are generally inexpensive to put together and you may have all the spices in your cabinet already.
• When a dry rub will not stick well to the meat, many people use a wet rub. A wet rub is just a dry rub with a little oil added.
• Most rubs are applied just before the meat is cooked, but rubs can be applied up to several hours before the meat hits the grill. Rubs are a great option for any cut of meat.

For more information, you may contact Stefanie or Dawn, registered dietitians, at 1035dietitianmailgroup@hy-vee.com or call 309-663-3054. Hy-Vee is Bloomington’s newest full service grocery store located at 1403 N. Veteran’s Parkway. Dietitians are on site at the store every day of the week to help you with specific dietary needs or to answer any questions you may have.

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Salmon Marinade

All You Need:
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 (6-oz. each) salmon fillets

All You Do:
Combine honey, soy sauce, oil, and pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to the bag and seal. Marinate 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Heat grill pan or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from bag; discard marinade. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish and cook 5 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Moroccan Chicken Rub

All You Need:
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts

All You Do:
Combine paprika, cumin, cinnamon, salt, ginger, red pepper, and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Add chicken breasts to bowl and coat with dry rub. Preheat grill to medium. Position chicken on an oiled cooking grate and grill, uncovered, until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes on each side.