Soy-Free Saturdays: Sunday edition -Chicken Marinade!

Oh my word, things have been crazy at the Schoney household this past weekend.  Specifically, in the backyard.  I can promise you I had no idea how ridiculously long a simple little raised garden could take when making it with a retaining wall and 17lb blocks.  And we're not even finished yet.

My arms hurt.

My back hurts.

The dog drove me crazy.

The kids kind of did too some of the time.

But all that could really be a separate post.

So, please forgive my tardiness, but here is your soy-free idea - and it's just in time for grilling weather!  One of my favorite easy grilling ideas (I can't even call it a recipe, it was too easy!) was to dump a bottle of Italian dressing in with chicken as a marinade.  I loved it.  So did the hubs.  But go ahead, try and find a bottle of pre-made Italian dressing without soy oil as a main ingredient.  I bet you can't (but if you can, and it's not crazy-expensive, can you please tell me??).

Then one weekend I was home at my parent's house, and my mom pulled out the trusty cruet bottle of Italian dressing that she always makes (the cruet bottle even comes with the multi-pack of the seasoning!) and it hit me.  What a simple idea.  If I make the dressing, even from a mix, I can control the kind of oil that goes in it.  And there aren't any soy products in the "all natural" Good Seasons Italian dressing mixes.

True, it's no long as simple as dumping the bottle into a plastic bag with chicken, but it really doesn't take that much more effort to dump a packet, some vinegar, and some olive oil into the bag with chicken either.  So, I still get my favorite marinade, without all the soy.  And I think it tastes even better than it did before.

Note: When using it as a marinade, I typically  use way less oil, and just add more water if I need extra liquid.  It works great!

It's also a favorite dressing for salads, although still not used as often as my other naturally soy-free dressing, which is plain red wine vinegar.  It's often paired with olive oil when used as a dressing, but I almost always skip the oil, and still like it just as well.

Happy Grilling Season everyone!  I'm definitely putting this on the menu for this week.

*Note: referral link used.  You can also search for them on your own. 

**Disclaimer: These Soy-Free Saturday posts contain only my opinion, and should be used with discretion according to your doctor's assessment of your personal needs.