In celebration of warmer, sunnier days and the dusting off of grills throughout the Northern Hemisphere, I am sharing with you my new-found marinade perfect for the open flame.

My idea of “perfect” by the way usually starts with the question, “Do I have to run to the grocery store with my kids?” Once I have confirmed “no,” I’m happy as a lark & set about preparing dinner. Last week, I had the pleasure of Spring Break…. It was great sleeping in a bit and keeping a loose schedule, but running errands was a nightmare. To occupy the 3 of us harmoniously, I took them to our neighborhood cabana EVERYDAY! This is the first year that I am NOT getting in the icy waters to ensure safety or because my youngest is complaining (ah, bliss!). So, to entertain myself for 5 hours I brought along several cookbooks to peruse & inspire. Micol Megrin’s The Italian Grill had several delightful recipes that were clearly explained & used readily available ingredients (yippie!). The one that caught my eye the most was Pollo alla Diavola because of its use of lemon, rosemary and garlic (all things I have in abundance!). Her recipe was more time consuming for me (keep in mind I was at the pool for 5 hours) so my version is just the marinade & not the salted-brine, lemon rub variety of hers.

MARINATA DIAVOLA

• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
• Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Sea Salt
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Cayenne Pepper, about 1/2 tsp

Sorry, you have to guess on the amount. I think I used about 3/4 cups of olive oil & the same amount of lemon juice. The amount I made was a lot more than I needed for one meal. This will be used for several meals (read: I have a quick dinner solution for those times when I’m in a crunch!). We grilled chicken breast one night and the family loved it. The other night I marinated shrimp with this sauce, sauteed them in a skillet & served it over pasta and the family really enjoyed it that way. So, this marinade is versatile.

Bon appetito!

after shaking it up