Hi, interwebs! The blog monster is starving and it’s time to feed Beastie! This summer, while procrastinating blog posts, I’ve been perfecting grill marinades. Below are my two favorites, thoroughly taste-tested by Mr. Sodium: Ginger citrus flank steak and molasses chicken thighs.

Ginger citrus flank steak

1. In gallon zip-top bag, combine:

Juice of 2 oranges

Juice and zest of 2 limes

Grated thumb of ginger

6 cloves chopped garlic

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp agave nectar

2. Seal and shake bag to mix; add steak and marinate in refrigerator at least a few hours or overnight.

3. Throw it on the grill, turn every 5 minutes until it has reached desired cooking temp. I prefer to pull it at 140 degrees Fahrenheit and rest it 10-15 minutes to reach 145 for medium-rare.

4. Slice steak thin against the grain, or perpendicular to the direction of the striations. (Search “slicing flank steak” for photos and videos of how to do this.)

Molasses marinade for chicken

I originally read this recipe in my eMeals app, where it calls for chicken breast. I went with boneless skinless thighs because they are much more grill friendly, staying juicy even if you over grill them. I also prefer agave nectar to honey, because it’s easier to mix into liquids; and an addition of olive oil, because Mr. Sodium gets frustrated if the chicken gets too caramelized on the outside before it cooks through.

There are so many amazing and unique recipes on eMeals.com, and I highly recommend the app. If you cook as much as I do, at least 5 nights per week, it’s well worth the $5-$10 per month. I chose the Clean Eating plan because it uses the most “real” and fresh ingredients, making it easy to omit the salt and convert the recipes to low-sodium.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp agave nectar

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

2. Add 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs. Marinate in refrigerator for at least a few hours, if not overnight.

3. Grill on medium to medium-high until cooked through, at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.

Here in the Inland Northwest, there’s plenty of beautiful weather left for the fall – so get to grillin’!