I’ve always been a fan of multi-purpose items. A cheek, lip, and eye stick to consolidate my morning makeup prep? Please, and thank you. Mayonnaise to spread on my tomato sandwiches and fix water stains on furniture? I’m listening.
I’m looking for the same utility in my kitchen: recipes that I can use in multiple ways with just one batch.
My latest strategy is to make a vinaigrette, then use some to marinate chicken and the rest to dress a salad. The idea came to me by chance, during my last summer of “hot grilling.”
Get the recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs Marinated in Vinaigrette
I had my family over for dinner on our patio and was looking to grill some chicken to serve with a salad and other sides. That morning, as I was digging through my refrigerator, I spotted a large container of balsamic vinaigrette that I had made earlier in the week for our evening salads.
A little light went off in my head: instead of making a separate marinade, I put the chicken pieces in a zip-top bag and poured a generous amount of the dressing into it. I massaged it into the chicken, squeezed out the extra air, sealed the bag, and put the chicken back in the fridge.
When dinner time came, I took out the chicken (of course, I threw out the marinade after using it), grilled it and served it, to cheers. There were no leftovers and my guests wanted to know the recipe.
I hesitated: The whole experience, delicious as it was, felt like a cheat. Marinating in vinaigrette isn’t a new concept. Bottles of Italian dressing have given their lives for this very reason (no shame in that). It only takes a few minutes to make your own, and you can control exactly what goes into it—and keep it on hand for more than just salads.
In case it wasn’t obvious, you can use pretty much any salad dressing as a marinade: lemon vinaigrette, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, Thousand Island dressing, Russian dressing, etc. The most common one in my fridge is a Dijon-balsamic vinaigrette that often includes touches of oregano (from my giant bush, fresh in the summer and dried in the winter) as well as bits of shallot. If I’m feeling spicy, I’ll add grated garlic to the portion I pour over the chicken for a more intense flavor.
The whole recipe is flexible: mix and match ingredients to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. Red, white, or sherry vinegar, or lemon juice, can be substituted for balsamic vinegar. Swap out the maple syrup for honey or agave, if you prefer. Try another herb, like rosemary or thyme, or even parsley or tarragon. Think of this recipe as a framework.
Another benefit of this approach is that you pair the flavors of the protein with the flavors of the salad, like a color-coordinated outfit, but on a plate. It’s rich coming from someone who often wears multiple clashing stripes in the same outfit, but where I lack in fashion sense, I try to make up for it in culinary sensibility.
Get the recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs Marinated in Vinaigrette
