By Irene Hayton

Chicken, lamb, and beef are more flavourful and tender when they have been marinated before cooking them. I used to use olive oil in my marinades but recently learned that olive oil should not be heated. In his book titled Choosing the Right Fats, Udo Erasmus (an international authority on fats, oils, cholesterol, and human health) states that “Olive oil is a surprisingly delicate, easily damaged oil.” Finding a substitute for olive oil was difficult because the only healthy oils that can be heated without being damaged are butter and coconut oil. Using these would not work because they are solid at room temperature and if you heat them to use in a marinade, they would just solidify once you put the meat into the fridge to marinate.

I decided to substitute water for the olive oil in my marinades and have had excellent results. The chicken and lamb (haven’t tried beef yet) have turned out to be very moist and tender, despite not using oil. And the added bonus is that you’re not adding any extra fat. See this month’s recipe for Marinated Lamb and also the recipe for Marinated Chicken.