All-Purpose Lemon Pepper Dry Rub

1 tablespoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

In a bowl, combine all and mix well. Although simple, this spice blend is flavorful, and works best when rubbed on meats overnight before they are smoked or grilled. It also works well on veggies just before you put them in the oven or on the grill.

Multi-Purpose Simple Marinade

2 tablespoons ground chili powder

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 (14-to-16-ounce) bottle Italian salad dressing

In a bowl, mix together the chili powder, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and water. Make sure all lumps and clusters are beaten out, so that you get a nice even distribution of ingredients.

Pour some of the Italian dressing out into a measuring cup. Add the blended ingredients to the remaining Italian dressing in the bottle and shake well. If you have room in the bottle, add back some of the dressing that was poured into the measuring cup. Allow mixture to sit for 24 hours so the flavors can blend.

The apple cider vinegar and lemon juice gives the marinade a little citrus tang, which makes it great for marinating pork chops and chicken breasts. When you are ready to cook, place the chops or chicken in a glass dish. Shake the marinade well and pour it over the meat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking.