This Spinach & Brussels Sprout Salad {with Warm Maple Bacon Dressing} is a new year-round favorite.

Together you have salty, savory and sweet with a little crunch and texture in each bite. I adore each of the individual components of this salad.

Fresh tender spinach, shaved Brussels sprouts, toasted pecans, parmesan crisps, dried cranberries, and warm maple bacon dressing.

This gorgeous stalk of Brussels sprouts was definitely my recipe inspiration.

I could have made a giant batch of oven roasted Brussels sprouts which are a family favorite, but they were so fresh and beautiful I wanted to incorporate them raw.

I took one of my all-time favorite salads (Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing) and spruced it up a bit. The addition of bourbon and rich maple syrup to the warm bacon dressing really elevated the flavor profile.

Even my parmesan crisps got a make-over when I made them bite-sized and spiced them with my smoky Braai Spice Blend.

This Spinach & Brussels Sprout Salad pairs perfectly with grilled steak or chicken, but is hearty enough on it’s own for lunch or dinner. So many wonderful flavors playing nicely together.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Spinach & Brussels Sprout Salad {with Warm Maple Bacon Dressing}

Together you have salty, savory and sweet with a little crunch and texture in each bite making this Spinach & Brussels Sprout Salad {with Warm Maple Bacon Dressing} a new year-round favorite.

Course Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• 2 cups shredded Brussels sprouts
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
• 12 small parmesan crisps see Recipe Link in Post

For the Warm Maple Bacon Dressing

• 1/2 pound thick cut bacon browned and crumbled reserve drippings
• 1 large or 2 small shallot thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons bourbon
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or more to taste
• 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup or more to taste
• dash cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Salad

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 5-7 minutes. Prepare the Parmesan Crisps according to Recipe Link in Post.
• In a medium skillet, cook bacon until it’s browned and crispy, drain on paper towels, reserving drippings.
• In a large salad bowl, toss the spinach, shaved Brussels sprouts, and dried cranberries. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and parmesan crisps.

For the Warm Maple Bacon Dressing

• To the skillet with the reserved bacon drippings, add thinly sliced shallot and saute over medium-low heat until tender. Remove from heat, whisk in the bourbon and return to heat and cook for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, pinch of cayenne, and salt & pepper and heat through, 1-2 minutes. Adjust the sweet/tart flavor by adding more maple syrup or vinegar.
• Serve warm. Add the crisply crumbled bacon to salad or dressing just before serving.

The post Spinach & Brussels Sprout Salad {with Maple Bacon Dressing} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I don’t think I’ve told you about my 2015 Challenge.  My Healthy Choices walking buddy Bethany and I signed up to walk a combined two thousand fifteen miles in 2015.  That’s five point five miles per day together or two point seven five miles each.  every day.  for 365 days.

All that walking during our lunch hour, makes these girls hungry.  I’m proposing Spicy Shrimp Thai Buddha Bowls all around.

I’m not sure when the whole ‘Bowl’ movement began.  Smirk. I couldn’t resist. For the record I said, wrote and thought Bowl.

Seriously though, my newest Pinterest Board is simply titled Lunch Bowls and in about one week’s time I have pinned 175, and counting, gorgeous Bowls.  All of which I’d like you to make for me…one by one.

I have six Lunch Bowl visions that I’m currently working on….some simultaneously.  I extended my weekend by two days with a rough plan to create and picture as many of those visions as possible.

The key to a great bowl is big flavor and fresh ingredients, served in a portion controlled….bowl.  At the end of every Lemony Thyme photo shoot I sample the dish.  If it is ‘flavor’ worthy I get busy photo editing and story telling.

It’s the last day of my mini stay-cation and we have three bowls that are ‘share’ worthy.  Winning.

Let’s talk about our first Buddha Bowl.  I spiralized zucchini.  Thank you Santa for my Paderno spiralizer.  If you don’t already own one, and are a veggie fanatic like me, invest the 35 bucks.  In about 2 minutes you can turn a medium sized zucchini, yellow squash, carrot, sweet potato, etc. into a big bowl of faux-noodles.  Simply blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and voila!

Next, buy a wok.  Stir-fry is where it’s at.  Minimal oil required to flash cook your favorite mix of veggies and proteins.

I made a quick sauce for the shrimp that consisted of soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and garlic.  A quick 1-2 minute sizzle in our hot wok, followed by chicken broth, is how this awe-mazing hot & spicy broth came together.  Poured over zoodles and Brussels sprout leaves, garnished with red chili peppers, scallions, peanuts and fresh herbs.

Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs.  Thai basil, cilantro and mint are my favorite herb trilogy for this bowl.  The only pull-back on B’s part was because of the mint.

Thanks to my mom & dad-in law we own an Aero Garden.  You should too.  For our climate, it’s impossible to grow soft herbs outdoors in the winter.  But with our hydroponic Aero Garden we have fresh basil (and others) year round.

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Spicy Shrimp Thai Buddha Bowl

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the bowl…

• 1 medium zucchini spiralized or julienne cut
• 1 red chili pepper sliced
• 10 Brussels sprouts ends trimmed & leaves separated
• fresh Thai basil cilantro and mint leaves
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

For the shrimp & sauce…

• 1/2 lb. medium shrimp peeled & deveined
• 3 Tbl. soy sauce
• 2 Tbl. peanut butter
• 1 Tbl. sesame oil
• 1 Tbl. sriracha sauce or to taste
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tbl. high heat oil such as avocado or peanut for sautéing

Instructions

For the bowl…

• Prepare fresh Ingredients.
• Blanch zucchini noodles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain.
• Divide zucchini, Brussels sprout leaves, red chili, and fresh herbs in two bowls.

For the shrimp & sauce…

• Whisk together the soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, sriracha and garlic. Marinate the shrimp for 20 minutes. Heat 1 Tbl. high heat oil in wok or skillet. Sauté for 2 minutes; turning over once. Add in chicken broth and deglaze pan.
• Pour shrimp broth mixture over each zucchini bowl. Sprinkle with peanuts and scallion.

The post Spicy Shrimp Thai Buddha Bowl appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

For our Thanksgiving Dinner yesterday I served Parmesan Herb Roasted Veggies.  It was my secret weapon to help keep me on my Healthy Choices plan.  I knew no matter what else tempted me I could find comfort in that dish.  Today as a fridge full of leftovers called to me…the first thing I did was make this soup.

We make Roasted Veggies year-round.  Whatever fresh vegetables catch my eye are sliced and diced, tossed with fresh herbs, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper before heading to the oven to feel the caramelized love.

Recipe note:  Dice your veggies to size based on cooking time.  For instance, zucchini and summer squash are softer and will cook more quickly so something less than a 1/2-inch thick slice works well.  Onions, if cut too small will brown quickly, so give them a nice 1/2-inch wedge cut (see photo below).  Sweet potato on the other hand is more dense, taking it a bit longer to become tender; go with a smaller dice for those.  We don’t worry too much about Brussels sprouts.  If they come out of the oven with a crispy outer layer, remove it and have yourself a snack. Welcome Brussels Chips.

When the veggies are tender and just beginning to brown on the edges, remove from the oven, discard large herb stems then transfer into your favorite soup pot.  I added a can of diced tomatoes (preferably no-salt added) and a quart of vegetable broth.  Season to taste with dried herbs and spices like basil, oregano, a pinch of cayenne. Depending on the volume of soup you wish to achieve you can add more or less broth and/or tomatoes.

Roasting vegetables enhances their flavor (same can be said for soup bones).  This one step can take a ho-hum soup and make it oh-yum whoop whoop.  Haha.  Forgive me.  Don’t be afraid to season-up with dried herbs.  They give a wonderful flavor pop that can make an almost fat-free soup feel like a bowl of comfort food love.

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Parmesan & Herb Roasted Vegetable Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For roasted veggies…

• 2 small zucchini sliced
• 2 small yellow squash sliced
• 1 small white onion diced
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1 small sweet potato peeled and diced
• 1/2 – 1 lb. Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 8-10 fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning
• salt & pepper
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

For the soup…

• 1 can diced tomatoes preferably no-salt added
• 1 quart vegetable broth or favorite
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. ground oregano
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For the roasted veggies…

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Slice and dice veggies. Larger pieces for soft veggies (like squash and zucchini), smaller pieces for dense veggies (like sweet potatoes). Toss with fresh herbs, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Spread in a single layer on baking sheets. Roast for 30 – 40 minutes until tender and edges just begin to brown.

For the soup…

• When the veggies are tender, remove from the oven, discard large herb stems then transfer into your favorite soup pot.
• Add diced tomatoes (preferably no-salt added) and broth, bring to a gentle simmer. Season to taste with dried herbs. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

The post Parmesan & Herb Roasted Vegetable Soup appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Roasted Spring Vegetables

I was so pleasantly surprised to learn how wonderful radishes are when oven roasted.  It never even occurred to me to cook them.  To me radishes were only served as part of a veggie tray.  Growing up, I remember mom making ‘radish roses’ and serving them on a nibble tray during the cocktail hour.  I tried to like them. Just didn’t.

Flash forward into adulthood with a seasoned palate and sense of culinary adventure, I can now say I welcome radishes with open arms and mouth.  I’ve learned to love them raw, especially in salads but I now also enjoy them roasted.

We already know that roasting veggies is a great way to enhance their flavors.  What was once bitter becomes slightly nutty and sweet.  In the case of radishes, there is less bite with a nice mild flavor.  Delicious.

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Roasted Spring Vegetables

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of fresh veggies such as radishes, Brussels sprouts, onions
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Trim veggies and slice if necessary. Toss in olive oil with salt and pepper.
• Spread on a shallow baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes, stir and continue roasting for an additional 10 – 15 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.

The post Roasted Spring Vegetables {featuring Radishes} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts {with Orzo & Bacon}.

Thought I’d take Roasted Brussels Sprouts in a little different direction, by pan roasting them, then tossing them with crispy bacon and orzo, and topping with toasted panko breadcrumbs.  I’m really glad I did. 

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Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts {with Orzo & Bacon}

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
• 1 cup orzo uncooked
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• salt
• pepper
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and all but 1 Tbl. bacon drippings. Add Brussels sprouts to pan cut side down. Allow to sear 5-6 minutes until browned.
• Stir in uncooked orzo, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until orzo is tender. Add additional water if necessary. Remove from heat and season with sliced scallions, crumbled bacon, salt & pepper.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
• In same skillet melt butter over medium heat, add panko and cook 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Pour crumbs over Brussels sprouts and serve.

The post Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts {with Orzo & Bacon} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

This past winter we began roasting almost all our veggies.  We started out with potatoes and onions tossed in olive oil.  Then we added zucchini, which led to cherry tomatoes and eventually we got brave enough to add Brussels sprouts, a formerly avoided at all cost vegetable.  Had no idea these could be so amazing…. we actually ate Brussels 2-3 times a week for months.

As the leaves fall off and crisp up during roasting….they become what we fondly refer to as “Brussels chips.”  Our standard roasted veggie marinade also evolved: olive oil, Dijon mustard, fresh sage & thyme leaves, sea salt & fresh cracked pepper, and a pinch of cayenne.  Toss any combination of veggies of different colors and flavors, cut to different sizes, and roast them into dinner.

We now roast tomatoes before adding them to our tomato sauces.  We roast zucchini and add it to salsas.  Roasted butternut squash becomes sweetly caramelized.  And roasted cauliflower becomes nutty and mild.  Recently I was introduced to robust and flavored olive oils, when Shelby and I stumbled upon a wonderful Oil & Vinegars shop.  Roasted veggies have just been given a flavor boost.  You’ll find this roasted cauliflower eats more like a snack than a side dish….in fact it never makes it to our dinner platings.  Enjoy!

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Roasted Cauliflower

This makes a wonderful side dish. Ours didn’t last that long. We’ll call roasted cauliflower a fantastic low-carb snack.

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower trimmed to bite-sized florets discarding the bigger stalks.
• 2 – 3 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• 2 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line baking sheet with foil.
• Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil and salt.
• Roast for 25 – 30 minutes turning after 15 minutes.
• Take the time to individually turn the florets so that each piece has a chance to brown.
• Remove from oven and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

The post Roasted Vegetables {Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts the unsung heroes} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Roasted Vegetable Orzo {Featuring Delicata Squash}, inspired by this wonderfully delightful recipe from 101 Cookbooks.  As I’ve said many times before I eat with my eyes first and the vision of these beautiful roasted delicata squash is what drew me to this recipe.

Just as Heidi’s recipe suggested I added other veggies we had on hand: Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, new potatoes, parsnip, and spinach.  Anytime you can roast your vegetables before adding them to a dish means you have just insured yourself a wonderful flavor boost.  And roasting is a great time to try something new.  These delicata squash were a first for us and as suggested we roasted them with their skins on, making them super easy to work with.  They have a wonderful winter squash flavor, a cross between an acorn and butternut squash.

I didn’t want to overpower the individual flavors of the vegetables so I just tossed them in a nice roasted onion and cilantro olive oil with fresh herbs, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper.  I cooked the spinach on a separate baking sheet until the leaves were crispy.  Who knew?!  Delicious.  Combined the roasted vegetables with cooked orzo and called it the perfect lunch.

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Roasted Vegetable Orzo {Featuring Delicata Squash}

Anytime you can roast your vegetables before adding them to a dish means you have just insured yourself a wonderful flavor boost.

Course Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author 101 Cookbooks, lightly adapted

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry orzo cooked according to package instructions
• 1 medium or 2 small delicata squash cut in half lengthwise, seeded and sliced into 1/4″ thick half moons
• 6-8 Brussels sprouts trimmed and cut in half
• 6-8 small new potatoes cut in half or quartered
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 parsnip peeled and thin sliced
• 2 handfuls of spinach leaves stems removed
• 2-3 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves only, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano chopped
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Prepare orzo according to package instructions, then drizzle with olive oil, sea salt & peper, cover and reserve.
• Prepare all vegetables, except spinach and toss in olive oil, herbs, salt & pepper. Spread in single layer on foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until veggies are tender and golden brown.
• Meanwhile, spread spinach leaves on foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray, then lightly spray leaves. Bake on separate oven rack for last 10 minutes or until slightly crispy. They will continue to crisp as they cool.
• Gently toss roasted veggies with orzo, sprinkle with crispy spinach leaves and freshly cracked pepper.

The post Roasted Vegetable Orzo {Featuring Delicata Squash} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I love a fall harvest dinner made with a star ingredient like Brussels sprouts.  Once the only vegetable on my won’t-eat-foods list, the Brussels sprout has soared to the top of my favorite-food list.  In the fall-winter months we seriously have them multiple times per week.  I was flipping through my new Cooking Light magazine and without even reading the recipe I bookmarked the page for Cavatappi with Browned Brussels Sprouts and Buttery Breadcrumbs.  

I could have sworn that the picture in the magazine had crumbled crispy bacon sprinkled over the top of this pasta dish.  I even thought about adding shrimp or chicken but reasoned the bacon was all the protein we would need.  I should probably read an entire recipe BEFORE I begin.  If you’re one of those, let’s pinky promise that we will read complete ingredient lists and instructions before we go to the grocery store or begin cooking.  Deal?  So for tonight, our version of this wonderful pasta dish has been lightly adapted to include bacon…which went so nicely with the crispy panko crumbs and toasted pine nuts.

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Cavatappi with Browned Brussels Sprouts and Buttery Breadcrumbs

Course Entree

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 377kcal

Author Cooking Light, lightly adapted

Ingredients

• 8 oz. uncooked cavatappi pasta
• 2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 strips bacon crisp cooked and crumbled, reserve 1 Tbl. rendering
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 12 oz. Brussels sprouts trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2/3 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. fresh lemony thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 oz. Parmesan cheesed shaved (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 Tbl. pine nuts toasted

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; keep warm.
• Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until well browned, stirring frequently. Remove to dish.
• Wipe pan clean and add pine nuts; cook over medium heat in dry pan, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Remove to dish.
• In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon. Remove bacon; leave 1 Tbl. bacon rendering in pan and add 1 tsp. olive oil.
• Add Brussels sprouts to pan; cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add onion and garlic and continue cooking 3-4 minutes until onion is tender and Brussels sprouts are lightly browned.
• Add broth and next 5 ingredients (through pepper).
• Cover and cook 2 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender.
• Add Brussels sprout mixture to pasta and toss well.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, pine nuts, and panko.
• Serve immediately.

The post Cavatappi with Browned Brussels Sprouts and Buttery Breadcrumbs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Sesame Brussels Sprout Slaw

We love slaw at our house and change up our recipe often.  But this version was very different.  The sesame oil & seeds added that yummy nutty flavor which worked so well with the balsamic.  We’ll surely have this one again.

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Sesame Brussels Sprout Slaw

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the slaw…

• 12 Brussels sprouts – ends & loose leaves removed rough chopped in food processor
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini squash
• 1 sliced scallion
• 1 Tbl. fine diced jalapeno
• a hand-full of cilantro leaves
• 2 Tbl. sesame seeds

For the dressing…

• a light tsp. of white balsamic easy to add more, can’t take away
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbl. mayo
• sea salt & a generous grinding of fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

• Combine slaw ingredients in a serving bowl and set aside.
• Combine dressing ingredients then stir into slaw, mixing until well combined.

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