Heaven on a plate!

While I haven’t always loved arugula, I’m a fan now! It’s quickly becoming my go-to green!

First off, it’s eats well. Do you know what I mean?

You can stick your fork into an arugula salad and more often than not, you’ll have yourself a pretty perfect bite! You can’t say that about every salad.

For this scrumptious salad there are a multiple shining stars.

Certainly the seasonal fresh figs bring a beautiful sweetness and are gorgeous on the plate. And Walnuts add great texture and a nice buttery flavor.

But the chickpeas and gorgonzola are fighting for top honors.

I believe I have under utilized garbanzo beans. Obviously they’re the star of our Classic Hummus, but they absolutely transform this salad from a “foo-foo pretty on the plate” to a satisfying meal.

Okay maybe light lunch, but nonetheless, chickpeas are where it’s at.

Lastly the gorgonzola. We haven’t discussed the white balsamic vinaigrette yet, but the two are dreamy together.

I do believe my cooking reached a new level when I discovered the power of a good vinaigrette. Whether it’s a nice fresh herby variety or one with a subtle and smooth finish, vinaigrettes are our friend! If you’re looking for inspiration here’s the link to our Dressing & Marinade Recipes.

From an ingredient standpoint, white balsamic vinaigrette is about as basic as you can get. Olive oil, white balsamic, honey or maple syrup, salt & pepper. From a flavor perspective there are loads of ways to mix it up. Hop over to my White Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe to see how I change it up!

One of our local restaurants serves a similar salad but with pears. I may have to recreate that Autumn-Thyme salad this fall.

Just the right tang from blue cheese and white balsamic, mellowed slightly by the creamy chickpeas. I LOVE this salad. You’ve got to try it!

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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Fig & Walnut Arugula Salad with Chickpeas & Gorgonzola

The ingredients in this Fig & Walnut Arugula Salad with Chickpeas & Gorgonzola play so nicely together. Heaven on a plate!

Course Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 5 ounces arugula
• 6 fresh figs, stems removed quartered
• 1 cup shelled walnuts
• 1 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbled
• 1 cup canned chickpeas rinsed and drained

For the White Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinaigrette or more to taste
• 2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For Salad

• Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl.

For White Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well. Dress the salad lightly, then toss. Add more vinaigrette to taste. Store unused vinaigrette in refrigerator for up to a month.

The post Fig & Walnut Arugula Salad with Chickpeas & Gorgonzola appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

This chopped salad is packed with simple, healthy ingredients that are readily available year-round.

I don’t think I’ve told you yet, but after March Meatball Madness I’ve silently, out of sheer desperation, declared April as salad month (not to outdo National Grilled Cheese Month).

Local Ingredients

I’ve come to learn a bit about locally sourced regional ingredients and how they influence dishes.

Nothing earth shattering, just a simple appreciation of the commonalities.

I’ve made six seven middle eastern dishes this week and have gone through 9 lemons, 2 heads of garlic, 3 bunches of fresh parsley, 2 bunches of fresh cilantro, and I’ve harvested almost all of my mammoth mint plant….oh and a gallon of olive oil.

Ok maybe not a gallon but enough to bathe a small child in.

Each dish I’ve prepared had it’s own flavor profile, yet the one element that was the same throughout was fresh herbs.

You know how I feel about fresh herbs and how they can elevate a dish.

For most of my life I underestimated fresh parsley. It just couldn’t keep up with it’s sexy cousins sage, rosemary and thyme. I viewed parsley as an obligatory garnish not worthy of consuming.

Boy was I wrong.

It actually adds flavor, is packed with nutrients and vitamins, is rich in antioxidants, and is a natural breath freshener.

Oh and it’s not a bad garnish either with it’s bright emerald coloring. Here’s an article you might enjoy that I wrote about Fresh Herbs and how to incorporate them into your cooking.

Back to Jerusalem Salad, also know as Israeli Salad, there’s a reason it’s the most well-known Eastern Mediterranean dish.

It’s wonderful served as a side dish, but you can load it into pita bread and top it with fresh made falafel. I’m hungry just thinking about it.

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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Jerusalem Salad

This chopped salad is packed with simple, healthy ingredients that are readily available year-round. It's wonderful served as a side dish, but you can load it into pita bread and top it with fresh made falafel.

Course Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 persian cucumbers fine diced
• 2 roma tomato fine diced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion fine diced
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced about 3 tablespoons
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Fine dice cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and parsley. Toss with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

The post Jerusalem Salad appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Trust me on this one. You do not have to slave in the kitchen, or order take-out, to be able to enjoy this creamy dreamy eggplant dip at home.

After oven roasting the eggplant, this recipe requires less than 10 minutes of hands on time.

Hand me a pita…I’m going in!

The Process

• Choose a couple nice sized eggplant (about 3 pounds total)
• Slice them in half and brush the cut side with olive oil
• Place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees F. for about 45 minutes or until the eggplant are very soft to the touch and the skins start to wrinkle
• Once roasted, allow to cool
• Then gently scrape the flesh out of the eggplant skins (discarding the thin charred layer) into a mesh strainer for a few minutes to allow any excess liquid to drain off
• Squeeze in 3-4 roasted garlic cloves.

Since I had a hot oven and a recipe that calls for garlic, I oven roasted a head of garlic as well.

• Add Tahini (sesame seed paste), extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and chopped fresh parsley
• Season with cumin and salt and whisk with a fork until well combined
• Adjust seasoning to taste and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped parsley and smoked paprika

How to Serve

On a side note, there are some food pictures that benefit greatly from having a hand model. It’s akin to the food videos that end with the cook taking a bite and telling us how delicious it tastes.

Baba Ghanoush is beautiful on the inside but she’s not the easiest to make look sexy in a picture.

There were no objections from this volunteer (my husband) when I made my request. And capturing his expression says this dip is creamy dreamy delicious!

The key to making this recipe “Easy” is using the oven roasting method vs. fire roasting on a grill or under the broiler.

Been there done that and in my opinion these results are equally delicious, perhaps less smoky but the smoked paprika brings that to the dip.

We incorporated our Easy Baba Ghanoush into a Levantine Mezze Platter that we shared with some close friends.

Our board included many of our favorite middle eastern dishes whose flavor profiles all play so nicely together.

We had Tabbouleh, Hummus, Falafel, Marinated Olives with Feta, Kofta Kebabs, Jerusalem Salad….

It was a heaven on a platter.

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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Easy Baba Ghanoush

Baba Ghanoush is a wonderful middle eastern eggplant dip that's rich flavor and creamy texture will delight your taste buds.

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Finish Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 3 pounds eggplant (about 2 medium-large) roasted
• 1 head garlic roasted
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing and drizzle
• 1 lemon juiced (about 2 Tablespoons)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• chopped fresh parsley to garnish
• smoked paprika to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut eggplant in half, brush cut sides with a little olive oil, place cut side down on prepared pan. Trim 1/4" off top of garlic, place on a piece of tin foil and drizzle with a little olive oil. Seal the foil and place on pan with eggplant. Roast in oven for 45 minutes or until eggplant is soft to the touch and the skins have wrinkled. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Once cooled, gently scrape the flesh out of the eggplant skins (discarding the thin charred layer) into a mesh strainer for a few minutes to allow any excess liquid to drain off. Squeeze in 3-4 roasted garlic cloves. Transfer to a bowl and using a fork, whip the mixture breaking up the eggplant. Add in remaining ingredients and whisk with a fork until smooth. To serve, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of smoked paprika.

The post Easy Baba Ghanoush appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Homemade vinaigrettes are so versatile.

And delicious.

With oil and vinegar as your base, the flavor pairings are endless.

I chose lemony thyme and parsley for my herbs and shallot and garlic for my aromatics.

A splash of champagne vinegar and freshly squeezed lemon juice are the acidic elements.

For the olive oil I used a nice finishing oil.

I’m really just beginning to understand the wonderful nuances of olive oil varieties. Not an expert but I definitely appreciate a bright ‘green’ EVOO.

Lemony Thyme Vinaigrette was the perfect pairing with our Butter Bean Salad. Hope you’ll give both recipes a try. Enjoy!

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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Lemony Thyme Vinaigrette

Homemade vinaigrettes are so versatile. And delicious. With oil and vinegar as your base, the flavor pairings are endless.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh herbs (lemony thyme and parsley) leaves only
• 1 small shallot rough chopped
• 2 small cloves garlic peeled
• 2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a small food chopper or blender. Puree.
• Store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

The post Lemony Thyme Vinaigrette appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

The key ingredient are the canned San Marzano tomatoes. They are not at all difficult to find but should not be replaced by regular diced tomatoes.

San Marzano are whole plum tomatoes with very few seeds that are renowned for their balanced flavor. Rich tomato taste that is slightly sweet and less acidic. 

You can simply crush the tomatoes by hand for a ‘chunkier’ sauce or give them a whirl in the blender for a smoother sauce.

This Quick & Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce begins with onion and garlic sautéed in extra virgin olive oil. The tomatoes are added along with dried spices (basil, oregano, parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes), then seasoned to taste with salt and black pepper.

This Pasta Sauce is perfect with Spaghetti & Meatballs, on Pizza or tossed with eggplant in Pasta alla Norma. Enjoy!

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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Pasta Sauce

This quick and easy Pasta Sauce comes together in under 30 minutes yet tastes like it's been simmering all day.

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Instructions

• Hand crush or blend tomatoes to desired consistency. Heat olive oil In a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, add garlic and saute another minute. Pour in crushed/blended tomatoes, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.

The post Quick & Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

This Fresh Herb Vinaigrette is a salad game changer. It’s equally wonderful with fresh basil or cilantro and loves when you throw in a little lemony thyme or fresh oregano. Simple ingredients delivery big bright flavors.

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Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

This Vinaigrette is sure to become your new favorite. Use your favorite soft herbs like cilantro, basil, thyme, parsley or oregano to nuance the flavor profile.

Course Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups fresh herb leaves only cilantro and/or basil are preferred
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 shallot rough chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

The post Fresh Herb Vinaigrette appeared first on Lemony Thyme.