I’m a bit smitten with everything about this soup.  From the glorious broth, to the tender chicken, right through the lovely aromatics, Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is perfectly balanced.

I simmered the boneless skinless chicken breast in broth until cooked through, then removed it from the broth and shredded with forks.  To the broth I added all the wonderful aromatics.  Lemon grass, ginger, garlic, Serrano pepper, cilantro, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar come together to create the delicious broth.

The sliced mushrooms are simmered until tender and then the shredded chicken, scallions, and fresh cilantro and basil are added the end.

When picking up the lemon grass I found these gorgeous edible flowers.  I had already chosen this beautiful flower bowl and couldn’t resist adding them to our Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, also known as Tom Kha Gai.

I’ve shared on several occasions that I’m working really hard to make “Healthy Choices” a lifestyle, not a struggle.  I’ll be the first to admit that food blogging and my slogan “love to cook, love to eat, love food photography” don’t always go hand in hand with maintaining healthy weight goals.  However, I’m proud to say that today I regained my Lifetime Member status at Weight Watchers.

One year ago, I walked through the doors of WW, hoping this would be the time that stuck.  You can read more about the past year HERE.  The most important thing is that I’ve learned to find balance, have taken off 65 pounds, and as of today have maintained a healthy weight goal for six weeks.  Eat right and exercise is the base to my success (along with a great support team).

Shelby came for dinner this week and we all enjoyed this yummy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.  Full of flavor and charm with no guilt attached.  Now that’s winning.

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Thai Coconut Chicken Soup {Tom Kha Gai}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 210kcal

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For soup…

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth preferably reduced sodium
• 1 14- ounce can lite coconut milk
• 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 lemon grass stalk cut into 4 pieces about 3-inch each, remove woody outer layer.
• 1 Serrano pepper finely diced
• 1- inch fresh ginger grated (about 1 Tbl.)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 10-12 fresh cilantro sprigs leaves & stems, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. fish sauce or more to taste
• 1 tsp. sugar
• juice of 1 1/2 limes about 2-3 Tbl.

To serve…

• 2 scallion thinly sliced
• fresh basil and cilantro for garnish
• lime wedges for garnish
• edible flowers for garnish optional

Instructions

For soup…

• Cut chicken breast into 4 pieces. Simmer in 1 cup chicken stock until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and reserve.
• Meanwhile, while chicken is cooking, slice and dice remaining ingredients.
• Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Use two forks and shred chicken; return to the broth and heat through.

To serve…

• Remove lemon grass; discard. Serve hot in bowls; garnish with fresh cilantro, basil, scallion, lime wedges, and edible flowers (optional).

Notes

Each 1 1/2 cup serving = 5 WW Pts+

The post Thai Coconut Chicken Soup {Tom Kha Gai} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Pad Thai is my go-to Thai take-out dish.  I love everything about it.  Traditionally this is a noodle dish and who doesn’t love noodles, especially when they are stir-fried with eggs!  Yum!!  Today I decided to lighten it up a bit, so I substituted roasted spaghetti squash “noodles” for the classic rice noodles.  Results.  Two thumbs up in this house.

Spaghetti squash.  It’s high on our perfect food group list.  It’s so versatile, delicious on it’s own tossed with a little butter, parmesan and fresh herbs.  Yet it’s spaghetti like strands make it a wonderful gluten-free, low carb, low calorie alternative to pasta.

So while this recipe is far from traditional, it does bring that delicious take-out dish right into your own kitchen.  I added chicken and shrimp for protein, which can be replaced with firm tofu for a vegetarian version.  Easy Pad Thai {with Spaghetti Squash} is my favorite new Lunch Bowl.

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 Pad Thai {with Spaghetti Squash}

Calories 286kcal

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For sauce…

• 2 Tbl. fish sauce
• 2 Tbl. rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbl. soy sauce
• 2 Tbl. sriracha hot sauce
• 2 Tbl. brown sugar
• 2 Tbl. peanut butter

For stir fry…

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 4 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast
• 12 medium shrimp peeled & deveined
• 1 Tbl. sesame oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup sliced scallion
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• 1/2 cup peanuts chopped
• lime wedges for serving

Instructions

For sauce…

• Whisk together all sauce ingredients; reserve.

For stir fry…

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Rub cavities with olive oil. Place cut side down on a shallow baking sheet. Roast for 35-45 minutes until skin is easily pierced with a fork and flesh scrapes out easily into a bowl. Reserve.
• Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add sesame oil and stir fry chicken for 3-4 minutes. Add in shrimp and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until chicken and shrimp are cooked through. Remove from wok; reserve.
• Add onion to wok and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add in bean sprouts and carrots, cook another 2 minutes. Make a well in the center and add two eggs; scramble. Return chicken and shrimp to wok, along with spaghetti squash, scallion, cilantro and half of sauce. Fold to combine. Remove from heat. Add additional sauce to taste.
• Serve sprinkled with chopped peanuts and lime wedges.

Notes

Serving size = 1/4th recipe = 8 WW Pts+

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When life gives you Boston Bibb lettuce and chicken, the first thing that comes to mind are lettuce wraps.  Our Chicken & Cashew Lettuce Wraps are a favorite but these Thai Larb Salad cups may have just inched them out in a popularity contest.

Fresh herbs & aromatics are responsible for most of the remarkable flavor in this dish, but I must give credit where credit is due and tip my hat to fish sauce.  Yes.  Fish sauce.  I will admit that I feared this ingredient for a long time but I have learned that when balanced with sweet and sour it becomes a recipe changer.

I adore this picture of our buttery sun kissed bibb lettuce cups.  They were after all the ‘leftover’ ingredient in the fridge that inspired our Thai Larb Salad.  After recently making a Waldorf Salad for a dear friend’s retirement party I ended up with an extra head of this treasured green.

They were the perfect vehicle to deliver the big bold flavors of Thai Larb Salad.

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Thai Larb Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground chicken or pork
• 1 Tbl. sesame oil
• 1 shallot finely diced
• 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
• 1 Thai or Serrano chili thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 Tbl. lime juice
• 1 Tbl. fish sauce or more to taste
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint & cilantro leaves
• lettuce cups to serve preferably Boston Bibb
• garnish with fresh mint and cilantro and lime wedges

Instructions

• Prepare all ingredients and have them ready to add to the dish.
• Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil and swirl pan to coat. Add ground chicken; using a wooden spoon stir breaking up pieces as it cooks. Add in red onion, shallot and chili pepper. Stir fry for an additional minute. Next add the garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar and stir to combine.
• Remove from heat and stir in the scallion, mint and cilantro.
• Serve on lettuce cups. Garnish with additional fresh mint and cilantro and lime wedges.

The post Thai Larb Salad appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

It had been entirely too long since I stood embraced by the best hugger I know. My kid! She delivers the kind of hug that reaches through the front of you and radiates out to the tips of your fingers and toes.  The kind that inspires you to start a blog post about Tom Yum Soup {Thai Hot & Sour Soup} with a hug.

Back to it being entirely too long, sometimes life gets in the way.  It had been weeks since Shelby and I hung out.  Work, commitments, work, friends, travel, etc. kept us apart. We both reached a point that none of those ‘excuses’ were going to get in the way.  So we met today, ironically both ‘suffering’ from one kind of soreness or another….seemed like a great time for pedicures.  Which led to conversations with our nail techs about the best Vietnamese food in the area.  I think we’ve got some great recommendations for Vietnamese Pho for another time.

Sadly today we settled for an Asian infusion place just around the corner.  We were searching for a soup that was hot and allowed the aromas to add to the flavor.  Sip, smell, taste, enjoy.  And the next time you feel a cold or flu coming on try a home remedy bowl of Tom Yum Soup.  It will clear your sinuses, ease your body aches, and even lessen a headache.

Which brings up a topic that I’m still a little squirmy about.  What to do when you are served a dish that either isn’t to your liking, or in our case today….smelled like dish water that dirty sneakers had been soaked in.  Okay, that was a no-brainer….we made the decision to send it back as quickly as our server delivered it.  I’ll be the first to admit that fish sauce is an acquired taste, but I also had made Tom Yum Soup at home, which is when I discovered the beauty that is a balance of a broth that will turn cloudy when it meets the lime juice that should taste equally spicy, salty, and sour.

So while some of my favorite Sundays with Shelby outings are when we discover something new, today I was completely consumed with my kid….who is happy being happy.  And ‘happy’ looks especially good on her.  Next time I’ll bring her home so we can make and enjoy Tom Yum Soup together.

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Tom Yum Soup {Thai Hot & Sour Soup}

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 stalks fresh lemon grass
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 6 Kaffir lime leaves
• 3 slices fresh ginger sliced galangal would be authentic but not already in my fridge
• 2 Thai chili peppers halved and seeds removed
• 1 shallot thin sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms traditionally straw but I opted for Bunapi. They’re mild and look cool
• 2 Tbl. Thai chili paste
• 8 oz. medium shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 Tbl. fish sauce
• 1 Tbl. brown sugar
• 3 scallions thin sliced
• 1 Thai chili or red chili pepper thin sliced
• Juice of 1 lime
• cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Trim tip and root ends of lemongrass stalks and remove tough outer layer.
• Using a mallet smash the lemongrass to flatten it; tie stalks into a knot; set aside.
• Pour broth into 2 qt saucepan and bring to boil.
• Add lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger, and chili halves reduce heat and simmer 7-10 minutes until fragrant.
• Strain broth, discarding lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger and chili halves.
• Return to pan and increase heat to high.
• Stir in mushrooms and chili paste and boil for 1 minute; add shrimp, fish sauce, and sugar and cook until shrimp are just cooked through, about 1-2 minutes.
• Place chili pepper slices, scallions, and lime juice into serving bowls and top with shrimp, broth, and cilantro leaves.
• Adjust flavors by adding more fish sauce or lime juice just 1/4 teaspoon at a time

The post Tom Yum Soup {Thai Hot & Sour Soup} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Thighs.

To quote my in-house taste-tester, “This is a flavor WIN.”

I’ll take that as a thumbs up.  Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs marinated in a jalapeno orange marinade, then grilled to perfection.  So delicious and as a bonus, figure friendly.

Chicken thighs really love to be marinated and hold on to flavors during cooking, which insures they will be moist and juicy when they come off the grill.  We served them over whole wheat couscous with Mango Salsa.

If you thought last week’s Peach Basil Relish was the ticket, this Mango Salsa recipe is calling your name.  Fabulous and perfect with the Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Thighs.

I’d love for you to comment on this or any Lemony Thyme post.  All my best, Libby

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Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Thighs {with Mango Salsa}

Prep Time 3 hours hours

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 217kcal

Author Weight Watchers

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
• zest and juice of 1 orange
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 Tbl. soy sauce
• 1 Tbl. fish sauce
• 1 Tbl. brown sugar
• Mango Salsa see recipe link in post

Instructions

• Combine jalapeno, orange zest and juice, garlic, soy, fish sauce, and brown sugar in a large zipper bag. Add chicken thighs, squeeze out air and seal bag. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Spray grill rack with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium high.
• Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken until instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees, about six minutes per side. Remove from heat, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve with Mango Salsa.

Notes

Per Serving (1 chicken thigh and 1/4 cup relish) = 6 WW Pts+ If served with 1/2 cup cooked couscous & mixed greens with balsamic vinegar, add 3 WW Pts+

The post Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Thighs {with Mango Salsa} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Thai Beef Salad.

What a lovely way to enjoy a good piece of beef.  I know most recipes call for using lean flank steak.  And while I’m sure that’s very nice on this salad, on the rare occasion that we have steak, I prefer the most tender cut I can find.  And that would be a filet.  Grilled to medium-rare.  Sliced nice and thin.  It was that thought alone that inspired this recipe post.  Every bite of this Thai Beef Salad is a flavor explosion.

For both the marinade and the dressing, it’s all a matter of taste.  If you lean more towards sweet, you can add a little extra brown sugar or honey.  If you like spicy, sriracha is a fantastic way to add a little heat.  And whatever you do, don’t skimp on the fresh herbs.  The fresh cilantro, mint, and basil leaves are essential.  If you take the route I did and opt for a filet, limit the marinade time to no more than 4 hours.  Whereas flank steak will love to go overnight.

Thai Beef Salad is a lovely lunch or light dinner and would be fantastic for entertaining.  The steak can be grilled in advanced and sliced before serving.  Enjoy.

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Thai Beef Salad {with Fresh Herbs}

Course Salad Entree

Cuisine Thai

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the marinade…

• 2 Tbl. soy sauce
• 1 Tbl. fish sauce
• 1 Tbl. fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbl. fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbl. canola oil
• 1 tsp. red curry paste
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 Thai or Serrano chile, sliced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 Tbl. fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 Tbl. fresh mint leaves

For the salad…

• 6- ounces flank steak or filet mignon
• 3 cups mixed greens
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs like cilantro mint, and basil; reserve 2 Tbl. for garnish
• 1 radish thinly sliced
• 1 Fresno pepper matchstick sliced
• 8-10 snap peas
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 2 Tbl. peanuts
• Cherry tomatoes halves (optional)
• Cucumber sliced (optional)

For the dressing…

• 2 Tbl. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbl. fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbl. sesame oil
• 1 Tbl. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1 Thai or Serrano chile, seeded and minced

Instructions

• Combine marinade ingredients in a zipper top bag, add steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 – 24 hours.
• Grill steak until medium-rare. Allow to rest 15 minutes, then thinly slice.
• Combine dressing ingredients and reserve.
• Combine salad ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss with 2-3 Tbl. dressing. Divide salad between two plates. Top with sliced steak. Garnish with fresh herbs, then drizzle with a little extra dressing.

Notes

Steak will need to marinate from 2 – 24 hours before grilling.

Thai Beef Salad can even be served open faced on a homemade bagel as a midnight snack.  If anyone wanted a midnight snack.

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International food flavors have grown in popularity over the past several years.  As the foodie movement sweeps through cities and small towns alike, eaters are looking for ‘different’ dining options.  College Cafeterias are becoming International Eateries as young foodies seek out fresh flavorful options.  Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Asian Markets are as popular as ever with home cooks like me, offering expansive and diverse ingredients. 

Our favorite of the Asian Cuisines is Thai.  Our first introduction to Thai food was about 15 years ago when we were blessed with a new family member, who happened to be a Thai Chef.  Our pantry was changed forever.  Who knew soy sauce came in gallon jugs and fish sauce could ever taste good?  We were introduced to the term ‘layers of flavor’ when vinegars met hot peppers and fish sauce balanced lime juice.  The dipping sauces alone left us speechless.  We’ve had the pleasure of observing many Thai dishes come to life and even assisting in one or two.  We’re ready for a guest post by this amazing chef…come on down!!

Tom Yum Goong, Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup.  As you can see in the picture, the ingredients in this soup pack loads of flavor.  This dish is Hot, but the kind of heat that turns one sip into a ladle of love.  Before I made this dish for the first time I read at least a dozen variations of recipes for Tom Yum Goong.

Follow soup recipe below.  Then place chili pepper slices, scallions, and lime juice into serving bowls and top with shrimp, broth, and cilantro leaves.  Adjust flavors by adding more fish sauce or lime juice just 1/4 teaspoon at a time.

The broth will turn cloudy when it meets the lime juice and should taste equally spicy, salty, and sour.

Serve this soup hot and allow the aromas to add to the flavor.  Sip, smell, taste, enjoy.  And the next time you feel a cold or flu coming on try a home remedy bowl of Tom Yum Goong.  It will clear your sinuses, ease your body aches, and even lessen a headache.

The post Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup {Tom Yum Goong} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Fish Sauce.  No wait…don’t run away.  I will admit that fish sauce is a little scary, at first.  However it is the star ingredient in this dish and when combined with the many other powerful flavors it just gets happy.  I found this wonderful Vietnamese Pork Tenderloin recipe in my July Cooking Light magazine.  It’s well worth the 30 minutes or so of prep and all 25 ingredients. 

We used a 1 lb. pork tenderloin and cut it into 12 strips.  I got a little ahead of myself and didn’t realize the recipe called for it to be sliced crosswise into 1/4″ thick slices, it turned out fine but thinner probably would have been better.  For the marinade combine the following six ingredients in a small food processor and rough chop:  2 Tbl. sugar, 1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper, 2 garlic cloves,    1 shallot, halved, 1 – 4″ piece of lemongrass (I used the tube variety by Gourmet Garden and gave it about a 2″ squeeze), 1 – 1″ piece of peeled ginger.  Then with processor running add: 1 Tbl. soy, 1 Tbl. fish sauce, and 1 Tbl. canola.  Pour mixture into a zip lock bag and add pork pieces.  Marinate in fridge for minimum 1 hour, turning occasionally.

For the pickled carrots, the recipe called for 1/3 cup grated carrot.  I would definitely add more carrot next time – they were amazing.  I can’t wait to try this same pickle marinade on other veggies.  Combine carrot with 2 Tbl. sugar in medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.  Then add 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 1 Thai or serrano chile thinly sliced and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Refrigerate.

In addition to the carrots we served the pork with rice vermicelli noodles (cooked according to package), cauliflower rice (fine chop cauliflower in food processor then microwave with a little water until tender, about 5 minutes), sliced radishes, fine diced cucumber & red onion, fresh basil, mint, and cilantro leaves, and bibb lettuce cups.

Preheat grill to high heat.  Remove pork from marinade and weave onto bamboo skewers (previously soaked in water for 30 minutes).  Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 2 minutes on each side until nicely charred.  Sprinkle chopped peanuts over pork and serve on a lettuce cup topped with a little of everything.

You will not believe these incredible flavors.  We kept going back and forth on which item was the star ingredient….the fresh mint and basil were fantastic, the carrots with the serrano pepper had just the right amount of heat to balance the vinegar, the pork was moist and bursting with the flavors of ginger and fish sauce…..in the best way imaginable.  First attempt at Vietnamese and we will be back!

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Vietnamese Pork Tenderloin

You will not believe these incredible flavors. We kept going back and forth on which item was the star ingredient….the fresh mint and basil were fantastic, the carrots with the serrano pepper had just the right amount of heat to balance the vinegar, the pork was moist and bursting with the flavors of ginger and fish sauce…..in the best way imaginable.

Author Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 lb. pork tenderloin and cut crosswise into 1/4″ thick slices

For the marinade…

• 2 Tbl. sugar
• 1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 shallot halved
• 1 – 4 ” piece of lemongrass I used the tube variety by Gourmet Garden and gave it about a 2″ squeeze
• 1 – 1 ” piece of peeled ginger
• 1 Tbl. soy
• 1 Tbl. fish sauce
• 1 Tbl. canola

For the pickled carrots…

• 1/3 cup grated carrot
• 2 Tbl. sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 Thai or serrano chile thinly sliced

Toppings…

• Bibb lettuce cups
• Rice vermicelli noodles cooked according to package
• Chopped peanuts
• Sliced radishes
• Fine diced cucumber & red onion
• Fresh basil mint, and cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Slice pork tenderloin crosswise into 1/4″ thick slices

For the marinade…

• Combine the following six ingredients in a small food processor and rough chop: sugar, fresh cracked pepper, garlic cloves, shallot, lemongrass, and ginger.
• Then with processor running add: soy, fish sauce, and canola.
• Pour mixture into a zip lock bag and add pork pieces.
• Marinate in fridge for minimum 1 hour, turning occasionally.

For the pickled carrots…

• Combine carrot with sugar in medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Then add fresh lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, Thai or serrano chile and stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Refrigerate.

Assembly…

• Preheat grill to high heat.
• Remove pork from marinade and weave onto bamboo skewers (previously soaked in water for 30 minutes).
• Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray.
• Grill 2 minutes on each side until nicely charred.
• Sprinkle chopped peanuts over pork.
• Serve on a lettuce cup with rice noodles and a little of each topping.

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