If you’re craving a low-carb or vegetarian alternative to traditional fried rice, this is the recipe for you.

A little sesame oil and soy sauce and you’ve got the flavor profile down.

I always add carrots, onion and green peas but sometimes I also add zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, shrimp, or even bacon.

I keep bags of Cauliflower Rice in my freezer. It’s such a versatile ingredient that cooks very quickly. However you can easily make Cauliflower Rice from a head of fresh cauliflower.

I start in a large skillet with a little sesame oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and carrots until just tender then pour in the cauliflower rice and spread into an even layer. I let that cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then stir and repeat until the cauliflower is nice and hot. Add the frozen peas and soy sauce, then create a well in the middle with a touch more sesame oil.

Scramble the eggs until cooked through then stir them into the rice. If you like nice pieces of egg in your fried rice be sure to cook the egg all the way before stirring into the rice, otherwise it will just coat the rice. Season with salt, pepper and additional soy sauce to taste.

This fried rice pairs perfectly with Asian Salmon Meatballs and makes a great lunch bowl too. I promise you that Cauliflower Fried Rice packs all the flavor of your favorite takeout version.

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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Cauliflower Fried Rice

If you're craving a low-carb or vegetarian alternative to traditional fried rice, this is the recipe for you.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 bag frozen cauliflower rice
• 1/3 cup onion diced
• 1/3 cup carrot shredded or fine diced
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 2 eggs beaten
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large skillet add sesame oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and carrots until just tender then pour in the cauliflower rice and spread into an even layer. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then stir and repeat until the cauliflower is nice and hot.
• Add the frozen peas and soy sauce, then create a well in the middle with a teaspoon more sesame oil. Pour in beaten eggs and allow to set before scrambling. Keeps eggs in well until cooked through, then stir into rice. Season with salt, pepper and additional soy sauce to taste.

The post Cauliflower Fried Rice appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Someday I think I’d like to do an entire recipe series on ‘How to make this from that.’  In other words, how to enjoy dinner on day one, then turn the leftovers into a completely new meal (or two) the following days.  Our Roasted Veggie Pot Pie {with Herbed Biscuit Crust} is simply Roasted Veggie & White Bean Chowder with a heavenly layer of comfort baked on top.

We enjoyed the chowder so much and even commented on how it had a pot pie feel about it.

Did someone say pot pie?  He gave me the look.  I knew that leftover chowder was soon to become Roasted Veggie Pot Pie.

Because we were in the middle of an Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry Week and there was no sign of pie crust in the house….I turned to a biscuit topping (yes, I took the easy way out).  We’ll call this our Herbed Biscuit Crust.

Bisquick baking mix, buttermilk, shredded Parmesan cheese, minced fresh herbs, and Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning came together to make our drop biscuits.  Spooned over hot soup and baked until golden and yummy.

I posed this question to our Facebook fans last week.

Now that Fall is here what kind of recipes do you look forward to seeing in your newsfeed?
1. Soups, Stews & Chilis
2. Slow Cooker Recipes
3. Pumpkin & Winter Squash Dishes
4. Casseroles & Comfort Food
5. Other ________________

The results revealed how much we LOVE our Soups, Stews & Chilis AND our Casseroles & Comfort Food.  This Roasted Veggie Pot Pie {with Herbed Biscuit Crust} fell nicely into both categories.

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Roasted Veggie Pot Pie {with Herbed Biscuit Crust}

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For pot pie…

• 1 onion diced
• 3-4 carrots diced
• 2-3 celery ribs sliced
• 1 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 Tbl. olive oil divided
• 2 zucchini sliced & diced
• 2 summer squash sliced & diced
• 1 large or 2 small yellow or red tomatoes, diced
• 1 15-ounce can white beans
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

For herbed biscuits…

• 1 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2-3 Tbl. minced fresh herbs we used parsley, thyme & chives
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat 1 Tbl. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs and Mrs. Dash; sauté until tender.
• Meanwhile, put a single layer of zucchini, squash and tomato onto an olive oil coated shallow baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir and bake for 10 additional minutes; discard thyme sprig and add to Dutch oven.
• Meanwhile, combine half of the beans with 2 cups of broth in blender and puree. Add to Dutch oven with remaining broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt & pepper.
• Combine biscuit ingredients. Ladle soup into oven proof crocks and top each with several spoonfuls of biscuit dough. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

The post Roasted Veggie Pot Pie {with Herbed Biscuit Crust} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Hanging on to every fresh produce summer moment over here on Lemony Thyme.  I’m calling this soup Roasted Veggie & White Bean Chowder because it has a creaminess about it and chowders are amazing.  The beautiful thing is the creamy came from the white beans not cream or butter.  That puts this soup squarely in our Healthy Choices category.

Our soup began, like most of our soups do, with a sauté of onion, carrots and celery.  I decided to roast the next veggie layer of flavors, which consisted of summer squash, zucchini and a gorgeous farmers market ‘very ripe’ yellow tomato.  Let’s take a minute to give a shout out to roasted veggies, no matter how you enjoy them.  Roasting a pan of diced veggies in a bit of olive oil & fresh herb sprigs for 20 minutes completely elevates their flavors.

This dish was a recipe-in-motion from the start.  Since today is the eve of a new work week, I had healthy lunch choices on the brain.  My goal was to add very little fat to this recipe and instead let the veggies work their magic.  I pureed half of the white beans with some veggie broth to help thicken the soup.  The result, our Roasted Veggie & White Bean Chowder had a savory, almost chicken pot pie feel.  In the very best way.

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Roasted Veggie & White Bean Chowder

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 onion diced
• 3-4 carrots diced
• 2-3 celery ribs sliced
• 1 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 Tbl. olive oil divided
• 2 zucchini sliced & diced
• 2 summer squash sliced & diced
• 1 large or 2 small yellow or red tomatoes, sliced
• 1 15-ounce can white beans
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat 1 Tbl. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs and Mrs. Dash; sauté until tender.
• Meanwhile, put a single layer of zucchini, squash and tomato onto an olive oil coated shallow baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir and bake for 10 additional minutes; discard thyme sprig and add to Dutch oven.
• Combine half of the beans with 2 cups of broth in blender and puree. Add to Dutch oven with remaining broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt & pepper.

The post Roasted Veggie & White Bean Chowder appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Tuna Mac with Peas.  A family favorite comfort food.  A blog is after all a place to share memories.

I couldn’t recall how it came to be that Tuna Mac with Peas became such a favorite with my sister and I….so I called her and asked her.  Her earliest recollection dated back to when we were about 7 and 10.  It was our Baby Sitter Dinner.

Baby Sitter Dinner?  Without Mom here to clarify I can only imagine that she wanted to have a dinner that would make us comfortable and homey (as she slipped out for the evening).

Keep in mind this was Pre-TV Dinner time-frame.  TV Dinners became the new Baby Sitter Dinner.  Mom would take us to select our favorite novelty TV dinner.  Ah the choices.  I remember how much fun this was and how we viewed these as such a treat.  Today I’ll trade TV Dinners for Tuna Mac with Peas any day.

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It was this Kicked Up Albóndiga Soup recipe from Hispanic Kitchen that first grabbed my attention.  I knew instantly it would be a hit at our house when I read the recipe.  We are on an undeniable meatball kick.  I’m not sure what’s gotten into us, but it’s full out meatball mania around here.

After doing some recipe research it was this Albondigas Soup Recipe by Simply Recipes, with her fresh herb albondigas (meatballs), that really drew me in.

What I discovered after reading multiple recipes is that no two recipes are the same.  I chose favorites from several and can already think of some wonderful ingredient substitutions for the next time we make it.

We kept the soup fairly mild with onion, carrot, celery and squash.  In the future I would likely add some diced jalapeno.  We added green peas.  Green beans, snow peas and diced zucchini were all mentioned as suitable veggie additions.  We used chicken broth, however beef broth would add a nice richness.  We gave our broth a squeeze of fresh lime juice, which gave it a hint of traditional Mexican Chicken Soup.

In other words, make Albóndigas Soup {Mexican Meatball Soup} your own.  The meatballs were by far my favorite.  I loved the rice which gave them a softness and the fresh herbs added such nice flavor.  I’m definitely a fan of combining mint and cilantro.

Recipe Tip:  prepare just before serving.  We made the soup, then didn’t serve it for a couple hours.  Some of the meatballs broke apart.  Didn’t change the flavor, just not as pretty.  I’ll be reshooting these pictures soon :)

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Albondigas Soup {Mexican Meatball Soup}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

For meatballs…

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/3 cup uncooked white rice
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs combination of mint, cilantro and parsley, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

For soup…

• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 carrots sliced
• 2 celery ribs sliced
• 2 yellow squash diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 15- ounce can diced tomato
• 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste
• 1 Tbl. fresh squeezed lime juice
• fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

For meatballs…

• Combine meatball ingredients, mixing until just blended. Form into 1-inch balls and reserve.

For soup…

• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion, carrot, celery and squash; cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute. Add broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Drop meatballs into simmering soup one by one. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add frozen peas, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne and lime juice. Adjust to taste. Serve with fresh cilantro leaves.

The post Albóndigas Soup {Mexican Meatball Soup} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Snow-Day Chicken Pot Pie.

We were snowed in again and completely made the best of it.  Let me remind you we live in the sunny south, so snow days are few and far between.  Stranded at home is my excuse to turn to my fridge/pantry for inspiration.

Here’s what one of my herb porch pots looked like after the snow.  We’re calling this Winter Thyme :)

I bought a boxed pie crust just before New Years with a mini-quiche recipe in mind.  Things changed, recipes shifted, and here we are with a pie crust begging for it’s time to shine.  Most always we have onions in the pantry and carrots and celery in the fridge veggie drawer.  They are key ingredients in so many of our dishes.  Our freezer is a different story.  Random is the best way to describe it, although I’m beginning to think Freezer Staples could be just as important as fridge/pantry staples.

So when we found ourselves snowbound, it was kind of fun to plan a week of meals that required no trips to the grocery store (even if we could have ventured out).  We discovered a package of frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts and Snow-Day Chicken Pot Pie was conceived.

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Snow-Day Chicken Pot Pie

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts or homemade
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 onion diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 3 celery ribs sliced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
• 1 small sprig fresh rosemary leaves only
• 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper or to taste
• 5 Tbl. butter divided
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 egg beaten

Instructions

• Cook chicken breasts (I put them in the crock pot with the chicken broth and cooked them on high for about 3 hours until they shredded easily with a fork). Strain and reserve the broth.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbl. butter in a Dutch oven. Saute onion, carrot, and celery with herbs until tender. Season with poultry seasoning, salt & pepper. Remove from Dutch oven and reserve.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Add remaining 4 Tbl. butter to the pot. Once melted, dust with flour; stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Pour in reserved broth and bring to a boil, whisking until thickened. Add in shredded chicken, corn, peas and reserved sautéed veggies. Mixture should be thick. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Place one pie crust in 9-inch pie plate. Pour in filling. Top with second pie crust and crimp and trim edges. Use trimmed crust to make decorative shapes for top. Cut slits in top crust to vent. Brush crust with beaten egg. Place pie on baking sheet and bake on center rack for 30 minutes. Check crust after 10 minutes and cover edges with foil if beginning to brown.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

The post Snow-Day Chicken Pot Pie appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I had my heart set on Fried Rice.  Having no rice in the house was just a minor set back. Introducing Shrimp Fried Farro.

Welcome Winter Thyme 2014.  Today is our second straight day of snowbound living for the second time this year.  We live in the sunny south, where the peaches grow and our people are as sweet as our tea.  We’re not accustomed to waking up to this, although I must say it’s quite beautiful.

I’ve always said one of the things I love most about living in Georgia is that we enjoy all four seasons.  Albeit our Summers are longer and our Winters are shorter, we still wait in anticipation for the daffodils to peak through the bare ground each Spring and have some of the prettiest Fall foliage imaginable.  I will not complain about the snow, especially when the temperatures will be in the 50’s tomorrow.  Instead I will embrace the food already in my fridge and pantry and be thankful for a little creative energy.  The kind that turns out Shrimp Fried Farro.

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Shrimp Fried Farro

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup farro
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups water
• 3-4 slices bacon cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 10-12 frozen peeled & deveined medium shrimp thawed
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbl. sesame oil
• 1 Tbl. soy sauce
• black pepper

Instructions

• Combine farro, salt and water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking for 20-25 minutes until tender. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until browned. Add onion and carrot; sauté for 5 minutes. Add in peas, shrimp and 2 cups cooked farro. Stir fry to heat through.
• Make a well in the center. Add in sesame oil. Crack eggs into well and scramble. Drizzle soy sauce over farro mixture. Stir fry to combine all ingredients. Season with black pepper to taste.

Notes

Serves two as a meal. Would serve 4 as a side dish.

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Shelby and I recently had the pleasure of flying north to visit my brother, sister and their families for a few days.  We, like many families, are separated by distance and life and the stuff that can get in the way.  This trip was a chance for us to put all of that aside and just be together.  It was wonderful.

How does that relate to Turkey Tetrazzini?  I’m about to tell you in a long winded way.  However you won’t hurt my feelings if you’re simply here for a great leftover turkey recipe and know that we loved this growing up.  See below.

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Turkey Tetrazzini

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 8 ounces egg noodles
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
• 1 onion diced
• 4 Tbl. butter
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chicken or turkey broth
• 2 Tbl. dry white wine
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups cooked turkey cubed
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 2.25- ounce can sliced ripe olives drained
• sea salt
• freshly cracked pepper

For crumb topping…

• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup crushed cracker crumbs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.
• Cook egg noodles according to package instructions. Reserve.
• Sauté mushrooms and diced onion in 1 Tbl. butter until mushrooms have released their liquid. Remove from pan and reserve.
• Melt 2 Tbl. butter in sauté pan over medium heat. Dust with flour and whisk until bubbly. Stir in milk and broth. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
• In a large bowl combine cooked noodles, mushroom/onion mixture, cream sauce, cubed turkey, green peas, and sliced olives. Pour into buttered casserole dish.
• In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup cracker crumbs, and1 Tbl. melted butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden.

If you’re up for reading some reflections of growing up in my family…I’m up for sharing (don’t worry family, I won’t spill all our secrets).

I am the youngest of three, my brother the oldest and my senior by 9 years.  We moved a lot when we were little and my memories are much different than theirs.  This recent trip north (CT to be precise) was the first time we had all been together since our mom’s passing in 2010.  We did some reminiscing, shed a few tears, laughed a lot, ate a lot, and hugged ‘eachother’ every chance we could.

I’ve shared before that I did not learn to cook in the kitchen with my mom and grandmothers like many did.  I always recall my mom as a wonderful cook with signature dishes like Boston Baked Beans, Swedish Meatballs, Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates, and so many others.  All of these dishes were mostly served for an event or holiday, which reminds me that Mom was a great entertainer.  Forgive me if I reflect backwards as I type.  Great entertainer who lived for events.  I am very much like her in this regard, yet I’ve learned from her experiences how to take a new approach.  Over the years I witnessed her disappointment when the crowd left (or had gone to bed) and there she sat, often with a sink full of dishes, a signature pie that was never sliced, a brand new recipe that was outshone by the old favorites, and her vision of the perfect evening gone straight down the toilet.  As a child of 10 or 12 or 16, I didn’t understand.  From my eyes we had great fun.  There was no shortage of laughter, excellent food, drunk adults telling stories that we kids would do anything to overhear.  No, we weren’t Little House on the Prairie but it was the life I knew and loved.  As Mom got older, holidays became even more important to her and her level of expectation remained high.  When she was physically no longer able to host ‘events’ she began to live vicariously through us.  Once I was a married adult, my Christmas and Birthday gifts from Mom were the finest of gadgets and entertaining tools.  Yes, I own a complete set of Escargot shells, dishes, and … the things that Julia Roberts made famous in Pretty Woman.  We’ll call them Escargot pliers.

Spending time with my brother and sister as adults gives me a new perspective on our childhood.  I’ve found that as life goes on I am so humbled by what I don’t know or never realized or was so caught up in me to stop and recognize.  That is a major understatement, but I’m trying really hard not over use adjectives and exclamation points.

My brother approaches entertaining with ease.  He makes sure to have the favored cocktail of every guest.  He prepares nibbles that are unassuming and seemingly effortless, yet mouthwateringly delicious.  He totally gets ‘less is more’ and that spending time with guests is what’s most important.  Having said that, he makes sure everyone is satisfied even if that means whipping up pasta primavera at midnight or homemade home fries, eggs & bacon at 8 am.  And my sister-in-law Suzanne opens her home and heart to everyone who steps through their doorway.  Wonderful hosts.

My sister may be the best cook in the family (sorry Scott, you’re excellent but Sarah is a complete visionary who can work with the most basic of ingredients and turn them into amazing).  Sarah brought Phyllo dough into our home in the late 70’s.  She read a recipe in a magazine and *womp* recreated it for us.  FE-FI-LO What? I remember our amazement as we savored this pastry, formerly reserved for upscale bakeries.  I need her to remind me of the details of that dish.  Broccoli?

Now let me tell you about the next generation of cooks in our family.  My brother’s girls have been raised foodies.  Every dinner was encouragement to at least ‘taste’ each dish.  No vacation was complete without experiencing the best of the best in that city.  Whether that was Washington DC or Paris. I love these two girls.  It was a treasure to be able visit with them as adults.  xoxo

I’ve come to learn that Jen (my Boston girl) takes after her Grammy and lives to entertain.  A-typical personalities that like to pre-plan….down to exactly how we want our pigs in blankets rolled ;)  I learned, from awesome pictures, that she throws some bad-ass Halloween parties, complete with themed food & theme rooms (anyone watch Dexter?).  Kate, lives in Manhattan, and has the city as her oyster (also like her Grammy, back in her 20s).  She, like me, loves to sample every dish on the menu.  She drinks Rye and makes homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole without canned goods.  You are invincible while sipping Rye.  She’s a foodie at heart and lights up when we reminisce about family.

My girl Shelby declared her 2012 New Year’s Resolution as this….”learn how to cook and enjoy doing it (and eating it).”  Imagine my joy to read this.  She approaches cooking the way she approaches life.   Shelby, a licensed massage therapist, understands anatomy and how processed foods and ‘chemical’ products negatively affect our being.  I admire her thirst for knowledge.  We don’t need crap food (unless we’re hung over) and recipes are meant to be challenged.  We choose to call this balance.  She’s my inspiration for getting up on Sunday mornings to set out on our adventures.  Food is a common denominator in our family, it’s a woven thread.  I’m glad she caught the foodie bug.

The youngest of cousins is Maya.  As another ‘baby’ in the family, I see where she strives to fit in with her older cousins.  She has matured from an inquisitive adolescent into a pre-teen who fits in completely with her older cousins. Rainbow Looms?!  Yes that was us, all hands on deck, we were students of Maya’s instruction.  Such a sweet and beautiful girl who is quite happy to be a ‘Nerd.’  Smart is IN you know :)  And did I mention her dad is a chef (and Thai)?  She is at complete ease in the kitchen as Dad puts out round after round of scrumptious which she delivers to the table like a pro.  She’s got extreme foodie genes.

As my sister and brother and I sat around a lunch table we began to talk about our youth.  I asked them…”what did Mom cook during the week?”  I remember the dishes served for holidays and events, but weeknight dinners escaped me completely.  They agreed that ground beef was a key ingredient in most week night dishes.  She was a single mom and full-time (and then some) newspaper editor.  Hamburger Helper couldn’t have arrived on the scene at a better time.  Back in the day ground beef was actually inexpensive.

Money Saving Tip (from my brother) ~ When doing your grocery shopping, compare the cost of ground beef to that of some other less expensive cuts of meat.  If ground beef is $2.99/lb. and London Broil or shoulder roast is $1.99/lb. ask the meat counter to grind it for you.  Brilliant.

So while she took all short cuts available to her during the week, Mom was a wonderful cook.  Being frugal led to creativity in the kitchen.  I can’t recall a Thanksgiving growing up that didn’t end with a giant pot on the stove boiling down the turkey carcass.  We knew Turkey Noodle Soup and/or Turkey Tetrazzini was but a day away.

One final note to my ramblings.  Shelby and I took a little excursion one afternoon.  We had a very special date with a very special lady lined up.  It was last December when I first ‘met’ Nicole, albeit virtually.  She won me over with her big kind heart.  I was a new blogger with 67 Facebook followers.  I was desperately trying to reach 100 by midnight on New Year’s Eve.  Nicole shared my page with her followers and they shared it with theirs.  Before you knew it I had passed my goal (in less than 2 hours) and the foodie love kept coming.  It wasn’t long before Nicole and I began to build our friendship, a sisterhood if you will.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she lived in the same town as my sister, 1200 miles away.  It was destiny that we meet.

Meet my love, Nicole from My Love for Cooking.  She and her husband Mike welcomed Shelby and I into their home.  We fell in love with them and their children.  By the time we left Blueberry Girl was wrapped around my leg and Little Mister was hugging onto Shelby.  It was like being with family.  This was our first date, but there will be many more in the future I’m certain.  Next time we’re cooking together!

Since I’m on such a rambling roll I must share these pics with you.  After leaving Nicole’s we stumbled upon this gem.  A great way to end a wonderful day.

Thank you to those that made it all the way to the end.  This was a really nice way for me share my family with you.  xo Libby

The post Turkey Tetrazzini {and a rambling on family} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I recently got on a kick of looking for ways to ‘Deconstruct’ recipes.  It seemed like a cool way to present a dish and the couple I have posted were quite fun.  Next up on my ‘to-be-deconstructed’ list was Tuna Noodle Casserole.  A comfort food dish that many of us grew up on (whether you liked it or not).

My thought was to build the layers of flavor thoughtfully using top quality ingredients to deliver a bowl of comfort.  I think I’ve succeeded with this one.

During today’s Sunday’s with Shelby excursion we revisited the Buford Highway Farmers Market.  I was trying to describe this place to a friend.  He couldn’t grasp that the seafood counter was bigger than the one at our Whole Foods.  I said “envision the IKEA of supermarkets….that’s what this place is like.”

Here’s just one side of the 10 sided seafood counter that wraps nearly the entire back of the store.  It’s amazing.  The fish mongers are on ready to take your order.  Today it was a beautiful piece of Ahi Tuna.

For the other components of this dish, I used some beautiful Tagliatelle pasta (long medium width noodles), a creamy sauce infused with lemony thyme and Morel mushrooms, and a handful of green peas.  Top those layers of goodness with seared Ahi Tuna and you’ve got a fabulous recreation of a classic comfort food dish.

Recipe note:  Because I am looking for ways to ‘lighten up’ our dishes, I made our cream sauce from fat free half-and-half and Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedges.  To give it a nice burst of flavor I added two sprigs of fresh lemony thyme and a handful of dried Morel mushrooms (that I scored at our local farmers market last week).  The mushrooms are certainly optional, as is choosing to ‘lighten’ it up.  This dish would also be delicious with Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup in place of the cream sauce.  Bottom line, make this Ahi Tuna Noodle Casserole your own and prepare to get comfortable and happy.

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Ahi Tuna Noodle Casserole {with a Lemony Thyme Sauce}

The fresh lemony thyme sprigs were such a lovely add to this sauce. Adding a bright, slight lemon flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the pasta…

• 4 oz. Tagliatelle pasta or your favorite noodle
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas thawed

For the cream sauce…

• 3/4 cup fat free half-and-half or cream
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 3 Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Wedges
• 2 sprigs fresh lemony thyme
• 1/8 cup dried Morel mushrooms optional
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch of cayenne pepper

For the tuna…

• 1 8 oz. Ahi Tuna steak cut in half
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
• 1 Tbl. sunflower oil or other high heat oil

Instructions

For the pasta…

• Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and toss with olive oil and green peas. Reserve.

For the cream sauce…

• Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan heat half-and-half over medium heat until just about to boil, then dust with flour while whisking to blend. Reduce heat to low, add cheese wedges and whisk until cheese has melted. Add lemony thyme sprigs and dried mushrooms and allow to cook over low, stirring occassionally. Sauce should be fairly thick.

For the tuna…

• Combine the cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Then pour onto a plate. Dip the edges of the tuna steaks in the spice mixture, gently pressing so it adheres.
• In a medium skillet, heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering in the pan. Using tongs sear all edges of both steaks, about 45 seconds per side. Once edges are golden browned, sear steaks for 1 minute per side for rare, adjust cooking time according to your preferred level of doneness. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes; thinly slice accross the grain.

To serve…

• Divide pasta and peas between two bowls. Remove thyme sprigs from sauce and spoon over pasta. Top with thinly sliced ahi tuna pieces.

The post Ahi Tuna Noodle Casserole {with a Lemony Thyme Sauce} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

From the moment I first took a bite of this fabulous dish I knew.  Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole and I were going to be life long friends.  It’s the perfect combination of creamy, nutty, healthy goodness combined with the comfort that comes from a warm bowl of homemade chicken soup. 

Wild rice is fabulous on it’s own as a side dish.  It’s naturally low in fat, high in fiber, and a good source of protein.  It takes a little longer to cook than standard long grain rice, so when making this casserole you may want to make the rice the day before to cut down on the overall cooking time.  Same goes for the chicken, this is the perfect dish to come the day after you roast a whole chicken.

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is a hearty dish.  Over the years I’ve replaced some of the higher fat and sodium laden ingredients to come up with a full flavor, yet lighter ‘fresh’ version of this beautiful dish.  Serve with a side salad for a wonderful family meal.  The casserole can be made a day ahead and then baked before serving.

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Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the perfect combination of creamy, nutty, healthy goodness combined with the comfort that comes from a warm bowl of homemade chicken soup.

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 3 carrots diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 16 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1 Tbl. fresh thyme minced
• Salt and pepper
• 4 Tbl. flour
• 1 can fat free evaporated milk
• 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked chicken cubed
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbl. fresh parsley chopped
• cooking spray

Instructions

• Prepare wild rice according to package instructions, using chicken broth instead of water.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Meanwhile, add olive oil to a Dutch oven, sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5-7 minutes until just tender. Then add the mushrooms, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes. Dust vegetables with flour, cook for 1-2 minutes, then gradually add in evaporated milk, stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil; then reduce heat to low. Add in Laughing Cow wedges and parmesan cheese, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, stir in cooked wild rice, cubed chicken, and frozen peas. Adjust seasoning to taste. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
• In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes until topping is lightly browned and mixture is bubbly. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Homemade Chicken Broth

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