This all-purpose blend is a delicious way to season meats, vegetables, soups and stews. You’ll find this spice blend is a key ingredient in many Latin, Mexican, and Caribbean recipes.

You’ve likely seen it on the grocery store shelves in the Latin/Mexican section.

Making your own seasoning blends are a great way to use ingredients you likely already have on hand. Did you know most ground spices lose the majority of their flavor within a year? When’s the last time you cleaned out your spice cabinet? Hmmm, might be time for me to tackle that too!

So use up those spices by making time-saving blends instead of buying another jar.

This particular flavor enhancer can be sprinkled directly onto meat or vegetables as a dry rub before grilling or roasting. Sprinkled directly into soups and stews. It’s also fantastic when used to make a marinade with lemon juice and olive oil.

Adobo Seasoning contains: garlic powder, turmeric, oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper. It’s a key ingredient in Arroz Con Pollo (Latin Chicken & Rice). It’s not to be confused with Adobo Sauce which is a spicy pepper and tomato based sauce that’s big on flavor!

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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Homemade Adobo Seasoning Blend

Make a batch of Homemade Adobo Seasoning Blend to have on hand. This all-purpose blend a delicious way to season meats, vegetables, soups and stews.

Course Spices

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients. Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid.

The post Easy Homemade Adobo Seasoning Blend appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Tender marinated chicken pieces charred and then simmered in a heavenly creamy, rich and moderately spicy sauce.

Sometimes your tastebuds need (and deserve) a trip around the world.

When I set out to prepare a well-known dish such as Chicken Tikka Masala, I spend a good bit of time reading, recreating and recording the process.

As I researched the history of this delightful dish it became clear that the aromatics and the spices were the stars.

What I’ve also found is that there are really two recipes within one….the marinade and the sauce. And both include the same key ingredients.

So for my recipe breakdown below, you’ll see I added a Spice Blend first. This allows you to measure once and use twice and also keeps the ingredients list far less intimidating.

The Marinade

Chicken Tikka Masala begins by marinating chicken pieces in yogurt, aromatics and spices. I used chicken thighs because they love to quickly take on a punchy marinade and remain nice and juicy when cooked. I recommend a minimum of 30 minutes to marinate but an hour or two will nicely intensify the flavors.

The Method

Working in batches, the marinated chicken pieces are pan seared in a smoking hot skillet with ghee until nicely charred, about 2 minutes per side.

Reserve the chicken, wipe the pan to remove any black bits and begin to build the curry sauce.

The Sauce

The sauce begins with sautéed diced onion and freshly grated ginger, followed by minced garlic, a generous amount of spices, and tomato puree.

At this point the aromas wafting through your house will be incredible, fortunately you’re only 15 minutes away from serving!

The sauce is simmered and then pureed in the blender (or remove to a bowl and use an immersion blender).

Return the sauce to the skillet, swirl in the cream and ghee (or butter), and return the charred chicken pieces to the sauce to heat through.

Just like that you’ve recreated Chicken Tikka Masala at home.

Serve Chicken Tikka Masala over basmati rice or with naan bread and a generous sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

This dish is comfort in a bowl. Warm spices, creamy sauce, tender chicken all beautifully balanced. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and share a comment below.

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,
Libby

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Warm spices, creamy sauce, tender chicken all beautifully balanced in this flavorful dish.

Course Entree

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Marinade Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Spice Blend

• 2 Tablespoons garam masala
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon turmeric
• 1 Tablespoon paprika not smoked
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more for extra spicy flavor

For the Marinade

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1" pieces
• 1 cup plain full fat yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic about 3 cloves
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons Spice Blend see above

For the Sauce

• 4 Tablespoons ghee divided
• 1 large onion fine diced
• 2 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 2 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic about 6 cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons Spice Blend see above
• 1 14 ounce can tomato puree
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup water if needed

To Serve

• 1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice
• 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• naan bread optional

Instructions

For the Spice Blend

• Combine ground spices in a jar with a lid and shake to combine.

For the Marinade

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup yogurt with 1 Tbl. freshly grated ginger and 1 Tbl. freshly minced garlic. Add 2 1/2 Tbl. of Spice Blend, stir to combine. Add chicken pieces and stir to thoroughly coat all pieces. Cover bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes but up to 3 hours.
• Heat a large cast iron or heavy skillet over high heat. Add 1 Tbl. of ghee, heat until smoking. Working in batches, sear the chicken pieces in a single layer, about 2 minutes per side. They should become blackened and charred. Remove pieces to a plate. Add more ghee and sear another batch. Repeat until all chicken has been charred on both sides. Reserve.

For the Sauce

• Wipe the skillet to remove any black bits. Heat skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tbl. ghee and sauté onion and ginger, stirring constantly until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and salt and cook an additional minute. Sprinkle in remaining spice blend, stir to coat onions and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Transfer sauce to a blender and puree until smooth or transfer to a bowl and use an immersion blender. Return sauce to pan, stir in cream, 1 Tbl. ghee or butter. Add water, up to 1/2 cup, to achieve desired thickness. Bring to a low simmer, return charred chicken pieces to sauce to heat through.

To Serve

• While making the sauce, prepare basmati rice according to package instructions. To serve, place a serving of rice in each bowl, with 1/4th of the chicken tikka masala. Sprinkle with a generous amount of chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with side of naan bread (optional). Enjoy!

The post Chicken Tikka Masala appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Chicken Satay Meatballs were my sister Sarah’s call. In fact Sarah had several suggestions for March Meatball Madness. Let’s just say she has a vivid imagination and extreme creativity when it comes to food and I love her for it!!!

After all those colorful suggestions we landed on Chicken Satay Meatballs with Peanut Dipping Sauce. It was a great choice!

For the meatballs, I incorporated many of the ingredients you would use in Chicken Satay marinade. I combined ginger, garlic, chili crisp, sesame oil, peanut butter, turmeric and basil with Panko breadcrumbs and an egg, then folded that mixture into the ground chicken.

I decided to serve these as lettuce wraps so I made them a little larger, almost 2 inches (15 meatballs). Because ground chicken is soft and these meatballs are very tender before they’re cooked, I prefer to bake them at 400 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.

If you’re late to the game like me or haven’t been introduced to Chili Crisp Oil yet, I mean….it’s a spunky jar of flavor wow and you’re missing out!! I’ve come to love it so much I making my own. And I will say that I’m a bit of a spicy food whimp, but there’s something about this blend of garlic and shallot and pepper flakes and oil…..addicting!

And then there’s the Peanut Dipping Sauce. It’s the right balance of sweet and savory and very peanut-y. The perfect dipping partner for these Chicken Satay Meatballs! They make a great appetizer or wrap them up in lettuce leaves and you’ve got a deliciously healthy, flavor-packed meal.

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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Chicken Satay Meatballs {with Peanut Dipping Sauce}

Chicken Satay Meataballs make a great appetizer or wrap them up in lettuce leaves and you've got a deliciously healthy, flavor-packed meal.

Course Entree or Appetizer

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Gluten Free for GF version)
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 Tablespoon ginger finely grated
• 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon chili crisp or sriracha chili crisp recipe link in post
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

For Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup coconut milk or more for thinner sauce
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon chili crisp or sriracha

To Serve (optional)

• fresh cilantro leaves
• crushed peanuts
• thinly sliced scallion
• lime wedges
• bibb lettuce cups

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and then add the ground beef. Mix just until incorporated. Form into 1 1/2" meatballs, place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.

For the Peanut Sauce

• Add all dipping sauce ingredients to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until bubbling. Turn off and allow to cool slightly before serving.

To Serve

• Serve meatballs with peanut dipping sauce and as many optional garnishes as you like. Enjoy!

The post Chicken Satay Meatballs {with Peanut Dipping Sauce} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Sweet.  Crisp.  Bread & Butter Pickles.  We’re hooked.  Fortunately these pickles are super easy to make and just a day away from pickle perfection.

October may seem like an odd time of year to put out a pickle recipe.  After all, our local farmers market has closed for the season.  The thing is, we’ve enjoyed these pickles all summer long and I’m just now coming around to post them.

So while in-season pickling cukes might be best for making pickles, I have learned that salad cucumbers work just fine.  Their skins are a bit thicker, but that has been no challenge for this pickling liquid.  I assure you, these Bread & Butter Pickles are perfectly sweet and punchy.

I used our trusty mandolin fitted with a ridge blade to slice the cucumbers.  Slicing them with a knife, either in rounds like this or into spears, works well also.  Once sliced, the cucumbers are salted and allowed to sit refrigerated for an hour, before being rinsed to remove the salt.

The pickling liquid is a combination of sugars and vinegars with mustard and celery seed, along with a bit of turmeric.  It is the perfect balance of sweet with a sour bite finish.

This picture is eye candy.  A jar of pickle love.

Earlier this summer, while visiting my local farmers market, I bought cucumbers.  I don’t eat cucumbers, in their raw form.  I like them, they don’t like me.  But I am a sucker for old-timey farmers and can’t walk by without speaking (and most often purchasing) from each and every one of them.  I happily bought the last 2 pounds of his pickling cukes and promptly began recipe research for pickles…a mutual love.  I found this recipe from Recipe Girl and have never looked back.

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Bread & Butter Pickles

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. thinly sliced pickling cucumbers
• 1 1/2 Tbl. kosher salt
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. celery seeds
• 1/8 tsp. turmeric

Instructions

• Place cucumbers in a large bowl and toss with salt; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to remove the salt. Drain well and return to bowl; add sliced onion.
• In a medium saucepan combine sugars, vinegars and remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour hot pickling liquid over cucumbers and onions. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Transfer pickles to covered jars and refrigerate for 24 hours. Store refrigerated for up to two weeks.

The post Bread & Butter Pickles appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I separated this Tandoori Spice Blend from the Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower post because it’s so versatile it’s worth a post of it’s own.  I can see myself using this in various dishes and thankfully the recipe made enough to for us and to share with Shelby.

I also learned that a coffee grinder is one powerful little gadget.  Yes, the cinnamon sticks go in whole and come out as part of this blend.  Pretty amazing.

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Tandoori Spice Blend

Author Sarah B’s Tandoori Spice Blend

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. chili or cayenne
• 1 Tbl. cardamom ground or seeds
• 4 Tbl. cumin seeds
• 2 Tbl. coriander seeds
• ½ whole nutmeg grated
• 2 tsp. whole cloves
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 Tbl. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbl. paprika

Instructions

• Place all ingredients except for turmeric and paprika in a spice mill, mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Grind until powder. Add turmeric and paprika. Store in a glass jar away from light and heat. Will keep for up to six months.

The post Tandoori Spice Blend appeared first on Lemony Thyme.