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.

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(thank you Ben & Jerry’s for that)

Be honest with me.

When you see {Gluten Free} is that a turn off?

I’m never sure if I should just slip in “Gluten Free’ or shout if from the roof top.

When you read gluten free, do you assume that whatever is pictured must have a weird texture or funny taste?

Because these muffins are really good! Yes, they happen to be gluten free, but not because they have funky earthy ingredients, but because oats ground into flour make damn good muffins.

For my non-Gluten Free friends, please give them a chance. Then let me know in the comments below what you think. Deal?

I know this is a post about Wholesome Chunky Monkey Muffins but when your kitchen is graced with such beauty as this bouquet of flowers, it’s hard to keep the camera off of them.

One of the many reasons I love going to our local Farmers Market each week. We’ve met some really great people, who happen to be flower farmers.

While I’m certain it has its challenges, waking up to fields of flowers must be an enchanting way to begin the day.

Back to these muffins. From the minute they come out of the oven, the sweet wholesome aroma will speak to your taste buds.

Hello….

You’re going to love my texture. Love my nutty sweet flavors. And most certainly want to share the love with your friends and family.

Chunky Monkey Muffins are moist, with nutty banana flavors, sweetened with chocolate chips.

I’m generally a savory breakfast girl, but there’s something special about a slightly sweet muffin with a cup of coffee. It’s kind of like having a biscotti with your coffee.

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

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I have made these muffins multiple times over the past few months.

They are wonderful gifts.

The perfect breakfast or afternoon snack.

And when a late night craving sweeps over you, enjoy a gluten free Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffin….guilt free!

Thank you to my sister Sarah for the inspiration.

We tweaked this recipe several times before coming up with what we believe is the perfect balance of moist texture and warm flavors.

I have been enjoying a mostly gluten free diet for a couple years now.

I’m still discovering some of the best GF ingredient swaps but have found two I love. Gluten Free measure for measure flour is fantastic in place of all-purpose flour in most recipes.

The oat flour is the hero of these muffins, lending a lovely texture. Not only is it naturally gluten free and full of fiber, oats add a satisfying hearty taste to your muffins.

Recipe note: simply pulse old fashioned oats in your food processor or high powered blender until a coarse flour like texture is achieved.

These are not sweet muffins. Instead there is the a hint of natural sweetness from the pumpkin and maple syrup and a whole lot of texture from the coconut, carrots, pineapple, raisins, and walnuts.

And a lovely cozy warm flavor from the Pumpkin Pie Spice. So wholesome and delicious.

I found a near-new Jumbo Muffin tin at a thrift store and am hooked on this size.

One Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffin is definitely a meal and also a warmly received pass-over-the-fence gift for your favorite neighbors :)

Are you a muffin fan? I’d love for you to comment below with your favorite flavor combinations. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the muffin train rolling).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins {Gluten Free}

These Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins are meant to be shared. There is so much goodness and love packed into each one.

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup All-purpose Gluten Free measure for measure flour
• 3/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats ground into flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup pepitas for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line muffin tin (12 standard or 6 jumbo).
• In large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients through salt. In a small bowl, whisk pumpkin, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and eggs. Stir wet mixture into dry just until combined. Fold in carrots, pineapple, raisins, walnuts and coconut.
• Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Sprinkle a few pepitas on top of each muffin. Bake for 18-20 minutes for jumbo muffins (slightly less for standard sized muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly dry. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, continue cooling on wire rack.

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I’ve completely jumped onto the ‘Bowl’ bandwagon.  Rice bowls, ramen bowls, power bowls, Buddha bowls, dragon, macro, breakfast and lunch bowls….they all make me happy.  The perfect portion of noodles, rice or grains with added protein & veggie love.  Our latest creation is the Honey Walnut Shrimp Power Bowl inspired by ingredients already on hand.  Win-win power bowl.

I recently made a batch of these Sweet & Sticky Sesame Walnuts for a Game Day snack.  They’re not only addicting, but they would make a really nice gift.  Yes, I’m already thinking holidays and have officially purchased my first Christmas gifts of the season.  It’s not even October….could this be the year that I replace chaos with peace and joy?  Stay tuned.

Anyway, I exercised restraint and whisked away the uneaten portion of walnuts and stashed them in the pantry.  I had a plan.  They sat on a shelf within eyesight of these two gems shown below.

My new favorite (and ultra easy to prepare) grain blend is Seeds of Change Seven Whole Grains.  In this 90-second microwavable pouch, there are seven grains…long grain brown rice, barley, rye, bulgur, red winter wheat, quinoa and wild rice.  It’s the nicest combination of slightly chewy, almost nutty with zero Earthy flavor.

And then there is the sweetest little jar of honey.  We attended a beautiful wedding this spring, where the bride and groom had a honey unity ceremony.  We were later each given a honey pot as a wedding favor.  It was time this sweetness found it’s way into a recipe.

Honey Walnut Shrimp Power Bowl felt hearty yet fresh.  Shrimp are such a versatile low calorie, protein packed ingredient.  We always have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer to add to a stir fry, pasta or a Lunch Bowl.  Lightly sautéed or steamed fresh veggies add nutrients and color to our bowl, while the honey mayo sauce brings a sweet heat and may be the star in this bowl.  It’s reminiscent of the dreamy sauce that makes Bang Bang Shrimp so special.

Recipe note:  to lower the calories in our protein bowl, up the fresh veggies and invite another friend to join you for lunch.

I think we have a winning flavor combination here.  I loved to hear your thoughts below.

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Honey Walnut Shrimp Power Bowl

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -3

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 pouch Seeds of Change Seven Whole Grains or favorite
• 1/2 lb. medium shrimp peeled & deveined
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 1/2 cup Sweet & Sticky Walnuts or plain walnut halves
• 1 fresno chile thinly sliced
• 2 Tbl. peanut oil or other high heat oil
• 3 Tbl. light mayonnaise
• 3 Tbl. honey
• 2-3 tsp. sriracha hot sauce

Instructions

• Prepare Whole Grains according to package instructions. Reserve.
• In a wok or large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium-high heat. Stir fry shrimp, broccoli, snap peas, walnuts and chile for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Remove from heat.
• Combine mayonnaise, honey and srirach then spoon over shrimp mixture and toss to coat.
• Divide grains into 2-3 bowls. Top each with Honey Walnut Shrimp. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe note: to lower the calories in our protein bowl, up the fresh veggies and invite another friend to join you for lunch.

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I sent Shelby an innocent birthday text (back on May 28th).  It went something like this….what’s your favorite kind of cake? She threw me for a loop with her response.

Initially I had no reason to believe that Vegan Hemp Seed Carrot Cake wasn’t exactly what she wanted. My Mom-in-action-mode took me to this recipe.  Which I printed, acquired ingredients for, and assumed the holding position.  But then later that day it was revealed the spawn of Chocoholic might prefer… a chocolate cake.

Curve ball two…spawn of Chocoholic recently identified an adversity to dairy. Thankfully I’ve been called to dairy free chocolate love on another occasion.  Have you seen our Dairy Free Chocolate Truffles <3

I made the love of my life the perfect birthday cake.  We got so caught up with our awesome kid and young life and birthday joy that I never posted her almost dairy free macadamia crusted chocolate torte.  Be watching for it next year on or about May 28th.

Flash forward to a few days before Christmas.  I was going through my treasured to-be-made-recipes folder and found the recipe that I printed back on May 28th.  It was thyme to make and present vegan hemp seed carrot cake delivered in the form of Carrot Cake Energy Bites.

I honestly think these were one of Shelby’s favorite Christmas presents (her new hi-tech juicer a close second).

The fact that I actually fell for her original request and that they turned out to be delicious bites of healthy, homemade love made them extra special.  Carrot Cake Energy Bites are stored in the freezer making them a quick on the go snack.

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Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Author lightly adapted from Blissful Basil

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pitted sun ripened dates
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup raw chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 Tbl. hemp seeds
• 1 Tbl. milled flax seed
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a food processor or Vitamix.
• Pulse until the mixture is well combined, yet with texture; about 10 times. The mixture should be sticky enough to form into balls.
• Form into 15 balls. Store in the freezer.

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Sweet & Sticky Sesame Walnuts make a great bar snack, game-day nibble, or holiday cookie tin addition.  That was reason enough to make them.

Only four ingredients and steps so simple that very little words are required was reason enough to share them with you.

After the walnuts are boiled and tossed in sugar, they need to sit overnight (or for at least 8 hours) before being flash fried in hot oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.  Once cooled these Sweet & Sticky Sesame Walnuts are ready to be enjoyed.

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My sister happened on a treasure a couple of weeks ago.  She found a recipe box filled with family favorites.  I was giddy, she was giddy.  We spent an hour on the phone reminiscing over each one.  When we got done I had written out a half a dozen that I had to make in a hurry.  These Oatmeal Cookies were first up.

These aren’t just any Oatmeal Cookies.  Take a look at the ingredients above.  Yes, we have oats, but we also have corn flakes, coconut and walnuts.  These special additions are what give these cookies their unmistakable crispy texture and sweet but subtle flavor.

The dough is rolled out and then flattened with a fork like you would for peanut butter cookies.  When they come out of the oven they are a gorgeous golden brown color with bits of love poking out everywhere.  I had completely forgotten about these heavenly cookies and now I can’t get them off my mind.

Today is my sister’s birthday.  I made a batch and shipped them to her.  Hope she’s opened her gifts by now ;)  Happy Birthday Sarah.  xo

Recipe source Madeline Burgoyne, Jaffrey NH

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One by one I’m recreating classic salad recipes to share on Lemony Thyme.  It’s been quite fun bringing life to favorites like the Lunch Counter Chef Salad, the Classic Cobb Salad and now this delicious Waldorf Salad {with Honey-Cardamom Dressing}.

The Waldorf Salad is lovely served for luncheons, showers, and other special celebrations; such as a retirement party at the office for one very special lady.  Yes, you could serve this salad for just such an occasion.

I stayed fairly true to the original Waldorf Salad recipe that dates back to the late 1800’s when it was first served at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City.  I did however give the mayonnaise based dressing a little flavor love by adding honey and cardamom.  There’s a reason some salads achieve ‘classic’ status and this is one of them.

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Waldorf Salad {with Honey-Cardamom Dressing}

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 red apple cored and diced
• 1 granny smith apple cored and diced
• 1 cup red seedless grapes halved
• 1 cup celery diced
• 1 cup walnuts

For the dressing…

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbl. honey
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• salt & pepper
• lettuce to serve

Instructions

• Combine mayonnaise, honey and cardamom. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Toss with diced apples, grapes, celery and walnuts.
• Classically served in lettuce cups.

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I love, love, love English Toffee.  I printed this recipe from Ghirardelli years ago and just now got up the courage to try my hand at ‘confection’ making.  According to the red line on my new candy thermometer, I’ll be in the confection stage.  I can do this!

Butter, sugar, water and salt go into a heavy bottom pot.  The mixture is cooked over medium heat until it reaches the ‘Hard Crack’ stage.  Having no idea how long this would take I kept a close watch, stirring occasionally.  Minutes passed and the sugar mixture came to a nice rolling boil.  So I kept stirring, watching the hand on the thermometer in anticipation.  Much to my dismay the temp. was barely increasing, yet after about 15 minutes my sugar mixture began to turn a dark brown.  I bailed out on the thermometer and poured the mixture onto my prepared pan.  While I waited for it to cool, I did a little ‘toffee research’ and came upon this article from Joy of Baking.  Key words in bold that stood out…. “without stirring.”   Seems I was tricking my thermometer into thinking my mixture was cooler than it was.

The pan on the right, batch #1….essence of burnt sugar.  Lesson learned.  After adjusting my method and ‘not stirring’ my second batch, the pan on the left was perfect.

Once the toffee has cooled to room temperature, melted chocolate and a generous sprinkle of chopped walnuts are spread on top.  It was then that I proclaimed “Babe, come quick…I think I just made English Toffee.”

I delivered the toffee to work today to Share the Love with our customers.  It’s become a tradition each year to send as many customers as possible a tin of home baked treats from all of us.

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English Toffee {Share the Love}

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author lightly adapted from Ghirardelli Chocolates

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 3/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbl. water
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the chopped walnuts on a baking sheet for 6-8 minutes. Reserve.
• Line a baking sheet with heavy foil, folded with a 1-inch high edge. Reserve.
• In a heavy bottom saucepan, cook the butter, sugar, water and salt over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305 degrees (hard-crack stage), without stirring. This will take about 15 minutes. If the sugar mixture begins browning unevenly give the pan a swirl. Keep a close eye on it once it reaches 290 degrees as the temperature will increase quickly.
• Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture onto the foil lined baking sheet and allow it to spread. Cool at room temperature for 45 minutes.
• Melt chocolate according to package instructions. Spread melted chocolate over cooled toffee, then sprinkle with walnuts. Let set at room temperature until the chocolate has set. Break toffee into pieces. Store covered at room temperature.

Notes

The total time required is comprised of two 45 minute resting periods.

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I was introduced to energy bites recently and fell in love.  The idea of raw whole ingredients being combined into delicious pop-in-your-mouth treats is well just down right exciting.  There is certainly a growing movement towards stepping away from processed foods and incorporating whole foods into our diets.  Snack foods is a great place to start.

When I stumbled upon this Baklava No-Bake Energy Bites recipe by Rachel Schultz the name alone got me.  Baklava Bites….that are good for you and give you energy.  Yes please and thank you.

Pistachios and Walnuts chopped up with a bit of cinnamon are the base.  A mixture of peanut butter, honey, butter, and vanilla brings it all together.

Roll them into bites of love and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes or until ready to enjoy.  I shared the love today and delivered No-Bake Baklava Energy Bites to my work family.  Definitely a hit!

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No-Bake Baklava Energy Bites

Servings 20

Calories 173kcal

Author Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup pistachios
• 1 Tbl. cinnamon
• 2 Tbl. butter melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• dash of salt

Instructions

• Add walnuts, pistachios, and cinnamon to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until chopped into large granules.
• In a medium bowl stir together butter, honey, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Add in chopped nuts and stir until well combined.
• Roll into 1-2 inch balls. Chill in fridge for about 30 minutes or until ready to enjoy.

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