what i eat

What am I eating? Find out at Thyme, and Everything Else.

Rice Bowl

A trip to a local spot - Laughing Planet - made me remember how much I adore bowls of rice topped with everything from soup to nuts - literally, topped with nuts in this case.  This beloved "bowl" started with a bed of black rice, all nutty in texture.  It was piled with carrots, peppers and onions, all of which spent a few minutes in a skillet to soften and caramelize; seasoned heavily with garlic and sweet chili sauce.  For crunch and extra protein, peanuts joined the medley.  Now, my palate is laughing!

Sweet Raspberry Biscuits

I wouldn't say that I have a sweet tooth, as I'm usually the one who wants a pile of fries and Portland Ketchup to dip them in...but these little beauties are just right on a Saturday morning with a creamy cup of coffee.  ps these are what we always had for breakfast on Christmas morning.  Out-of-season, but good stuff.  The other little secret, they're made with Bisquick.

Grilled Cheese Sammy

So, recently I've been diggin' adding fruit or veggies to my grilled cheese.  The mix of textures and a zap of nutrients just says, "that is good!"  This pair-up included a blend of cheddar, Parmesan and mozzarella which was shredded (it melts better) and slices of Fuji apples all piled onto Dave's Killer bread.  Gooey heaven!

Blistered haricot vert (fancy for tiny green beans)

I absolutely adore green beans; coooked crisp-tender, simmered with onions and hamhock until they are mushy or roasted until their skins pop and blister.  They are all glistening with olive oil and a little salt and pepper.  Simple, but the best.

Winter salad of greens and grains

I am a bit of a veggie, salad-loving girl ... even in the winter. Now, admittedly, they need more punch to be hearty and satisfying.  Enter the grains, in this case, quinoa, mixed with from-the-earth golden beets and creamy, pungent goat cheese.  Warm bread, a glass of wine and I'm good to go.

Some days are cold days:

It's still September, with warm, days and the occasional rain storm passing through, giving a taste of what's to come. Yesterday, despite the fact that it was 66, definitely not cold.  My body said something different.  I seemed to have ice running over me...brrrr.  I'm not a snow-momma.  That sad story relayed, it was a splendid chance to make the first pot of soup for the season.  My depiction of potato and kale soup became just what my cold bones needed.

I chopped up potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, andouille sausage, spinach and kale (and some random other veggies that were living in the fridge.  Soup has a way of having things tossed in.)  Gave the onions a quick saute in the pot, dumped in all but the greens, covered with chicken stock and set it on the back burner for a couple of hours.  About 20 minutes before serving I added the spinach and kale, as well as some sea salt and cracked pepper...ahhhh, today I'm thawed out!

A few more salad days left:

I keep telling myself that it should be fall, after all it is moving toward the end of September.  Why does the weather guy tell us it's going to almost 90 degrees this weekend?  Oh, well, I'm not going to complain about Mr. Sunshine hanging around.  I guess I'll just eat salad, like this latest fave of mine:  Mixed greens with spicy red radishes and buttery avocado - yum!

Birthday dinner:

Okay, so I'm terribly spoiled.  My birthday lands during the perfect let's-be-outside-and-grill-something-season: July! Onions, peppers, jalapenos, corn charred for extra flavor + marinated steak + creamy, buttery avocado = pure birthday (or any day) delight!

Strawberry and Asparagus Salad

Seriously, I'm in love with this outrageous salad.  When I was at the farmer's market they actually had local berries available.  I had previously picked up a pound of asparagus, and voila! dinner was born.  A bed of delicate butter lettuce cuddles up with lightly roasted asparagus, juicy strawberries and pungent goat cheese all of which is splashed with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar...and lots of fresh cracked black pepper.

Poached Egg on Toast
This is an old standby for the breakfast table, but I decided to mess with the original.  This riff includes toasted pumpernickel topped with cottage cheese with a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Next flavor layer was salad greens dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; with the crowning jewel being softly poached eggs...well mine was hard poached as I don't really like runny, juicy eggs. Can you say baby chicken?

Thyme Scented French Onion Soup
This soup is one of Lonny's faves.  Our weather has been rather soggy, so a couple of nights ago, this earthy bowl of broth and jam-like onions was the just what we needed.  We did devour extra cheese crostinis.  Just a small, but oh so worthwhile indulgence!

Margherita Pizza
After visiting Italy, I have been on a quest for the best pizza crust.  It has to be extra thin and extremely crispy.  No offense to Chicago's deep-dish pies, but I crave almost cracker-type crust, topped off with very simple ingredients.  That's where Margherita Pizza comes in - fresh tomatoes and basil with just the right amount of savory, nutty, pungent cheese...think pecorino and parmigiano-reggiano.  Straightforward.

Smoked Salmon Chowder
I admit it.  I am addicted to the smoked salmon that we purchased from the Salmon Market in Ketchikan.  They catch it, smoke and process it straight from the dock...the best!  This is a very chunky chowder full of potatoes, carrots, peppers and corn.  I do a rough chop on all the veggies and saute them in some olive oil until they begin to soften.  Add some stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender.  Pop open a can of smoked salmon, breaking it into pieces.  Stir into the vegetable mixture, along with milk for a creamy consistency.  Crusty bread and you are set!



Beef!  It's whats for dinner
For all of you meat-a-tarians out there:  This is such a great meal to make when the weather starts to feel cool and brisk. Julia's bouef bourguignon recipe is the classic, but I really prefer this one from Avec Eric.  I especially enjoy serving it with the buttery carrots.  A pot is simmering on the stove right now.  Enjoy! Beef Bourguignon with Carrots





Meatless Monday Meal
Okay, so we don't always do a "meatless" Monday, but last night we did.  This is a crustless tomato and ricotta pie.  Lonny first fixed this as a Mother's Day entree a few years ago.  It was really nice.  It is chock full of fresh mint and basil which pairs extremely well with the mild ricotta and juicy tomatoes.  Although the recipe doesn't call for it, I add a good amount of garlic, and top it with a bit more cracked pepper and dry basil for an extra punch. Serve it with a simple salad of baby romaine, spinach and avocado, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and of course sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. 

Looking for inspiration for Easter dinner?
Look no further than Italy, known for spectacular food.  Roast lamb and potatoes ... redolent with herbs.  Salads containing fresh ingredients like fava beans.  Can't find favas?  Try substituting fresh edamame.  I'm not sure if this menu will be fixed on Easter Sunday, but it will be soon!  Happy Easter...
Italian Easter Menu from Saveur

Spaghetti Carbonara
Pasta is one of my "basic food groups."  I adore it in almost any form...sauced with any number of ingredients.  This particular one could almost be considered breakfast food.   The spaghetti is tossed with bacon (pancetta), eggs and parmesan cheese; finished with generous grindings of black pepper.  Molto bene!
Spaghetti Carbonara from Saveur Magazine

Corned Beef St Paddy's Day
This year I am changing up my preparation of our corned beef dinner.  I am braising the brisket in the oven at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.  I will then drain the braising liquid, slather on a mixture of brown sugar and coarse-grain mustard, returning the beef to brown for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees.

Colcannon (rough mashed potatoes with shredded cabbage) and carrots roasted with olive oil, lemon juice and fresh thyme will round out the meal.  Happy St Paddy's Day!

Tonight's Dinner:
Sage Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella and Prosciutto

I found this recipe in one of my Cooking Light Magazines a few years back.  It's creamy nature is balanced nicely with the savoriness of the sage and the salty aspect of the prosciutto.

Roasted fresh asparagus with a generous slathering of olive oil, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and minced garlic - a nice go-with.

Sage Risotto Recipe

Dinner Inspiration:

Israeli Couscous and Tuna Salad

Roasted Broccoli drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Ina's Salad Recipe

Enjoy!