Thyme 2 Taste

Monday, October 26, 2015

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Football season is back and so are delicious recipes you need for snacks during the game.... I just made this on Sunday and it was great. If you have ever had the spinach dip at Houston's/Hillstone, you will definitely like this Chicago style spinach artichoke dip.

1/3 cup half & half or heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated romano cheese
1 cup grated mozarella
2 garlic cloves, crushed
10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained VERY well)
1 6oz jar of artichokes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the first 6 ingredients into a food processor and pulse until everything has been blended.

Add half of the artichokes and the spinach. Make sure to blot the spinach dry with paper towels to ensure that all of the water is gone.

Pulse until fully incorporated. Add the last half of the artichokes and stir until incorporated.

Spray a glass baking dish and add the dip into the baking dish.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until bubbling. Serve with chips and salsa..
Thyme 2 taste.... enjoy the game!

Monday, October 12, 2015

Shrimp Scampi

Good friends of ours gave us some shrimp they brought back from Alaska. It was some of the best shrimp I have ever seen. I didn't want to over do it, so I made a basic shrimp scampi. This is great to make for guests that are coming over for dinner or even on top of some rice for a main course. I made it as an appetizer for dinner guests.

Ingredients;
12 shrimps, peeled and cleaned
2 Tbsp butter
5 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup wine
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1-2 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

I use the white wine from whole foods that is about $4 a bottle. It's fine for cooking!

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the shrimp, place a butter in a pan on high heat.

Melt butter, add garlic and saute for about a minute or 2. Do not burn the garlic.

Add the shrimp.

Add the wine and squeeze a little lemon juice in the pan.

Let them simmer for a few minutes

Add the chopped parsley.

Don't overcook the shrimp. The total cooking time should be between 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp. You're finished!

Thyme 2 Taste.... serve with lemon wedges.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Spicy Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken

I am constantly printing out recipes that I intend to make and then they get lost in my book of cut-outs. So from time to time I go through my book and find something fun that I want to make. I then realize I either don't have an ingredient or I just don' want to use some of the ingredients in the recipe. With this recipe, I tried it first following the recipe and then I just modified it according to my taste. The other day I brought this to a BBQ and it was completely different from when I originally started. But hey, if it's good and everyone loves it, what's the harm in that?

Ingredients;
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek style yogurt
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts

Mix the first 7 ingredients into a small bowl.

Pour into a bowl with chicken and add the lemon slices on top.

Mix to coat the chicken. Marinate overnight or for a few hours.

Place on the grill for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. If you're not sure if it's done yet, cut into the thickest part of the chicken to be sure it's ready.

Serve with some fun sides....

Thyme 2 Taste...

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Israeli couscous with mushrooms, red peppers and kale

I get sick of eating the same things so when I go to restaurants I try to order things that I would not normally make at home. While we were in Italy this summer, I ate this mushroom couscous mixed with risotto. I thought it was not the best tasting appetizer, especially since it had cream in it, but it got me thinking about israeli couscous. So, when I came home, one of the first things I decided to make as a side dish was the couscous. Typically I give myself a few trys before I post the recipe on the blog, bit I thought this was so good, I got excited to share it right away!
This is super quick and easy... can't wait for you to try it..

Ingredients;
1 1/4 c Israeli couscous
1 c chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 a red pepper, chopped into small pieces (not too small)
4 mushrooms (baby bella)
1 cup finely chopped kale
salt & pepper to taste

In a medium size pot, put the israeli couscous to cook as per the directions on the bag. I used chicken stock instead of water to give it more flavor.

In a large pan, heat about 2 tbs olive oil on medium high heat. Add the crushed garlic. Sear for about a minute.

Add the onions, cooking for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add the red peppers and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the kale. Stir around and saute until the kale is bright green.

Once the kale is bright green, add the cooked israeli couscous into the pan, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.

You're all done! Thyme 2 taste.....

You can eat this just as it is, leave out ingredients, add ingredients... customize the taste to what you like!
I recently made it with a steak and some roasted asparagus! It was perfect!

Monday, July 13, 2015

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

I have had a special edition cook's illustrated recipe book in my kitchen for a few years. Each time I looked at the Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas, I felt overwhelmed. Roasting the tomatillos, poblano chilis, etc seemed like a lot of work. Then finally I just decided to make them.. why not?! I have to admit the first time I made them, they tasted a little underwhelming. I consulted with my professional taster aka my husband and we decided it needed a little more heat. So I made them again, and again and I think I have finally perfected the enchiladas. That's what it's all about... getting something to taste the exact way you want it to. So, check out my recipe - beware, they are addicting!

Ingredients;
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped medium
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos (16 to 20), husks and stems removed, rinsed and dried
3 poblano chilies, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded
2 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 tsp granulated sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c fresh cilantro
2 c shredded Monterey jack cheese
12 6-inch corn tortillas

Adjust the oven rack to the highest position, under the broiler.
Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the onion.

Cook, stirring frequently until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic, cook until fragrant.

Decrease the heat to low and add the chicken broth, chicken, few leaves of cilantro, salt and pepper. Cook about 15-20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking.

Transfer the chicken to a pan to let cool. Reserve 1/4 of the liquid.

Remove the husks from the tomatillos, rinse and dry. Place on a pan with the cleaned, halved poblano peppers. Cut a jalapeno lengthwise and place cut side down on the pan. Sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoon of olive oil.

Broil them until blackened and softened about 5-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

Cool for 10 minutes, then remove the skin from the poblanos. Transfer the tomatillos, poblano chilis, jalapeno, 1 clove of garlic into the food processor. Also, if you like a little more kick, add half a raw jalapeno.

Pulse until the sauce is chunky. Add the reserved liquid from the chicken if you want the sauce to be a little less thick. Add the sugar, about 1/2 tsp at a time to taste, add salt and pepper.