Healthy Highlight: Thyme

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You know that green herb that looks just like a smaller version of the needles that have been falling off of your Frasier Fir? That is Thyme. Thyme is a part of the mint family, but its range of uses is extremely impressive. With it's earthy, slightly lemony flavor, thyme can go with many savory dishes and can mild out the sweetness of a brie or other sweet dish.

  • Thyme has many medicinal properties including fighting acne, lowering blood pressure, helping to alleviate cough, boosting immunity, boosting mood, aromatherapy and more.
  • Thyme is great for gastrointestinal health. It reduces the germs in food and can improve your gut microbes and overall intestinal health
  • Thyme can also help increase your appetites and support healthy liver function, as well as protecting your stomach lining from acid

Recipes:

Roasted Potatoes with Thyme (acouplecooks.com)

  • 2 lbs Baby Red Potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • Fresh Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Fresh Thyme or Lemon Thyme
  • Optional: 1 clove fresh Garlic, Lemon Wedges, Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Wash the potatoes, then slice them in half (for baby potatoes) or dice them into 1/2-inch cubes.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and several grinds of fresh ground black pepper.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes in an even layer on the sheet cut and make sure they are side down. Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes without stirring until browned, depending on the size of the pieces. (To step up these potatoes, remove from the oven at 15 minutes and toss with ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese.)
  5. Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss with the fresh thyme. For a more forward garlic flavor, grate the fresh garlic onto the pan with another drizzle of olive oil and use a spoon to gently toss it all together (separating any grated garlic that clumps together). You can also spritz with lemon wedges for a tangy flavor. 

Lemon Thyme Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary (recipesworthrepeating.com)

  • 4-5 pieces Chicken Thighs
  • 1/3 cup Lemon Juice
  • 2 tablespoons Lemon Zest
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped Rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoons Butter, melted
  • slices Lemon/Lime for garnish
  1. Place the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
  2. With the tip of a sharp knife, make a shallow cut into each piece of chicken 2 to 3 times, about ½ an inch long. This helps the marinade really get in and penetrate.
  3. Place each piece of meat and the marinade in a gallon size resealable bag. Rotate the bag so all the pieces are coated with the marinade. Seal the bag, place in a dish, and then place in the refrigerator for 12 hours up to overnight.
  4. After it has marinated, preheat oven to 375°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a single layer in a large baking dish.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
  6. When done, remove the baking dish from the oven and discard the additional liquid. NOTE: There is going to be a lot of liquid left in the dish from cooking the chicken. This is the marinade seeping out of the slits while it cooks. Feel free to discard the extra juices after cooked.
  7. Melt the butter and baste it on top of each piece. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Lemon Thyme Icebox Cookies (tasteofhome.com)

  • 1/2 cup Butter, softened
  • 5 tablespoons Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh Thyme
  • 1-2 teaspoons grated Lemon Zest
  • 1 large Egg Yolk
  • 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  1. Cream butter, sugar, thyme and lemon zest until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg yolk. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
  2. Roughly shape dough into a 12-in. roll along the edge of a 12x12-in. sheet of waxed paper. Tightly roll waxed paper over dough, using paper to mold the dough into a smooth roll. Place the wrapped roll in an airtight container; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/2-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

Honey Citrus and Thyme Iced Tea (couponclippingcook.com)

  • Cold Water
  • 7 Black Tea Bags
  • 1/2 Orange, sliced
  • 1/2 Lemon, sliced
  • 1/2 Lime, sliced
  • 5 small sprigs fresh Thyme
  • 1 tablespoon Honey
  1. Fill a thoroughly cleaned jar 3/4 full of water. Add slices of orange, lemon and lime to the jar. 
  2. Tie the thyme together with food-safe string, or put the thyme in a narrow cake decorating tip, and add to the jar. 
  3. Add the honey, stir and cap with the lid. 
  4. Put in the refrigerator for 2 hours. 
  5. Remove and discard the tea bags from the jar. With a long slotted spoon or tongs, remove the slices of citrus and thyme. Stir and serve over ice.