Cooking Thymes Rice Blend: A Simple, Flavorful Guide

Thyme is a fragrant herb with thin, woody stems and small, pungent leaves. It is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, including soups, roasted vegetables, pasta, sauces, pizzas, and marinades. It is commonly used in Mediterranean, French, Middle Eastern, and Italian cuisines. When cooking with thyme, it can be added whole with the stem or the leaves can be removed and sprinkled into the dish. Thyme is often paired with meat, particularly lamb, and poultry, as well as tomatoes, beans, and eggs. It is also used in herb blends such as Herbes de Provence and Za'atar. When cooking rice with thyme, a simple recipe involves cooking the rice with butter, chicken broth, lemon juice, and thyme, resulting in a flavourful side dish that pairs well with chicken.

How to prepare thyme

Thyme is a fragrant herb with thin, woody stems and small, pungent leaves. It is available fresh or dried and can be purchased year-round in most supermarkets. Thyme is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes. Here are some tips on how to prepare thyme:

• Removing the leaves: The leaves can be removed from the stem by pinching the top of the stem and sliding your fingers downward. This will help detach the leaves without breaking the delicate stem. You can also use an herb stripper, which is a kitchen tool designed to remove herb leaves from stems. Another option is to thread the thyme through the holes of a grater or colander, which will strip off the leaves as you pull.
• Chopping the leaves: Fresh thyme leaves are small and often do not require chopping. However, if you need to chop them, simply place the leaves on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to mince or chop them to your desired consistency.
• Cooking with thyme: Thyme can be added early on in the cooking process as it withstands and benefits from long cooking times. It pairs well with meat, poultry, eggs, tomatoes, cheese, beans, and various vegetables. It is commonly used in soups, stews, marinades, and dressings.
• Storing thyme: Fresh thyme can be wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel and placed in a sealable plastic bag or container. It will stay fresh for about one to two weeks. Dried thyme should be stored in an airtight container away from heat and light and will retain its flavour for up to a year.

Cooking with fresh thyme

Thyme is a fragrant herb with thin, woody stems and small, pungent leaves. It is extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes, from soups to roasted vegetables. Here are some tips and recipes for cooking with fresh thyme:

Choosing and Storing Thyme

When buying fresh thyme, look for bunches or small plastic containers with bright green leaves and no signs of browning or shriveling. To store, wrap the thyme in a slightly damp paper towel and place it in a sealable plastic bag or container. It will last for at least a week in the refrigerator, and even longer in the crisper drawer.

Preparing Thyme

To remove the leaves from the stem, hold the sprig at the top with one hand and slide your fingers down the stem with the other hand. The leaves should easily detach. Fresh thyme leaves are usually small enough that they don't need to be chopped. However, if you do need to chop them, simply use a cutting board and a sharp knife.

Cooking with Thyme

Fresh thyme can be added at the beginning of a recipe, as it withstands and benefits from long cooking times. Its flavour will slowly infuse into the dish. Here are some specific recipes that use fresh thyme:

Thyme Rice

This recipe combines the flavours of thyme, lemon, and chicken. It's a great side dish that goes well with any chicken main course.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• Butter

Directions:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in chicken broth, lemon juice, and thyme.
• Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork before serving.

Roasted Potatoes with Thyme

A classic pairing, this recipe combines the flavours of garlic and thyme with crispy roasted potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds baby red potatoes or chopped medium 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: fresh garlic, lemon wedges, shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Wash and slice the potatoes in half or dice into 1/2-inch cubes.
• In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper.
• Spread the potatoes in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut-side down.
• Roast for about 30-35 minutes without stirring, until browned.
• Remove from the oven and toss with fresh thyme.
• For a stronger garlic flavour, grate fresh garlic onto the pan with another drizzle of olive oil and gently toss.
• Spritz with lemon wedges for added tanginess.

Sauteed Carrots with Thyme

A simple yet delicious combination of carrots and thyme, this recipe is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:

• Carrots
• Butter
• Fresh thyme

Directions:

• Slice carrots into coins.
• Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
• Add carrots and thyme, sauteing until tender and buttery.

Salmon with Capers & Thyme

A healthy and tasty dinner option, this recipe combines the flavours of lemon, thyme, and capers with baked salmon.

Ingredients:

• Salmon fillets
• Lemon
• Fresh thyme
• Capers

Directions:

• Season salmon fillets with lemon and thyme.
• Bake the salmon until it is cooked to your desired doneness.
• Drizzle with a lemon caper sauce for a tangy and flavourful finish.

Cooking with dried thyme

Thyme is a fragrant herb with thin, woody stems and small, pungent leaves. It is used in a variety of cuisines and can be purchased fresh or dried. Dried thyme retains much of the flavour of fresh thyme and can be used as a substitute. When substituting dried thyme for fresh, use roughly one-third of the volume of fresh thyme called for in the recipe as dried thyme has a stronger flavour. As with most dried herbs, it should be added towards the beginning of the recipe.

Dried thyme is a suitable substitute for fresh thyme in many recipes, especially cooked recipes. Use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme for 1 tablespoon of fresh, a 1:3 ratio of dried to fresh. For recipes that call for fresh thyme that is not cooked, sometimes dried thyme can be used, sometimes not. If the thyme is being blended into a marinade, dried thyme is probably fine, but if you are sprinkling it over bruschetta, for example, it is best to use another fresh herb.

Thyme is a versatile herb that can be added to many dishes, including soups, stews, spice mixtures for meat, marinades, eggs, tomatoes, cheese, potatoes, pasta, sauces, pizzas, roasted vegetables, and more. It is commonly used to flavour meat, particularly lamb, and is a popular seasoning for lamb dishes in Mediterranean cuisine as its slightly floral flavour lightens the sometimes gamy taste of lamb. Thyme is also the main ingredient in the classic French herb combinations bouquet garni and Herbes de Provence, which are frequently used to flavour meat, stews, and soups.

Storing thyme

Thyme is a hardy herb with a woody stem. When storing fresh thyme, it's best to keep it dry in the clamshell it's sold in, or wrap it in a damp paper towel and store it in an open plastic bag in the fridge. It should last for one to two weeks.

If you want to store thyme long-term, you can freeze it. Take fresh thyme leaves, place them in ice cube trays, and cover them with water. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to freezer bags. You can also freeze whole stems of thyme in freezer bags and then remove the leaves once frozen.

Another option is to dry or dehydrate your thyme. You can use a dehydrator, or try air-drying or oven-drying. You can also make a classic Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence blend by mixing dried thyme with other herbs from your garden.

Finally, you can make thyme oil, vinegar, butter, or honey. These all make excellent gifts!

Thyme rice recipes

Thyme is a fragrant herb with thin, woody stems and small pungent leaves. It is a versatile ingredient that can be used in many recipes, including soups, roasted vegetables, pasta, sauces, pizzas, and marinades. It is commonly used in Mediterranean, French, Middle Eastern, and Italian cuisines.

Lemon Thyme Rice

This recipe is a great side dish to any chicken meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• Butter

Instructions:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir in rice.
• Cook rice, stirring frequently, until browned, for about 5 minutes.
• Mix chicken broth, lemon juice, and thyme into rice.
• Cover and reduce heat to low.
• Cook until liquid has been absorbed, for about 20 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork before serving.

Thyme Rice Stuffing

This recipe can be used as a stuffing for turkey and cornish hens, or as a side dish with peas.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked white rice
• 1 tablespoon ground thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)
• Butter
• Peas (optional)

Instructions:

• Mix the butter, thyme, and garlic salt into the rice until combined.
• As a stuffing: stuff the mixture into cornish hens or turkey and bake until the bird is done.
• As a side dish: mix the rice with peas and serve.

Frequently asked questions