Grilled Chicken Breast

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic minced

Mix oil, lemon juice, thyme and garlic. Place chicken in shallow baking dish and cover with mixture. Let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat grill. Place chicken on grill and cook until done. About 12-14 minutes, turning half way through cooking time. Chicken breasts should be tender and juices clear.

Grilled Shrimp

1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup light soy sauce
6 small shallots, finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup thyme leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp

In a large glass or ceramic baking dish, combine the olive oil with the lemon juice, soy sauce, shallots, thyme and Tabasco. Season the marinade with salt and pepper. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, then arrange them in the marinade and let the skewered shrimp stand for 15 minutes. Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Cook the shrimp over moderately high heat, turning once, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp marinade to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Remove the shrimp from their skewers and brush them lightly with the marinade. Spoon some of the marinade over the shrimp and serve at once with bread.

Green Beans and Herbs

1 1/2 Pounds green beans
1 Small onion, halved and sliced
1/4 Cup butter
1 Teaspoon lemon juice
1 Teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 Teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 Teaspoon paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste

Rinse beans in cold water, snap off ends and cut into 1-2" lengths. Cut half the onion into small slices and place, with beans, in a rice steamer. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan and add the other half of the onion, thinly sliced, the lemon juice, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beans and toss well, completely coating beans.

Roasted Chicken With Lemon and Fresh Thyme

1 4 - 5 lb whole chicken, rinsed
2 lemons
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Garlic powder
5-6 cloves of garlic
1/4 sweet yellow onion

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Carefully rinse chicken with cold water. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the entire bird then place the lemon halves inside the cavity of chicken. Take 6 of the thyme sprigs and remove the thyme leaves from stems by holding the top of the sprig and stripping the leaves downward. Sprinkle the thyme leaves all over the bird. Next, sprinkle the sea salt, freshly cracked pepper and garlic powder all over the chicken, to taste. Place the remaining thyme (including stems), garlic and onion inside cavity of bird.

Place chicken on a rack inside roasting dish. Cover dish with tin foil then place meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Roast uncovered for 3 1/2-4 hours or until thermometer reads 180 degrees baste the bird after 2 hours and repeat every 1/2 an hour after that. If you want crispy skin, stop basting for the last hour of cooking time. Remove from the oven and let the bird "rest" for at least 10 minutes before carving.