Savoring Thyme

a personal chef and catering service

WE’VE GOT DINNER, SO YOU’LL HAVE THYME

Sample Menus

These are some, but certainly not all, recipes that you can choose to design your weekly menus. I’ve listed my favorite beef, pork, poultry, seafood, and pasta dishes along with recommended pairings. You can also view some of our specialty soups, salads, side dishes, and desserts. Savoring Thyme also offers a full menu of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes, and can accommodate any dietary needs.

All menus are submitted to the client for approval a week before the day of service. Any requested revisions such as vegetables versus a starch or selecting a different side dish can be added or deleted to the menu at that time at no extra charge to accommodate dietary and taste preferences. You may also select extra side dishes, soups, salads, or desserts for an additional charge. Savoring Thyme can also prepare your own favorite dishes; just provide us with the recipe. 

More menu items are available on our Party Thyme! page. These items are ideal for parties or catered events, but can be selected for personal chef services as well.

Sample Beef Dishes

Classic Beef Bourguignon

A savory stew of meat, mushrooms, and carrots braised in red wine. Served with baby red potatoes tossed with butter, shallots and chervil. 

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Shallots

Tender, sweet-tasting shallots are deliciously paired with juicy, tender grilled beef filets. Served with mashed sweet potatoes and carrots timbales.

Homemade Beef and Cheese Enchilada’s

A taste of my San Antonio roots for you to enjoy! Mild beef enchiladas with Mexican cheese stuffed into corn tortillas, hand rolled, and covered in even more cheese and baked. Served with Spanish rice and my secret guacamole recipe with homemade tortilla chips.

Italian Pot Roast

Red wine, whole plum-tomatoes, and fresh basil gives an Italian twist to mom’s pot roast. Served with marinated roasted seasonal vegetables and tomato basil soup leaves you feeling like you’re in Old Italy.

Mama’s Meat Loaf

This recipe was passed down from my mother...it’s the best meat loaf in town! A unique tomato based gravy compliments Chef Shelly’s Famous Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Also served with a decadent creamed spinach that even the kids will love.

Meat Loaf with Red Wine Glaze

Meat loaf with a style. This meat loaf is brushed with red wine that caramelized as it bakes. Served with Creamy Polenta and Honeyed Carrots with Currants and Saffron.

Mexican Spice-Rubbed Rib Eyes with Lime Butter

This rib eye seasoned with chipolte, cumin and paprika and marinated in an Argentinean Malbec wine is tender and juicy. Smeared with garlicky lime butter tantalizes the taste buds. Served with Bacon Black Bean Smash and a Caesar Salad.

Roast Beef with Tomato Madeira Sauce

Zesty and sweet, this roast is slowly cooked with onions and carrots until tender and juicy. Served with oven roasted potatoes with herbs de provence and a fresh garden salad.

Shiraz-Soy Tri Tip

A summer favorite but can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year! Tender tri-tip marinated in Syrah wine and soy sauce overnight. This goes especially well with Mom’s Marinated Carrots that have also been marinating for three days to deliver a delicious sweet/tart flavor. A red potato salad also accompanies this amazing dinner.

Skirt Steak Fajitas with Avocado Salsa

The orange flavor and smoky heat of the marinade give this skirt steak unforgettable character. Served with Haas avocado salsa and warm flour tortillas. Spanish rice and a bowl of homemade tortilla soup is the perfect compliment to this dish.

Stuffed Peppers

Baked green peppers stuffed with a tomato-rice-meat mixture. Another recipe passed down from my mother...it is sure to please. Served with summer succotash.

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Sample Pork Dishes

Cider Brined Pork Chops with Sautéed Apples

These pork chops marinate in their brine overnight for a fabulous flavor. The mustard cream sauce and sautéed apples give this dish a sweet but tart flavor. Served with braised red cabbage and a roasted apple, bacon, and frisee salad.

Cranberry Pork Tenderloin

The tart flavor of the cranberry sauce over the tender pork tenderloin is truly delicious and healthful. Served with winter squash gratin and mashed sweet potatoes, this dish reminds you of the holidays.

Roasted Pork Loin with Maple-Mustard Crust

A coating of maple syrup and whole grain mustard gives this pork loin a fine caramelized crust leaving you wanting more. Served with mustard and brown sugar glazed carrots and a bowl of ginger-butternut squash soup with spicy pecan cream.

Slow Smoked BBQ Pork Sandwiches with Homemade BBQ Sauce and Coleslaw

Smoked overnight, this pork is tender and juicy. The BBQ sauce is sure to give you a kick. Piled high on a seeded poor boy roll topped with sweet and sour coleslaw and red onions. Served with red potato salad and braised red cabbage.

Slow-Cooked Carnitas Tacos

Tender, juicy pork slowly cooked topped with Roasted Tomatillo salsa and served with Pinto Beans with Chiles and flour tortillas.

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Sample Poultry Dishes

Chicken Cacciatore over Fettuccine

Classic Italian hunter-style cacciatore with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and herbs. A hint of bacon lends a deep, smoky flavor to the sauce that is perfect over fettuccine. Served with roasted asparagus and shaved parmesan.

Citrus and Ginger Roasted Chicken

Oranges, lemons, ginger, and honey give this chicken lots of flavor and juices. For a healthier dish, remove the skin and still be amazed how juicy the chicken is. Carrots and lime butter is the perfect match for this citrus dish. Also served is new potatoes with butter, shallots and chervil.

Grandma’s Chicken

A rustic French dish and real family pleaser. Whole chicken pieces cooked with garlic, pearl onions, Yukon Gold potatoes and thick-cut bacon. Served with Frisee salad with bacon and homemade croutons.

Grilled Thai Chicken Breast with Herb Lemongrass Crust

Lots of flavor comes out of this dish. Cilantro, lemongrass, jalepenos, coriander, and brown sugar give this its spicy yet sweet flavor. Paired with roasted asparagus with lemon and olive oil, this dish is a culinary experience.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

An Italian dish cooked by smashing the boneless chicken flat with a brick to force all the wonderful juices to permeate the meat. Roasted then served with a lemon-garlic vinaigrette and roasted asparagus spears. Served with Chef Shelly’s Famous Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Sautéed Chicken in Black Truffle Oil and Sauternes Sauce

The truffle oil gives the chicken an amazingly rich taste. Served with mixed pilaf with dried cherries, apricots, and cinnamon and a poppy seed spring salad.

Sautéed Chicken in Riesling

Riesling becomes the base for a sauce enriched with cream and seasoned with tarragon for a true French flavor. Served with oven roasted potatoes, carrots and thyme and a bowl of ginger-butternut squash with spicy pecan cream soup.

 Shelly’s Famous Chicken and Rice

Baked whole chicken stuffed with my “secret rice”. Served with haricot vert’s with sautéed shallots and a bowl of creamy mushroom soup.

Smoky Bacon-Roasted Chicken

The mix of bacon, garlic, and paprika adds delicious pungency. Served with Pea, Butter Lettuce and Herb Salad and New Potatoes with Butter, Shallots, and Chervil.

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Wildflower Honey and Orange

Cornish game hens are a nice departure from chicken and are perfect for entertaining. White wine, honey, and crushed pepper provide a exquisite sauce for basting. Served with wild rice and acorn squash with citrus chili.

Duck Breast Topped with Ancho Chili Salsa and Tomatillo Salsa

Duck breast topped with two salsas, a mild slaw, and some crumbled goat cheese are definitely upscale and loaded with flavor. Served with tortilla soup.

Grilled Duck Breast with Dried Cherry Zinfandel Sauce

An array of spices mixed together to make a zesty rub paired with the Zinfandel sauce makes this a truly unique dish. Any dried fruit can be used in this dish, but the cherries are rich in flavor. Served with mixed pilaf with dried cherries, apricots, and cinnamon along with mashed sweet potatoes.

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Sample Seafood Dishes

BBQ Shrimp Enchilada’s

This is a true Santa Fe dish. Sautéed shrimp and Monterey jack cheese stuffed in flour tortillas and covered in a BBQ and cream sauce is baked until delicious and is absolutely wonderful. Served with cream spinach.

Grilled Shrimp with Mangos and Chile

Grilled shrimp served with a Thai chile and ginger sweet-spicy salsa. Served with Roasted Sesame and Panko Coated Asparagus with Soy-Ginger Drizzle and creamy Polenta.

Mango Marinated Swordfish

Homemade mango salsa, that is deliciously spicy, tops this citrus marinated grilled swordfish. Served with haricot vert’s with sautéed shallots and a bowl of shrimp bisque

Salmon Roulade with Kalamata Olives, Orange, and Celery Relish

Salmon stuffed with garlic and fresh parsely rolled in a jelly-like roll. Cut, seared, and baked until perfection and topped with relish. Served with summer succotash and a bowl of ginger-butternut squash with spicy pecan cream.

Quick-Braised Peas, Lettuce & Scallions with Grilled Salmon

This is the perfect spring dish and good for you too! Braised peas, lettuce, and scallions on top of perfectly grilled salmon.

Tuscan Salmon

This salmon is rubbed with a special dried mustard rub, pan seared and baked over fresh spinach and topped with a fresh grape sauce. Served with marinated roasted seasonal vegetables and Chef Shelly’s Famous Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

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Sample Pasta Dishes

Homemade Lasagna

Family styled lasagna made with Italian sausage and five Italian cheeses. Served with a fresh garden salad and a bowl of tomato bisque.

Penna alla Vodka

Vodka may seem like an odd ingredient for an Italian dish, but this Florentine pasta has become a modern classic. Penne pasta, tomatoes, garlic, and heavy cream make this the perfect comfort dish. Served with a caesar salad.

Spaghetti with Homemade Meat Sauce or Meatballs

Homemade spicy tomato sauce with fresh mushrooms. Served over spaghetti and accompanied with a fresh garden salad.

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Sample Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten-Free Dishes

All Natural Broccoli, Rice and Cheese Casserole (Gluten-Free)

All natural, creamy organic portabella mushroom soup, extra virgin olive oil, fresh organic broccoli, and cheese for a rich authentic flavor. Served with fresh garden salad.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

By baking the eggplant instead of frying it, we decrease the calories and fat, but you will never notice the difference in taste. This dish comes out just as bubbly and filled with rich Italian flavor. Served with fresh garden salad.

Baked Eggplant with Nutty Bulgur Stuffing (Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Beautiful eggplants stuffed with burdock, onions, carrots, and celery. Topped with traditional bread crumbs and baked to perfection. Served with marinated roasted seasonal vegetables or a fresh garden salad.

Blue Ribbon Buffalo Taco Soup

Take out the meat, and this is the perfect vegetarian meal! Three types of beans, cheese, roasted corn, plum tomatoes, and authentic Mexican spices gives you a taste of the southwest. Served over tortilla chips or homemade cornbread.

Cheese and Pepper Enchiladas (Gluten-Free)

Sautéed onions, peppers and chilies stuffed into corn tortillas and hand rolled. Topped with freshly made hot sauce and served on a bed of Spanish rice.

Cheese Polenta with Wild Mushrooms and Artichoke Hearts

Native to northern Italy, this entree looks as good as it tastes. Hearty, wild mushrooms and delicate artichoke hearts combine with savory Asiago cheese in this classic polenta dish. Served with haricot vert’s and sautéed shallots.

Double Mushroom and Herb Pizza with Tempeh

Sautéed wild (seasonal) mushrooms, peppers, and garlic with marinated tempeh over zesty tomato sauce topped with feta cheese and fresh herbs. Served with fresh garden salad or caesar salad.  

Green Apple and Butternut Squash Casserole

A delicious and unexpected combination of flavors. The toasted pecan and bread crumb topping adds a bit of crunch to the velvety soft texture of baked apples and butternut squash. Served with roasted sunchoke soup.

Grilled Summer Veggie Fajitas

Grilled summer veggies wrapped in warm flour tortillas served with secret guacamole and homemade tortilla chips. Cheese and additional toppings upon request.

Grilled Baby Leeks with Romesco Sauce

A recipe from Spain, these leeks grill up to be as sweet as red bell peppers. Then a vibrant Romesco Sauce is then poured over to softened these wonderful onions.

Jerusalem Artichoke and Parmesan Tart

This tart can be served warm or cold. Perfect with a fresh garden salad and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Mediterranean Pizza

A sourdough oat bran pizza crust is the foundation to this fabulous dish. Spinach, leeks, mushrooms and olives tops this pie. Delicious feta cheese covers it. Served with a fresh garden salad.

Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato and Vegetable Tart

This tart is perfect for brunch with fresh fruit or dinner with my fresh garden salad.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan)

This colorful and delicious entree of orange and yellow bell peppers stuffed with a combination of mushrooms, carrots, spinach quinoa, and cashews is head turning. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Squash Risotto (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan)

A delightful and elegant entree. Acorn squash halves are stuffed with an herbed risotto speckled with delectable chunks of butternut squash and baked until meltingly sweet. Pair with a soup or vegetable of your choice.

Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes with Honey-Pecan Drizzle (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)

The honey-pecan drizzle add a nice sweet flavor to these roasted root veggies. Served with a salad or soup of your choice.

Rustic Pizza

This pizza is so good and flavorful, it makes its fast-food counterparts seem lacking in flavor and texture. Served with either a caesar salad or fresh garden salad.

Spicy Vegetable Chow Mein (Dairy-Free)

This dish is refreshingly spicy, crunchy and light.

Stuffed Acorn Squash (Dairy-Free)

Smoky tofu, dried fruit, rice, and nuts serve as the base for a tasty stuffing for sweet acorn squash. Served with a salad or vegetable of your choice.

Swiss Chard Torta

Another perfect brunch or dinner torta. Swiss chard together with rich Italian cheeses and spices. Paired nicely with my tomato bisque.

Torta of Asparagus, Carrots and Zucchini

This dish of vegetables baked in an egg and cheese mixture is perfect for a spring brunch, light lunch, or even dinner. It can be accompanied with my fresh garden salad.

Wild Mushroom Tart

Shallots sautéed in butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese combine with a rustic medley of dark brown mushrooms for a satisfying vegetarian entree. Served with either a caesar salad or fresh garden salad.

Red Meat Dishes

Stuffed Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

A filet mignon stuffed with mushrooms and garlic.

Marinated Spicy Beef and Baby Spinach

Wonderfully marinated beef with GF soy sauce and GF fish sauce.

Gascony-Style Pot Roast

Slow-cooked pot roast marinated so its nice and tender. Served with mashed potatoes and winter vegetables.

 Pork Dishes

Stuffed Pork Chops

Stuffed with apples, pears, onions, and herbs. Topped with a beautiful pear sauce.

Tenderloin of Pork with Spinach and Water Chestnuts

Tenderloin sautéed with herbs, spices, and olive oil. Served with baby spinach and rice.

Seafood Dishes

Golden Sauteed Diver Scallops

Caramelized scallops served with your favorite sauce.

Seafood a la King

Shrimp and bay scallops sautéed in a tomato-cream sauce with mushrooms and onions, topped with red salmon caviar.

Poultry Dish

Old-fashioned Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Squash

Same version, just made with GF marinara sauce and potato or corn flour.

Mexican Chicken and Rice

This dish is not too spicy, but it is well seasoned.

Chicken Divan

This dish is so exquisite that you won’t even miss the potatoes, pie crust, or pasta. It stands alone as a one-dish meal.

Chicken in Apple Cider Brandy

Chicken that is browned and served with a apple brandy cream sauce.

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Sample Salads

Caesar Salad (with or without chicken)

Chinese Chicken Salad

English Pea Salad

Mimi’s Cabbage Slaw

Fresh Garden Salad

Frisee Salad with Bacon and Homemade Croutons

Greek Salad with Chicken & Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette

Hot Flank Steak Salad with Chinese Black Bean Dressing

Marinated Cucumber Salad

Pea, Butter Lettuce & Herb Salad

Poppy Seed Spring Salad

Roasted, Apple, Bacon, and Frisee Salad

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Sample Soups

Asparagus Soup with Saffron Croutons

This soup is best cool, but it’s also tasty warm. Perfect soup for early spring!

Blue Ribbon Buffalo Taco Soup

I have literally taken home a blue ribbon with this recipe. Buffalo meat, three types of beans, roasted corn, authentic Mexican spices and plum tomatoes. Served over tortilla chips or homemade cornbread and top with cheddar cheese. This is dinner!

Creamy Mushroom Soup

These mushrooms get sautéed in white wine to give them a slight tanginess before they get pureed and mixed into this creamy soup. A splash of sherry is what makes this soup a sweet delight.

Ginger-Butternut Squash with Spicy Pecan Cream

This gentle, sweet soup topped with fresh whipped cream flecked with chopped roasted pecans gives this soup a dollop of flavor and crunch.

Indian-Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger

This exotically spiced soup has an incredibly velvety texture. 

New Orleans Style Seafood Gumbo

Shrimp, crabmeat, oysters, and okra made in a roux give this gumbo its true New Orleans flavor.

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Spring Herb Gremolata

Roasted asparagus turned into a beautiful soup topped with Italian Gremolata with a twist of tarragon.

San Francisco Style Seafood Soup

Eating this soups makes you feel like you are sitting on the Pier in San Francisco. Dungeness crabs, clams, shrimp, sea scallops and white fish in a rich tomato broth begs for a piece of fresh sourdough bread. The perfect light meal.

Shrimp Bisque with Brandy and Sherry

Fresh seafood stock, sautéed shrimp, brandy and the sherry gives this bisque its true homemade flavor.

Spring Vegetable Soup with Tarragon

This light soup is laden with lots of nutrients with veggies such as potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, and peas.

Three Cheese Tortellini Soup with Fresh Spinach

Chicken broth, plum tomatoes, fresh spinach, parmesan cheese and tortellini pasta make this soup a meal in itself.

Tomato Bisque

Fresh tomatoes and bacon is the key to this rich bisque. Perfect with bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches!

Tortilla Soup

Homemade chicken stock, authentic Mexican spices, and fresh avocados make you want to shout “Ole!”

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Sample Side Dishes

Baby Zucchinis with Garden Herbs

Bacon and Black Bean Smash

Braised Red Cabbage

Carrots with Lime Butter

Chef Shelly’s Famous Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Creamed Spinach

Crisp Pickled Vegetables

Glazed Carrots with Mustard and Brown Sugar

Honeyed Carrots with Currants and Saffron

Haricot Vert’s with Sautéed Shallots

Marinated Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mixed Pilaf with Dried Cherries, Apricots, and Cinnamon

Mom’s Marinated Carrots (served cold)

New Potatoes with Butter, Shallots, and Chervil

Oven Roasted Potatoes With Carrots and Thyme

Oven Roasted Potatoes with Herbs de Provence

Pan Roasted Asparagus with Thyme

Polenta with Arugula

Red Potato Salad (served cold)

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Olive Oil

Roasted Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan

Roasted Sesame and Panko Coated Asparagus with Soy-Ginger Drizzle

Secret Guacamole with Homemade Tortilla Chips

Spanish Rice

Steamed Carrots with Mint

Summer Succotash

Wild Rice

Winter Squash Gratin

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Sample Desserts

Almond-Lemon Torte with Fresh Strawberries

Apple Cake with Toffee Crust

Apple Tart Tartin with Caramel Sauce

Balsamic-Macerated Strawberries with Basil (in season)

Bourbon Peach Cobbler

Caramel Passion Fruit Sundaes

Chestnut-Chocolate Mouse

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Dump Cake (pineapple, peach, apple...name your fruit)

French Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse

Frosted Apple Spice Cake

Hot Milk Cakes with Strawberries and Cream

Pineapple, Honeydew, and Mango with Ginger and Fresh Herbs

Pound Cake

Pumpkin Pudding with Mile-High Meringue

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