CarolCooks2…Week Two…Join me in my kitchen…

Welcome to Week Two …In my kitchen…

Where you will get an insight into what I have been cooking this week…Plus a bit of chat and trivia it would be boring otherwise…Wouldn’t it?

I have been busy working on my cookbook I have done a U-turn as I was a good way through a fish one but decided against it as the Fishing Industry has serious problems that I would shelve that for now as I don’t want to encourage anyone to buy fish which is not sustainable or highly farmed…I have changed to sauces…Sauces are something which I and many people struggle with and I am always getting asked by my children and friends …How do I make this? So I have decided to reveal all and hopefully dispense with the mysteries of making a good sauce.

I also want to just clarify what is morning-glory…?

Here in Thailand and other Asian countries, it looks like this …

morning Glory water spinach

Also called water spinach it is a very popular vegetable either eaten raw or stir-fried.

In the UK, for example, this is the plant we called morning-glory …

morning glory Uk flowering plant

A pretty little plant and the flowers are edible. Tabula Rasa commented …The flower we grow in the UK isn’t edible….as such. I researched it when I came back from Vietnam having eaten it there. The U.K. Plant is different and The seeds contain a substance similar to LSD and can be toxic.

Thank you for highlighting that fact Tabula Rasa...If you get a chance pop over to Tabulas blog she has some lovely recipes I loved the article on King Oyster Mushrooms but I couldn’t comment on the blog…Nice post Tabula ..King Oyster mushrooms are plentiful here and cheap to buy…I chop mine finely and use in a stuffing mix or curries even spag bol if I can’t get any button mushrooms …

So please if you know that like me for example who lives in Thailand mentions a fruit or vegetable often they are named the same or completely different but may be of the same family but not always edible ..It was a learning curve for me and I will be very mindful of that in future…

New Year…It always makes me have a sort out particularly of the kitchen cupboards and drawers and it generally starts when we get out all the Christmas crockery and cutlery and then we start to put it back…So I now have nice clean and tidy kitchen cupboards and a promise to start using up some of the many dried goods I am storing…If you have any great lentil recipes I have all sorts that need to be used…Please share…

lentil mung beans legumi

Look at this lovely idea for packing tomatoes…I always visit this lovely little farmers market, they are small growers not large and I am always so happy to see how they display their fruit and vegetables using leaves and bamboo ties etc…

cherry tomatoes

This is part of the Banana tree and a jolly good use as the banana tree only fruits once …When it has fruited the mother plant dies and leaves lots of little babies around the base. The banana plant is called a ‘banana tree’ in popular use, but it’s technically regarded as a herbaceous plant (or ‘herb’), not a tree because the stem does not contain true woody tissue.

It is this tissue which has been used to package these tomatoes. Plastic wrap was used to encase these but better than a plastic tray and plastic wrap. I just love the Thais ingenuity and waste not attitude.

What has been cooking in my kitchen this week??

Lasagne and salad.
Ingredients for Spaghetti Bolognese:

I kilo minced beef or pork
1 large onion chopped
250 gm mushrooms sliced
3/4 cloves garlic
5/6 Fresh Basil leaves.
2 bay leaves
I large tin tomatoes or 6/8 fresh tomatoes blitzed ( I always make a batch of tomatoes for spag bol/chillies and freeze in portions.
2 tbsp tomato puree.
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Worcester sauce
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp sage or fresh leaves if you have.
Salt and pepper to taste

Let’s Cook!
Heat a glug olive oil in a pan and saute onions and garlic.
Add the mince and cook until browned
Add tomatoes and cook for a few minutes then add tomato puree and mixed herbs, bay leaf, oregano, balsamic and Worcester sauce.
Cook on a slow simmer for 20 minutes and then add mushrooms, cook for another 10 minutes and stir in fresh basil…
Meanwhile, make a white sauce.
When spaghetti is ready starting with a layer of mince then pasta sheets, Then mince, white sauce, pasta until you have completed 4 layers finishing with the white sauce.
Grate over your favourite cheese… I use cheddar or a mix of mozzarella and cheddar.
Cheese can be difficult to get here so if I have plenty then I also use some between my layers for a cheesier lasagne.

I think lasagne is the type of dish where anything goes really sometimes I add bell pepper to my sauce it depends what I have in my larder/fridge.

Cook lasagne on 180 degrees for 30 minutes or until pasta is cooked and cheese is golden and bubbling.

Serve with mixed Salad and or Garlic bread.
Enjoy!

Reading through blog and e-mails this week I came across a recipe for Chicken Passandra now lamb Passandra was probably one of the very first Indian curry dishes I ate many moons ago…It is a mild Mughal curry made with yoghurt and almonds, not my normal curry as you know I am a spice girl…

It got the thumbs up from the rest of the family…Me, I thought it was Ok…I prefer my spices dry toasted to release the flavour and the sauce was a little lacking…I am hoping one of my Indian friends might have a recipe …Hint Hint!

If not I am going to have a play and a tweak…So what this space… As you know this is sort of a test kitchen and I won’t post a recipe until it is truly tried, tested and perfect…

Tomorrow it is the Pigs Trotters ( sorry), Adele, as I forgot to take a photo last week but I have ones chopped so trying a Thai recipe tomoz and in the week I will be repeating last weeks but with images …x

That’s all for this week not really an exciting week in the kitchen well unless you count the fact that I used a shot of the Naga Chilli Vodka my son sent me added soda, ice and a squeeze of lime… The fumes ..Even if I held my nose just the fumes ( it is mega hot) made my voice go funny…lol… For INFO: The Naga Viper pepper is one of the world’s hottest chillies. It has a rating of 1.3million Scoville Heat Units (spice measurements). In contrast, Tabasco sauce rates at around 2,500.

naga chilli vodka

So if you are thinking of trying naga chilli vodka have it in a Bloody Mary…Don’t do what I did although I was told that the longer the chilli stays in the bottle the hotter it gets…Guess who didn’t listen??

If you are still here then thank you for reading…Have a great weekend …xxx

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great weekend xx

Shark!

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sharks eco system endangered

I am sure we have all seen the films, news and headlines over the years…Shark Attack!

Very scary and at certain times of the year more prevalent:-

Chris Lowe, the director of the Long Beach State University Shark Lab in California, said in a statement that shark attacks on humans were “exceedingly rare considering the number of people who use southern California waters, but people do need to be aware that the fall season is a time when more large juvenile and adult white sharks may be moving along the coast.”

Taken in context though we wouldn’t walk into a Lions Den and there have been cases where even cows have surrounded a person and crushed them to death…Because you had entered their field.

Why have I chosen to blog on The Shark??

A headline on Facebook posted by my granddaughter… Caught my eye so I googled it…

Shark Finning!

I hadn’t heard of it but as I started reading it I realised!

Shark Fin Soup…

In China, shark fin soup originated during the Ming dynasty around the 14th Century. Initially, it was a rare delicacy only enjoyed by the nobility and aristocracy. Sharks were rare and hard to catch so it was only served on special occasions and to honoured guests. It was considered one of the eight treasured foods of the seas and signified wealth, power, and prestige. However during the Qing Dynasty, in the 18th and 19th centuries, shark fin soup began to be consumed by more people.

SHARK FINNING IS BARBARIC. SHARKS ARE CAUGHT with long lines, gillnets or spears, landed onto the boat with no water so they start to suffocate. THEIR TAILS AND FINS HACKED OFF WHILE THEY ARE STILL ALIVE AND THEN THEY ARE OFTEN JUST DUMPED BACK (ALIVE) INTO THE SEA… Where they slowly sink to the bottom THEN die of blood loss, starvation or are eaten alive by bottom feeders like crustaceans…Wasteful and Barbaric!

How would any species survive without their arm, legs, wings, fins or tails?

Not only is it cruel but it is having a disastrous effect on the oceans eco-system.

Banned in many places ( which) is a step in the right direction …

https://awionline.org/content/international-shark-finning-bans-and-policies

hai sharks-3347789_640

This beautiful creature dates back over 400 million years even outliving the dinosaurs of the 1,000 plus species of sharks and rays many are now in danger of becoming extinct due to overfishing…Yep …That word keeps appearing on my radar…Over Fishing.

Just as overfishing threatens many/most of the fish in our Oceans the shark plays an important role within the eco-system…Classed as one of the top predators they are an essential part in the natural order of marine ecosystems.

Not all species of sharks attack humans and when they do sometimes it is a set of circumstances like a magpie is said to be attracted to bright shiny objects bright colours or blood from an open wound attracts some sharks …

What do sharks feed on most on fish, plankton, molluscs, squid, rays, dolphins, sea lions you may as well say practically everything in the ocean.

You get the Bull shark who will feed on other sharks but in turn, crocodiles have been known to feast on Bull Sharks.

The Tiger Shark, however, eats non-food items and there is certainly much of that to be found in the sea due to dumping and pollution.

How do sharks feed…?

In many different ways just like the sheepdog rounds up the sheep so the long-tailed Thresher Shark rounds up schools of fish. The thick-lipped Nurse shark puckers up and sucks their food out of cracks and crevices.

The Cookie Cutter Shark and no I didn’t name it…Latches onto its prey and sucks out a bite and the little pygmy Shark scurries up and down the sea bed picking up plankton and small fish as it goes.

Sharks are very important to the ecosystem as they are good housekeepers they eat the sick and weak leaving the healthiest of marine species to breed and thrive. Some feed on carcasses of dead creatures lying on the sea bed just like we vacuum or sweep our floors they keep the sea bed clean…

Say NO! To the practice of Shark Finning … Save Our Oceans!

I always love your feedback your thoughts and comments are much appreciated… If you have concerns about our world please share it is the only way we raise awareness of what goes on and the harm being done …Thank you xxx

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great week xx

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Food Column with Carol Taylor – Favourite dishes of 2018

Healthy Eating…No More Diets…

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Welcome to 2019 how was your Christmas and New Year? Did you enjoy your Mince Pies and Sausage rolls I certainly did…

I was pleasantly surprised when I plucked up the courage to check out the damage of all that lovely festive fare it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

How did you do?

Bathroom scales weight

As you know I don’t believe in diets or fads or fashion foods…What is that about? Most diets fail because they are so far removed from our normal eating patterns and often we are eating something not as nice as we have cooked for the rest of the family and we feel deprived…

We need a balanced diet, A healthy diet and yes there are some foods that are better for us that contain antioxidants or more fibre, more of certain vitamins but it needs to be balanced it will do no good to empty the shelves of tomatoes for example and fill ourselves up with tomatoes any which way we can for a few weeks…Will that do us any good??? I think not…It is moderation, common sense whatever way you want to put it…

I am not going to bash any other eating plans or fad diets and sometimes we need to follow a diet because we have an allergy or a proven, medically diagnosed condition where we cannot eat a certain food or food group…

But if we don’t then we need a balanced, sensible diet coupled with regular exercise…Normal everyday foods…

I also think we need to take more notice of food packaging instead of just picking it off the shelves because something catches our eyes…

Fat-Free…Generally means it contains High Fructose Corn Syrup… We need a certain amount of good fats …Our body will not run efficiently if we don’t…Just like our cars need oil…

Cholesterol Free…The first time I saw this on a label I went home and double checked with Mr Google…I thought maybe I had missed something…Of course, I hadn’t… Cholesterol is only found in animal products i.e Meat, dairy, eggs, butter etc…Vegetables and fruit do not contain cholesterol …It is a very clever marketing ploy based on the fact many people read the headline and buy a product without thinking.

Multi-grain…Could mean 2 or 20 grains of which some are processed grains just like white bread… Buy Whole Grain…

Skinny Teas… Seems to be a new fad to me… I get behind the times and am not au-fait with many of the latest fads…They contain laxatives pure and simple …drink too many and you may have a case of the back door trots…

Energy Drinks… Contain high levels of caffeine and are now banned in the UK for purchase by under 18’s, there have also been a few recorded deaths obviously my favourite word of moderation was not applied and they haven’t been around long enough for any long-term studies to be conducted but early signs are not good… So please if you do drink them heed the warnings.

Super Foods… Unless you have been living on a desert island with no contact with the outside world then we have all heard of those Super Foods and yes some foods are extra healthy as part of your healthy balanced diet…No one food alone on its own will help.

Sugar-Free… replaced by what? Mannitol, sorbitol…. look for natural sweeteners.

Natural Foods… There are no regulations about putting that on a packet…What does natural mean…I want to know and so does apparently the FDA …

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/labelingnutrition/ucm456090.htm

I think we all need to be more label conscious… Believe nothing is my motto …If a packet or jar has more than 3 ingredients then I put it back…My prime example is Coconut milk…sold here and 100% and that’s it!

Sold in the UK and probably the US and other countries NOT SO …MANY ARE BELOW 50% and contain fillers and guar gum. Why? My carton keeps the milk fresh until opened the answer? I will tell you to cut costs…Pure and simple…

How am I doing since Christmas well I have lost my Christmas lb’s just by going back to my intermittent fasting, 2 meals and only 1 snack or maybe 2 at the max…

I have started drinking more Green Tea… my new favourite drink as the weather turned a little colder my coconut oil turned white and solid for a week…My dear grandson also bought me a lovely Green tea set so I can brew my tea and sit and enjoy in the peace and quiet.

china green tea pot

Isn’t it pretty and I have a choice of 4 different cups all pretty ladies…Now I can brew it properly no bitter taste it is lovely…so twice a day I sit and sip my green tea…

What is your favourite beverage?

When I was working I ate 3 meals a day but I am older and retired although I still work( write ) I don’t eat as much as I did when I was working and running about after my children so it boils down to what your needs are…If you are eating sensibly and healthily with regular exercise you will lose weight…Promise…

I have also gone back to mainly eating Thai food which I enjoy and it is quick to prepare and cook…

My advice to you…

Ditch the empty carbs and processed foods find other foods that you enjoy… I do not advocate eating any food I do not like or enjoy…Eating should be a pleasure and if that means a slice of cake …So be it… that is my pleasure …The whole cake is being a piglet and is not moderation…

That premise does not apply when it comes to wine... I know how to live to enjoy my food, stay healthy and lose weight.xxx

Until next time…Thank you for reading and if you have enjoyed it, please share, if you have any tips which work for you, please share we would all like to know your secrets for a healthy diet…

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great week xx

Just Fish…Or a chemical cocktail??

14 Replies

I love eating fish and prefer it to a meal containing meat I could quite easily eat fish instead of meat…But the fishing industry is in crisis worldwide.

Overfishing, fish farming using chemical and genetic manipulation, pollution of our oceans, bad management the fish flesh we eat now is more than likely a deadly chemical cocktail…

It just scares me that man has no care for our planet they just take and take until either we can’t eat it or are scared to feed our families with it or there is just no more the stock is depleted…

As a consumer and a worried one I feel we must start this protest at home…We are the shoppers, We choose what to buy, We choose what we feed our families …That is the bottom line folks…WE CHOOSE…AND WE MUST!

So what can we do? Well, only buy the fish we know is safe…WE/YOU need to get off our backsides and do some research find the companies that practise sustainable fishing, share that information among your friends and families…

Prove you care…Words are empty…Actions speak louder than words…

I will give you a starter for 10 here…I will tell you what I know and if you know more than me then pray please tell us all we would love to know …

kodiak-brown-bear-2042153_640

Alaska…Northwest of Canada, is the largest and most sparsely populated U.S. state. It’s known for its diverse terrain of open spaces, mountains and forests, with abundant wildlife.

It is fish country…Yes, they have many advantages over other fishing areas…They also have common sense and set the rules and the rules are not broken. Their fish management is second to none…

Effective state and federal institutions manage fisheries that are productive and sustainable, clean and healthy. Alaska is the only State in the nation whose Constitution explicitly mandates that all fish, including salmon, shall be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle.

Alaska is thousands of miles away from large sources of pollution that can contaminate the human food supply in other parts of the world.

The fish swim in clean, clear water…The fish are safe to eat…

But ok…We all know that you have to adjust and manage properly given your specific circumstances…Don’t we?

The WWF has been working tirelessly to put in place good practises and methods to provide sustainable fishing grounds…and some of the EU countries, although they agreed, have blatantly increased their fishing quotas. Probably due to demand but come on how short-sighted when there are no fish to be fished …What will Joe Public do then??? I’ll tell you …They will wonder why???

We can blame the fisherman, the manufacturers who pollute the waters, the scientists who work hard to find ways genetically to increase the fish yield, the fish farms…But we didn’t care when we were getting all the cheap fish we wanted…

Alaskan fish is safe to eat and yes it is a bit more expensive but you get what you pay for and what price do you put on your health and your families???

Make it a treat …I buy myself a piece Salmon once a month or look for deals and sometimes there are some to be had it freezes well …It is a lovely healthy treat…

Canned salmon labelled “Alaskan Salmon” is a less expensive alternative to salmon fillets.

Smaller fish with short life cycles, also tend to be better alternatives, such as sardines and anchovies, lower contamination risk and higher nutritional value. A general guideline is that the closer to the bottom of the food chain the fish is, the less contamination it will have accumulated.

Just make sure they’re not from the Baltic Sea…Why?? Because the Baltic sea has been grossly overfished, it is contaminated this report tells it all…

http://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/pressures-and-their-status/hazardous-substances/

You only have to read it to see who is to blame…We all are from the perpetrators to the ones who did nothing… To say you didn’t know…Doesn’t cut it with me any more…I can’t believe that some don’t read or listen to the news and don’t want to know more when they do…Am I alone in wanting to know more?

questions-2245264_640

As I said I love fish but I have to be more selective …I look in the frozen fish section and read the label to see where the fish originated from. Canned fish just read the label if it says Alaskan Salmon then you are ok and I love a Salmon and cucumber sandwich made with lovely brown sourdough bread…

Browse your fish counter and look for bargains…the tail ends of the fish make a lovely fish pie just check the origins make it known to your fish monger what is the only fish you are going to buy…If we all did that and were more conscious consumers we could make a difference.

We are not going to change the world but we can change our own personal world and think what that can do if we spread the word…If you find a fish bargain tell all your friends so they can share in it …

Or grow your own if you are able… I have a little fish pond and when they spawn I tell all and sundry and they come and stock up their ponds and when I want a fresh fish I send hubby out to catch me one …They are happy fish not stressed and I know the origin but I still love a lovely piece of Alaskan Salmon as a treat.

My favourite Salmon Recipe.

Thai style steamed salmon with coriander and fish sauce, chilli and lime

Ingredients:

180 gm Trout or Salmon fillet. ( per person)

For Topping:

1 spring Onion finely chopped.

2/3 stems Coriander chopped finely…I use the stem as well.

1 red birds eye chilli finely chopped help promote the release of pleasure-boosting endorphins in the brain.

1 tbsp Fish Sauce.

A cheek of lime.

Mix ingredients together.

Put fish on foil and spoon topping on reserve some topping to add when serving. Seal foil and put in the oven on 180 for 10/15 mins until cooked.

Serve with steamed rice, boiled new potatoes or over noodles.

Enjoy!

I hope when you read this post that it has made you more aware and made you want to do your bit for the fishing industry…I also wanted to leave you with something nice after my rants… A Salmon Recipe x

Wishing you all a happy, healthy New Year.xxx

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great weekend xx

Smorgasbord Health Column – The Gentle Detox – Part Two – Eat food your body recognises…and can work with! by Sally Cronin

1 Reply

Part Two of the Gentle detox…This post contains everything you need to know and buy and what not to buy and importantly why not! We only have one body and we need to look after it…We need to give it a chance to run properly and efficiently…No one likes a car which doesn’t run properly so liken yourself to a car it needs some attention and a yearly Mot…Me, I would rather be an Aston Martin if we are talking cars NOT a Rolls Can hardly as the saying goes….

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Part one of the Detox can be found here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/01/03/smorgasbord-health-column-the-gentle-detox-introduction-and-phase-one-before-you-begin-your-weight-loss-programme/

The Gentle Detox – Part Two – Eat food your body recognises…and can work with!

In my previous posts you will often find me having a poke at the diet food industry – well actually more than a poke. There are certain products that are health related that I do not have a problem with, but I don’t have much time with slimming bars and shakes. I do not care how many nutrients they say are in them, they are not in the form that the body understands or wishes to. We are designed to take our nutrients from natural foods.

I do agree to an extent that what we assume is a nutrient packed vegetable or fruit is not as nutritionally dense as it used to be. Farming methods have changed in the last 50 years or…

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CarolCooks2…Week One… Join me in my kitchen…

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Welcome to my new series… Week One …In my kitchen… where you will get an insight into what I have been cooking this week…Plus a bit of chat and trivia it would be boring otherwise…

It has been a bit slow this week as we all know the week after Christmas and the New Year just eases itself in with a whisper…Or comes in with a bang…and no I haven’t blown up my new oven…

The last of our guests went home today so peace and quiet reigns…It has been hectic but lovely so hubby is out in the garden sweeping up the leaves although a stinker of a tropical storm is expected the first New Year storm of this magnitude for 68 years we are not in the direct path although we may still experience high winds I haven’t had the heart to tell him his sweeping may be in vain…

My son has gone back to the UK and has probably just about landed…When he returns he goes back with his suitcase packed with goodies…Fresh herbs ones which he can’t get in the UK…a blow your head off Thai Curry paste for his brother and bottles of cooking sauces again which he cannot get there and coconut milk because believe it or not he cannot get 100% Coconut milk…The max % is about 60% of brands the ones we buy here are 100%…

When he told me this I was appalled but as he said it is cheaper for manufacturers to add guar gum and the like … for example coconut extract (56 per cent), water, stabiliser (E466), emulsifier (E435), antioxidant (citric acid). E466 is another name for carboxymethyl cellulose. E435 is another name for polysorbate 60.

Mine here 100% Coconut Milk…

100% coconut milk carton cover

Kitchen Tip: Try to find a brand which only contains coconut milk and water and if you can’t and use one of the other brands be careful not to let the liquid boil as it will separate.

I also made him some Indian spice mixes to take with him…

Chettinad Masala Powder:

Ingredients:

16 dried red chillies
4 tsp of black pepper
3 tbsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp dried unsweetened coconut
4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
4-star anise
8 cloves
4 x 1 inch sticks of cinnamon
4 tbsp fennel seeds
20 fresh/dried curry leaves

Dry roast all the ingredients you may have to do this in a couple of batches depending on your pan but be careful not to burn the spices.

Transfer to a plate or dish and allow to cool down before grinding to a powder.

Masala chettinad spice powder

Store in an airtight container. This recipe makes enough for 3/4 curries.

The original recipe I found on Madraasi @ a Tamilian Tales and is now my go-to Indian curry spice mix and one we all love…

Get the full chicken curry recipe here…

The second Indian spice I made for him to take back was a Garam Masala Powder.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp Coriander seeds
3 tbsp cumin seeds
6 whole cloves
10 green cardamom pods
2 large bay leaves
4 dried red chillies
2-inch piece of cinnamon
1 large piece of mace
2 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp of fennel seeds

Roast each spice in a non-stick pan until warm and fragrant. Cool completely then grind the spices to a fine powder this will keep in an airtight container for about 3 months and then the spices will start to lose their flavour.

Use as per your recipe.

I always grind my own spices as it is so easy to do they are fresh and much cheaper than buying those small pots or packages with of course additives.

It also makes a lovely present with a handwritten recipe everyone likes to receive a homemade gift …I love to send them x

I came across this recipe for Gluten Free Banana Pancakes when I was reading blogs this morning and as I have a glut of bananas I thought I have most of the ingredients although I did a little tweak here and there and they were very nice even hubby liked them…Thank you, Bailey, from bites by bai they were lovely.

Maple Walnut Banana Pancakes…

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
3/4 of a cup of rolled oats
2 large organic eggs
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of maple syrup
Chopped banana, blueberries, walnuts and maple syrup to serve.

Put the banana, oats, eggs, baking soda and maple syrup in the blender and blitz until smooth and well combined.

Heat your pan and add some mix cook for about 2 mins each side I did find they cooked quite quickly so watch you don’t burn them…

banana maple syrup pancakes

Serve with sliced banana, blueberries or fruit of your choice, walnuts and maple syrup…They were actually very yummy…

I didn’t have gluten-free oats so mine were not gluten-free but still healthy and I had no maple syrup extract so substituted maple syrup, the walnuts I caramelised and I didn’t have blueberries…and I cooked mine in grass-fed butter… I will make them again and next time will add blueberries as they will add that touch of tartness…

Last night we had Grapow moo with morning-glory which is a lovely Thai vegetable stir-fried with garlic and chillies.

grapow moo cooking adding herbs

Get the recipe here

Morning Glory…One of my favourite vegetable stir fries…

Thai vegetable morning glory

Stir-fried Morning Glory or Pad Pak Boon Fai Daeng is also known as water spinach…It is a very popular vegetable dish in Thailand and one I have for breakfast/brunch quite often with rice.
This is a very quick dish to cook once you have all your ingredients prepared..5 mins at the most.
Ingredients:

1 bunch of Morning Glory
4-6 cloves of garlic
3 or more Thai Chillies
2 tbsp of Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp of Thai Fish Sauce
1 tbsp of fermented soybean paste or oil with soya beans
1 tsp sugar
1/2 to 1 tbsp of oil
1/4 cup fresh veg or pork stock

Let’s Cook!
Wash and cut your morning-glory into 4-6 inch pieces.
Bash the chillies and garlic in a pestle and mortar
Heat the oil in a pan until very hot.
Add the garlic and chillies and stir-fry ( stirring) for 15-20 seconds be careful not to let garlic burn.
Add morning-glory and all other ingredients except for the vegetable stock.
Stir-fry for 40 seconds and add vegetable stock and stir-fry for another 10 seconds.
Serve with steamed rice.
Enjoy!

On my trip to the market the other morning I came across some lovely pigs trotters I haven’t cooked them for years they used to be a favourite of my dads and I remember my mum cooking them…I will be checking out some recipes and will share with you next week I am going to cook them in the slow cooker and try to crisp up the skin…

That’s all for this week from me I will be back in full swing next week so I hope you will join me …If you love what you read then please share, reblog or pin the recipes I am trying to raise my profile on Pinterest it would help me lots x

About Carol Taylor:

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great weekend xx

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