Smorgasbord Food Column – Carol Taylor’s Green Kitchen – May 2021 – Dinner Rolls, Chillies, Recycled Face Masks, Grow Spring onions, make Apple Cider Vinegar – Waste Not, Want Not..

6 Replies

Good morning and welcome to the May edition of my Green Kitchen… I cannot begin to tell you how delighted I am to be back with a brand- new column at Smorgasbord Magazine… and how welcome you are making me feel.

I am passionate about cooking from scratch using fresh ingredients, the environment and ensuring that the food I make for my family is clean and as chemical-free as it can possibly be…I would also love to know that instead of counting calories and cost that more people counted chemicals as it is the chemicals in processed foods which affect our health and wellbeing.

Just to recap for those who are new here…This monthly post will cover sustainability, news on food production…changes for the better and maybe a villain or three…haha, a recipe or two including some plant-based recipes, hints and tips on making my household a little greener…aka recycling and composting.

It isn’t easy …in theory, we know what we should do …THEREFORE I have looked at what I can do gradually…every small change is a bonus.

This Month’s Recipe…Dinner rolls.

For anyone who shops in M & S and buys their dinner rolls the texture of these is the closest to them a softish crust and centre you can pull apart…They definitely received the thumbs up from my lot and they can be very hard on me and are my harshest critics…

Please click here to read the original post…

 

 

 

 

 

The Environmental A-Z…the letter F…

27 Replies

 

 

Welcome to my new series…still an A-Z but with a difference …

The idea for this series came about because yes as my regular followers and commenters know I am passionate about the health of the world I am living in… however often when I am researching and reading articles I come across terms and have to look them up which spawned the idea for this…two-fold… it increases my knowledge and I hope yours…

The A-Z of the environment and Climate Change… letter F.

The best way to predict your future is to create it...Abraham Lincoln.

Flora and Fauna…You may have heard the terms flora and fauna before, but what do they actually mean? Flora and fauna refer to plants and animals in the broadest sense of the words, encompassing pretty much all life on Earth. As you might imagine, these are very broad categories and in general scientists break down the different types of flora and fauna into different classifications, ranging from a specific type of life down to an individual species.

To remember them, fauna sounds similar to fawn, indicating it refers to animals, whereas flora sounds like flowers, indicating it refers to plants.

An umbrella term that refers to many different types of life. What is counted as flora and fauna is dependant upon the specific region, climate, or time period.

Fossil Fuels…Coal, crude oil, and natural gas are all considered fossil fuels because they were formed from the fossilized, buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Because of their origins, fossil fuels have a high carbon content.

Burning fossil fuels generates most of the energy required to propel our cars, power our businesses, and keep the lights on in our homes. Even today, oil, coal, and gas provide for about 80 per cent of our energy needs.

But at what cost?

Air and water pollution…Global Warming we cannot continue to burn the world’s resources and not pay the cost…

Renewable energy is the way forward and we ignore that at our peril…it cannot continue as the world we know will not exist for our children and grandchildren should they pay the cost for our negligence?

Fuel Poverty…A household is said to be in fuel poverty when its members cannot afford to keep adequately warm at a reasonable cost, given their income.

The key factors that can contribute to fuel poverty are:

  • The energy efficiency of the property (and therefore, the energy required to heat and power the home)
  • The cost of energy
  • Household income.

 

According to the World Health Organization, over three billion people worldwide are at these lower rungs, depending on biomass fuels—crop waste, dung, wood, leaves, etc.—and coal to meet their energy needs.

Stop Press:…I’m joining dots..I can’t help it…BUT the above leads to the other …

Fuel poverty and starvation generally go hand in hand…the more I research the more I realise I am fortunate BUT so many people around the world are NOT…That scares me because if you look at past figures it is getting worse, not better and maybe now you realise why FOOD WASTE exasperates me…

I am guessing that if I did a comparison between food waste and the percentage of the world who are starving it would be mind-blowing… Ahhh…It is 

Rant over…

Although I understand some of the changes HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD and to an extent know what we can do to slow it down, however, I also know that the earth has gone through changes over the centuries so how much can we manipulate and stop what is happening and how much is just a fact of life ???

That’s all for today…I hope I have explained it in layman terms and made some things clearer as I believe we should all have a clearer picture in our minds as to what we can change and how…And also what affects our health and how…

See you in two weeks for the letter G…next Wednesday it will be Part 5 of the new A-Z on food and terms with the middle letter being F as in Cauliflower.

Thank you for reading it is a pleasure to see you here I hope you come again… Love Carol x x

Tuesday Twitterings…A journey to be a Doctor…

23 Replies

 

Good Morning and welcome to Tuesday Twitterings…

Recently I posted about a chefs journey to become a doctor…This piqued my interest as you know I am a firm believer that we can through our diet determines our health to a point…

I started off by being fascinated by this chefs journey to combine the two …but that quickly grew into concern as the momentum surrounding colour and prejudice has increased I have been increasingly saddened about all the other injustices in the world and to be fully inclusive they all must be addressed and rectified… People are STILL judged either by their religion, colour, creed or disability…

Today’s story …Can you become a doctor if you are blind?

Dr Jacob Bolotin -January 3 1888-April 1 1924.

The worlds first totally blind physician fully licensed to practice medicine. Wikipedia

Some were amazed at what he achieved with little technology …others feel that it was a bonus and gave him an advantage…I find that very demeaning and shows a lack of respect for his tenacity and will to achieve his dreams…

Anyone who is blind, deaf or bodily disabled still has a brain and frankly a better brain than many of us…I want to live in a world (and) yes I can hear the naysayers…There is nothing wrong with wanting the best education for EVERYONE regardless of the barriers …

There is also nothing wrong in expecting everyone to be kind and mindful of someone who is different and of knowing how they are different and accepting that they can learn and grow by learning and accepting differences…

In memory of Dr Jacob Bolotin, there are the Jacob Bolotin Awards...

The organiser of the awards wanted someone who has benefitted from his trailblazing ways to speak…This is a good read but even in these supposedly enlightened times what stood out for me was that another student uttered these words…“Why are you here?”

Please meet Dr Tim  Cordes a practicing physician completing his last year of residency. Dr Cordes was a recipient of a National Federation of the Blind scholarship in 1995.

There are numerous other types of work in medicine, and blind persons have been discouraged, if not barred, from entering most of them…

It’s true that vision loss leads to some limitations — blind people can’t drive cars or pilot aeroplanes, for instance. But that doesn’t mean they can’t live full, independent lives on par with their sighted peers.

Hearing is the basic sense for blind people, while for the sighted is their vision.

However, rather than focusing on what people can’t do, we should be focusing on what they can do and empower them… Whether they choose to become athletes, artists, or professionals, individuals who are blind can and do lead rich, fulfilling lives, like anyone else. It’s time to accept that blind workers can thrive in whatever career they desire — when employers, schools, colleges, university’s give them the chance.

If you are dumb you have sign language…Blind you have Braille…

Braille…

The tenacity of inventors leaves me in awe sometimes…and advances to braille are being made all the time now…

Surely the world would be a happier place, we would all be healthier in mind and maybe body…if we accepted and embraced everyone for who they are…xx

Thank you for reading and remember… Don’t judge a book by its cover”  Quote by George Eliot…be kind and not judgemental we are all the same underneath our skin…and all our blood runs RED…

See you tomorrow for the next A-Z with a twist…Have a lovely day, make a change and smile …be happy as laughter is the best medicine…Love Carol x

Meatless Mondays…Cashew Nut Curry with Halloumi and Brocolli…

22 Replies

Good morning and welcome to Meatless Monday’s…

Meatless Mondays here is just for scheduling purposes it can be any day and not just one day a week…I am gearing up for 2 days…

Food choices are very personal and learned behaviour can be very difficult to change… there is so much evidence now around our food choices that I believe it is vital for me and my family to make some changes…

Why you may well ask…  we have a healthy diet anyway…but for a sustainable future not for me but for my kids and their kid’s action should be taken now…

The fact and it is fact that it will make us healthier makes it a no-brainer really…

I am not advocating giving up meat I am saying we need to learn how to eat less meat by making better choices…What do I mean by that?

Mass-produced meat sold in supermarkets is often inhumanely reared and killed for our plate…it may be laden with antibiotics it is fact that animals reared in closed overcrowded abodes get diseases…which in turn affects our health…it may not be palatable to read this but it is a FACT…

There are livestock farmers raising animals sustainably plus managing The land to reduce the effect of greenhouse gases, treating animals humanely and creating better, safer working environments…

Plus it’s likely covid and other viruses started and were transmitted through unclean working conditions and inhuman animal husbandry…

Yes, higher standards mean higher costs to us the consumer but what price do you put on health?…

Surely eating a piece of mass-produced flavourless meat is not preferable to a lovely albeit smaller piece of grass-fed meat…

I will be doing a post on how to flavour your food with meat rather than meat being the larger part…it is not difficult to cook with flavour yes if you are starting from scratch it takes time…

A good example of this is I love beetroot and orange smoothies…

The place I used to get it from ..made freshly in front of me has gone…I am trying to replicate it at home…so far it’s not cutting it…I need to adjust my ratios of beetroot to orange yet again but I will get there…

To make sure our families are eating the best food we can buy/make for them withing our budgets may not be easy..BUT… we need to teach our children and it will become easier for future generations and at the same time, it builds family relationships and neighbourly ones if we share our successes and recipes…

Our health and the future health of this beautiful planet we inhabit will be far healthier and don’t you want to leave a better place for the future generations and hopefully, they will have learnt from their mistakes.

My recipe for this week is a Cashew Nut Curry with Halloumi and Brocolli…

Halloumi…Halloumi or haloumi is a semi-hard, unripened cheese made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk, and sometimes also cow’s milk. It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled. This property makes it a popular meat substitute.

I thought I would try halloumi as I haven’t eaten it before…

Ingredients:

  • 120 gms raw Cashew Nuts
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • Piece fresh ginger
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 200 gm tomatoes skinned
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp garam masala powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 300 gm coconut milk
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • Broccoli florets or cauliflower

Let’s cook!

Cover cashew nuts switch salted water and leave to soak for at least 2 hrs I left mine for 5 hrs…the reason for this is if not soaked they are quite bland.

Once cashew nuts are soaked then blitz the cashew nuts with the skinned tomatoes, garlic and ginger, green chillies and onion then add coconut milk…

Cut the halloumi into cubes and fry on all side in olive oil until golden and crispy then remove from pan and leave to drain on kitchen paper.

Lightly steam broccoli florets.

Heat ghee in a pan and add the blitzed curry to the ghee and stir bring to a slow simmer and add garam masala and salt to taste cook on low for about 15 mins…

Then add halloumi and broccoli cook for another 5 mins until heated through. Taste to season and add lime juice…Taste and adjust as required.

Serve with rice and garnish with coriander(optional)

This is the first time I have made a cashew nut curry and used halloumi…

The curry was flavourful and I preferred the halloumi to tofu…I would make the sauce slightly thinner next time but would make it again with a little more spice and some more vegetables.

How is introducing more plant-based meals going in your kitchen… Going well or meeting with some opposition?...

That’s all for today on my journey into eating more plant-based meals on a Meatless Monday……Thank you again to everyone who is suggesting recipes I will try them all…xx

Thank you for reading this post If you have enjoyed this post please leave a comment and any tips or recipes you want to share… I love to chat and share recipes…Love Carol xx

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – May 2nd -8th 2021 -Jose Feliciano, Allergies, Magic Gardens, Book Reviews, Book Excerpts and Funnies

7 Replies

 

Welcome to Smorgasbord Blog Magazine…  weekly roundup…Lots for everyone including music, book reviews, health and allergies and so much more…Thank you Sally for including me in the Blogger Daily…you rock…So head over, take a drink and enjoy! #recommended read.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2021/05/08/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-weekly-round-up-may-2nd-8th-2021-jose-feliciano-allergies-magic-gardens-book-reviews-book-excerpt

CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…May 2nd-8th May 2021…#Recipes, Whimsy, Music and Lifestyle Changes

13 Replies

Recipes, Whimsy, Music and Lifestyle Changes…

Welcome to this week’s edition of my weekly roundup of posts…Especially for you just in case you missed a few posts during this last week…we are now into May…Time is marching on…thus far we had some humdingers of storms and the rains are still continuing mainly overnight although the temperature is still warm the rain keeps it down a little no sunshine yet this morning so time to do a little weeding…the weeds love the mixture of sunshine and rain…sigh

Just in case you missed any or love to catch up like I do… snuggle down in your favourite place… be kind to yourselves …I think we all need to do that… get comfy in your favourite corner with your favourite drink tea/coffee or hot chocolate although depending on where in the world you live it could be a glass of wine or two…Cheers!

Let’s get the party started then…

All this talk and action about racism is getting to me…I care about injustices deeply they all sadden me but it’s throughout all society and applies in many areas of our lives… prejudice comes in many forms and for many reasons and for us to live in a society that is just and fair it has to apply to all…

Tuesday Twitterings…A journey to be a Doctor…

I love A-Z’s and this one is more challenging than some…I do hope you are enjoying it x This week I explored the alphabet for words where the middle letter was E it always means there has to be an odd number of letters and I try not to add an S unless I really can not think of anything…Enjoy!

The Culinary Alphabet …..Series 3… the letter E

In my kitchen this week I looked at making chicken stock and it really is a waste to throw away carcasses and bones as homemade stock is absolutely delicious as long as we buy good quality, organic or sustainably reared meat you will be rewarded by a beautiful stock and of course you can use up your peelings and onions skins and odds and ends of veg or aromatics which means less waste…you also control your salt, sugar and chemical intake so a win-win all round.

CarolCooks2…Week 12…in my Kitchen…made from scratch…Chicken Stock…

Allergies or food intolerances can be a mild inconvenience or life-threatening with stages in between we need to know the difference and we must know what steps to take in an emergency…Sally explains all of this in-depth and in easy to understand layman’s terms…#recommended read

Smorgasbord Health Column – Family Health A-Z – Allergies and Intolerances – Part One – The difference between them by Sally Cronin

This beautiful vibrant flower makes a very healthy caffeine-free drink…hot or cold it provides numerous health benefits and makes vibrant coloured ice cubes for your cocktail or play with it and colour your glass noodles…they look so pretty on the plate…

Tropical Fridays…Butterfly Pea Flower Tea…

Saturday Snippets…

Saturday Snippets featured two of my favourite artists…Paolo Nutini and Ricky Nelson not a bit alike but both very listenable…we also have National Burger Month, l Doughnut week and who can eat a whole jam doughnut WITHOUT licking your lips and National Vegetarian week…Plus other little snippets…I do hope you enjoy xx

Saturday Snippets…8th May 2021…

Well, that’s it for today…Thank you so much for dropping by…see you next week …Love Carol xx