Tag Archives: Cauliflower rice

National Fruit and Vegetable Month…

I hope you enjoyed National Vinegar Month and it has encouraged you to use vinegar in ways that you (and) I hadn’t realised we could…as you know I discovered Black Vinegar and what a joy that was…I  made my second chocolate cake using vinegar yesterday… I made two sandwiched them together with homemade mango preserve and fresh whipped coconut cream…

smart
smart
smart

It didn’t last long once the hungry hordes set upon it… Next time I will use raspberries for a change but this is my new favourite sponge recipe…and vegan as well and from a non-vegan…

Moving into June we are now the 2nd day of June into the 6th month..where does the time go?

This month is Fruit and Vegetable Month and also Papaya month which means I have decided to merge the two…it makes sense…Lots of fruit and vegetable recipes…

Starting with a Protein Shake…

Those who are regular visitors to my blog known that I buy very little of anything which is manufactured especially if I can make a substitute I like…

I know many people who exercise who take these… So I thought I would do a little research and make my own… Cost-wise it is a no-brainer against the cost of some most Protein powders…I also like to know what is in what I am eating and drinking…I dislike the unknown…

The protein shake is 3/4 cup of liquid and 1/3 cup of your main protein…all will be explained in more detail by clicking the link for the full recipe…

Papaya and Custard Apple Protein Shake…

Papaya and Custard Apple Protein Shake

A beautiful healthy shake…

What about a beautiful Papaya Salsa…

Papaya is classed as one of the worlds healthiest foods and Christopher Columbus likened it to a fruit of the angels…In a salsa?? I made a small bowl to start and was pleasantly surprised.

I used 1 ripe tomato, a cup of papaya, 1 spring onion, a small shallot, a handful of chopped coriander and a cheek of fresh lime. Cut everything up small and mixed together…It was very nice…I also added as an afterthought just a little chilli…It has to be done…haha

Papaya tomato onion salsa

Eaten with my flatbreads it makes a lovely healthy little snack.

My next recipe for spicy Rice balls can be made just with rice or with the addition of some ground Pork or chicken…I like both equally although I prefer these without the meat and eaten with a cabbage leaf and some ginger and lime they are sublime a beautiful taste of Thailand.

Red Curry Rice Balls.

Spicy Pork Balls (5)

Ingredients:

  • 500 gms of cooked rice
  • 1-2 tbsp of red curry paste
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 100 gm of fresh coconut
  • 1egg

Let’s Cook!

Mix all the ingredients together and with damp hands form into 5cm balls.

Heat some oil in a pan until hot but not smoking and cook the rice balls( in batches)until golden brown 10-20 minutes.

Serve with lime wedges, sliced or diced fresh ginger, fresh herbs( coriander, mint, basil), Fresh chillies and cabbage leaves.

To eat put the ball in the cabbage leaf and add your accompaniments as desired and lots of lime, fold the cabbage leaf around the ball and eat… One of my all-time favourite snacks…

My final recipe is my favourite cauliflower rice…

Cauliflower with leaves

And all you need is a Cauliflower and an Onion.

A little Coconut oil to cook or other oil of your choice.

Sea Salt and a squeeze Lemon Juice.

Either grate or blitz in a food processor ( but not too fine) you want some texture.

Heat pan and keep pan HOT as you don’t want the cauliflower to steam and go soggy.

Use a tablespoon of Coconut Oil and put in the desired amount of Cauliflower and onion mix.

Cook quickly and then season and add lemon juice.

All in all, it only takes a few minutes to cook….. a bit longer if you are cooking more than one portion but make sure to keep the pan hot.

If you wish to vary the taste you can add 1 tsp of Cumin seeds to the oil before adding Cauliflower if you are eating Indian food.

If you require colour if eating Mexican……. then add 1/2 tsp turmeric to oil and tsp tomato puree.

This is very versatile and just use your imagination and add any herbs and spices that you like.

To store...I make a batch and keep in the fridge for during the week but keep in a glass jar or zip lock bag…I think plastic containers may make it sweat too much…..Enjoy…. and if you are cutting the carbs it is an ideal and yummy substitute for rice and I love rice…… eat it all the time but happily substitute this as I am also a cauliflower lover.

I hope you have enjoyed this first post of vegetable recipes …xx

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.

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!

 

Eat Smart! Eat Healthily!… Recipes, Wacky Diet Corner and some Commonsense…

Ahhhh…First drink of the day…Oolong green tea…It is quiet and peaceful…Aston has been packed off to school, time to check my e-mail and stuff…and then I write…

I write these posts as a way of focusing my mind on my diet although I have been helped by my smartwatch it focuses me by keeping a track of my steps, heart rate and sleep patterns for me I like it apart from my laptop it is the first personal piece of technology that I own and a good buy…

What helps focus your mind...Do you find it easy sticking to healthy eating? If not …Why not? What drives you is it your health and your families health.?.. Is it because you want to wear the latest clothes and look good?. Is it to attract that special someone? Is it so you can play ball without wheezing with your kids?

I have used those reasons over the years plus some…Have I tried quick fixes…Yes, I have…Have I failed miserably after starting off so well… Oh…Indeed I have…I have brought books ( South Beach Diet), subscribed to Weighwatchers, Slimming World,…None of those bad…Like my wacky diet corner and I would never do those..But all restricted or didn’t allow certain foods in some way or another…I don’t follow rules very well either…Well, I don’t…

Low fat…Well, I was reading a study just the other day and like all studies, they need to be long term…Low fat and telling us meat was really bad for us…All debunked…It didn’t work and the latest news is …Forget all that…Low fat generally means higher sugar…

The latest news is...don’t eat low fat, cut out or down the processed foods…Eat organic where possible or wash your food thoroughly…Grow your own…Shop local…Don’t cut out food groups unless you are medically advised…EAT MODERATELY…

I know many of you are probably sick of hearing that word…What would you rather I use? within reason, reasonably, temperately, conservatively, sparingly, economically, somewhat, slightly???

Or just say…Forget…Eat your heart out…..

heart-care-1040248_640

Our heart…One of our major organs…If it didn’t keep to the beat we would have a problem…It needs to be kept as healthy as we can keep it…How we do that? Read Sally’s post on Healthy Eating for a Healthy Heart…

It is a good, commonsense post and for me. a good read…Don’t tell anyone but as I have got older I have found commonsense…He has always been one step in front or behind of me and now we are synchronised and in harmony…But I still have a piece of chocolate or a doughnt..sometimes…A little of what you fancy does you good …Remember that…

Wacky Diet Corner…The Tongue Patch Diet…

 

It’s like a horror movie …Some people are eating clay…A tsp a day in water…I think they all need to read Sally’s post on cravings…

A new series on a sensation that has been blamed for our consumption or over-consumption of certain foods since we were old enough to make excuses! How often do we tell ourselves or others that ‘we crave’ chocolate, crisps, cheese, soda, fried food or even something non-food related… such as dirt or coal? AND CLAY!

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/smorgasbord-health-column-what-causes-your-cravings-part-two-need-chocolate-by-sally-cronin/

I think that it is good that we can attribute certain factors which cause our cravings and much of that is down to restrictive diets and it certainly makes me feel better that it is not just my lack of will power but a valid reason…

Recipe Corner...The cauliflower…

Cauliflower with leaves

Image by 1195798 from Pixabay

One of my favourite vegetables I love the white cauliflower and also the vivid green romesco cauliflower it is lovely just lightly steamed as a vegetable, roasted with some Indian spices or au gratin with a cheese sauce…I can now add cauliflower rice to that list and a cauliflower pizza base…Today I also saw a recipe using the cauliflower as a burger bun I haven’t tried and tested that yet…But I will…Below I have given the cauliflower rice recipe which is well tried and tested…

And all you need is a Cauliflower and an Onion.

A little Coconut oil to cook or other oil of your choice.

Sea Salt and a squeeze Lemon Juice.

Either grate or blitz in a food processor ( but not too fine) you want some texture.

Heat pan and keep pan HOT as you don’t want Cauliflower to steam and go soggy.

Use Tablespoon Coconut Oil and put in the desired amount of Cauliflower and onion mix.

Cook quickly and then season and add lemon juice.

All in all, it only takes a few minutes to cook….. a bit longer if more than one portion but keep pan hot.

cauliflower-rice-pork-thai basil-recipe

If you wish to vary the taste you can add 1 tsp of Cumin seeds to the oil before adding Cauliflower if you are eating Indian Food.

If you require colour if eating Mexican……. then add 1/2 tsp turmeric to oil and tsp tomato puree.

This is very versatile and just use your imagination and add any herbs and spices that you like.

To store...I make a batch and keep in the fridge for during the week but keep in a glass jar or zip lock bag…I think plastic containers may make it sweat too much…..Enjoy…. and if you are cutting the carbs it is an ideal and yummy substitute for rice and I love rice…… eat it all the time but happily substitute this as I am also a cauliflower lover.

Cauliflower Pizza Base…

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium head cauliflower.
  • 1 egg, large.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (dried oregano or basil)
  • 1/8 tsp salt.
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese, grated/shredded.
  • Cooking spray, I make my own spray I don’t do bought oil in spray cans…I have a little stainless steel one for oil.

Let’s Cook!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 C and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Rinse cauliflower, remove the outer leaves, separate into florets and chop into smaller pieces. Process in a food processor in 2 batches, until “rice” texture forms.

Transfer cauliflower rice on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 mins this just removes some of the moisture.

Remove cooked cauliflower rice from the oven, transfer to a bowl lined with a double/triple layered cheesecloth or linen towel, and let cool for 5 minutes.

Then squeeze the liquid out of the ball as hard as you can. Be patient and do this a few times until barely any liquid comes out.

Increase oven temperature to 4 degrees F/200 C. Then in a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg with dried herbs, salt and pepper for 10 seconds. Add cheese and squeezed cauliflower mix very well with a spatula until combined.

Line the same baking sheet with new parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Transfer cauliflower dough to the middle and flatten with your hands until thin pizza crust forms.

Bake for 20 minutes, carefully flip with a spatula and bake for a few more minutes. Top with your favourite toppings and bake again until cheese on top turns golden brown.

Slice and enjoy!

Let the kids help you can never second guess a child and what they will like.  Encourage them to help prepare their food…They are more likely to eat what they help prepare.

THE VERSATILE CAULIFLOWER… I love it! x

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this and that it proves helpful to you in your healthy eating journey xx

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!

More and more of my blogging friends have joined me on MeWe…A social media site which is fairly new and which promises much without the restrictions some other social media sites are choosing to impose on many of us…Join me if you will on  mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3 

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 creative week ahead xx

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy Eating…Eat Smart…Have you reached a plateau?

Welcome to this week’s Healthy Eating…I have discussed different ways of eating and foods, how sleep affects us and intermittent fasting but how is it for you guys? Do you find it easy? Do you struggle at certain times of the day? Or are you doing everything right and you are just stuck…Have you hit a plateau?

For me when that happens I just increase my walking add an extra days walk or walk a lot faster or even go and clean some windows which trust me in this heat you are guaranteed to work up a sweat and lose some pounds…

But why do we hit a plateau? I will leave that up to Sally to explain that as she is the expert …Sally will take you through why your body hits a plateau step by step…Because of course if you have been doing well and eating healthily then we don’t want to give up, do we? After our hard work, of course, we don’t.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/smorgasbord-health-column-size-matters-the-sequel-weightloss-hitting-the-plateau-by-sally-cronin/

My little plateau is over and I have mislaid another 2 lbs just a little more and I will be below the next stone I have set myself a target as we are going to Bangkok to meet up with our eldest son for the weekend in two weeks time …I am hoping he will notice the difference as we haven’t seen him since the beginning of February…

Now generally the only exercise I do is walking…I have never been a fan of the gym…But I want to tone up my arms I only wear sleeveless dresses and tops here so I think…No, I know I really need to just firm them up as I am losing weight …I found this little video and it is easy well you can feel that burn at the halfway mark but it gets easier and I feel a lot better…No jumping about just some lovely little exercises which take 5 minutes out of my day…Let me know how you get on…x

After all that I think we need to eat…Mangoes are in season at the moment so let’s have some mango chicken,,,,

For the Mango Sauce:

  • 2 fresh ripe mangos, fruit scooped out (or substitute 2 cups frozen or canned mango)
  • 1 red chilli, de-seeded and diced, or 1 tsp chilli sauce or 1/2 tsp dried crushed chilli
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar.
  • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 thumb-size piece ginger, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, Take out the vein and roll and finely shred.

 

For the Chicken:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (or rice flour)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 to 3 chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch-long pieces or you can cook the chicken breasts whole and slice..I have tried both ways and think I prefer to slice first.
  • 1/4 cup oil for pan-frying
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 to 1 mango, cut into chunks (to finish the dish) optional.
  • 3 to 4 tbsp coconut juice or water.
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped. 

Let’s Cook! 

Place the 2 ripe mango cut into chunks, red chilli, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, turmeric and kaffir lime leaves in a food processor or blender. Blitz well, until more or less smooth.

Taste the sauce.

You should have a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty. Add more sugar if you find the sauce too sour (this will depend on the sweetness of your mangoes). If not spicy enough, add more chilli. If not salty/flavourful enough, add more fish sauce. If too salty or too sweet, add more lime juice. Play with your flavours add a little at a time and keep tasting as you can always add more it is harder to adjust the balance if you have put too much of one thing in…Just keep tasting…

Set to one side.

Then In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the chicken pieces and turn or gently stir them to coat evenly.

Heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then begin frying the chicken pieces, 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until light golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set on a paper towel.

Lastly, put a pan over medium-high heat and add the mango sauce plus red pepper. Bring to a gentle rolling boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the peppers have softened but are still a little crispy

If the sauce becomes too thick, add 3 to 4 tablespoons water.

Add the fried chicken pieces, gently stirring them into the sauce. If desired, add chunks of mango (fruit of 1/2 to 1 ripe mango). Simmer briefly, just until everything is hot.

Do a final taste-test for salt (tasting the sauce together with the chicken). Add a little more fish sauce or chilli if desired.

Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with fresh coriander or some lightly pickled vegetables or deep fry some julienned vegetables and serve with  Thai jasmine-scented rice or rice of your choice if you are trying to reduce your calories then cauliflower rice makes a lovely accompaniment.

If you prefer fish then this sauce goes equally well with fish just slice your fish into goujons and cook then add to the sauce.

Enjoy!

Smart Phone Corner…

 

It keeps a  record of everything this phone…Last night I woke up 5 times or so it said …I sort of vaguely remember stirring but 5 times it also told me to drink less water…I must admit I probably did drink quite a lot of water b4 I went to sleep so it could right…

screen shot huawei phone fitness app

But looking at the screenshot 3 of those were when I woke up early and just lay there dozing so it must have clocked that…a little smart so and so isn’t it?

But I like the displays they are easy to read and informative …It also keeps me on track and I have a record of my weight loss, sleep patterns and exercise as in walking although I believe I can set it to record my arm exercises and of course it checks my heart rate

I hope you have enjoyed this post and if you have any comments or suggestions, recipes anything please share…Enjoy your week 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 I bid you 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/ 

MeWe is a new social media and one which many of us are turning to mainly migrating over to as FB has banned many of my friends and for what seems no good reason that we can see I hope you will join us there.

MeWe: mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3

Healthy Eating…No more Diets…But a way of life…

Good morning…After the mother of all storms last night the watery sun is trying to come out…The birds are singing and the squirrels are playing on the trees outside my window…

It is day 21 of no alcohol and going well… 3 nights out and I stayed on the water…I also feel much better and have lost a few inches which is a bonus…A dress last worn on Christmas day is a lot looser around the hips and tummy area …My new phone tracks my steps which is another incentive to up the ante…

How is your healthy eating going??? Have you any tips to share?

Salads… If any of you buy ready prepared salads I read there was yet another recall…Not the first I will add over the years and there have been fatalities in the past… it can take a couple of weeks for greens to get from the farm to your plate when they come in the form of bagged lettuce, and nutrition is lost during that time. Another thing that adds to the degradation of vitamins and minerals in bagged salads is the washing they go through before being bagged.

Then there is the water issue…triple washed? If it’s in [California’s] Central Valley, then it most likely becomes the single most important environmental consideration, and the triple-washed thing becomes very difficult to defend.”  90% of U.S. lettuce is produced in California and Arizona.

Plastic bags…It’s just another one …So many issues surround these pre-packed bags of salad…I for one don’t touch them with a barge pole…

If it is just the fact that you love a plate of salad greens…

Salad greens on a plate

Image by msqrd2 on Pixabay

Lettuce greens are the easiest to grow at home…

So really, what’s the point of buying supposedly clean lettuce that isn’t really clean at all?

As you probably know my big boy came to visit it was lovely and has been 3 years since I saw him in the flesh…We have planned our next visit we are not leaving it so long next time we are meeting in Bangkok in May which is his next visit to Kl, Malaysia for work a short trip for us both with no stopovers…

One of our conversations was the Keto Diet which he is currently following properly I may add he has done his research and is tracking his carbs and fibre to make sure he is getting the correct amount.

I believe in a healthy balanced diet and I get the fact that Keto targets the burning of fat and how…Long term isn’t his plan just a means to an end…I understood everything that he said and the why’s and hows and wherefores…

He sees the problem as being that people who were not brought up to eat proper food and cook from scratch are the ones who are just eating everything that they like and can now eat…As much as they like and still lose weight and inches…A recipe for problems later on…

Sean is eating the good fats and making sure he gets his recommended fibre and carbs as fresh food does contain carbs e.g starchy vegetables, legumes, grains, bread so it is opting for lower carb vegetables so drilled down it is a more sensible diet than I originally thought…I still think a healthy balanced diet is the best way as weight loss is not so easily gained…

Do you follow the Keto diet? What are your thoughts?

How am I losing weight and inches?? 

By cutting out alcohol, processed foods, no more biscuits, swapped English tea for green tea which avoids the need for a biscuit to dunk, changed to brown/wild rice and eat rice once a day instead of twice a day and substituting cauliflower rice or zucchini pasta, eating more fish which cuts down on the red meat. 

zucchini pasta

That’s about it…Update it is working my clothes are looser and a great tip my son gave me was instead of using a tape measure use a ball of string and hang them up every time you measure yourself and you will soon have a decreasing line of strings showing your inch loss….I thought that was a great idea!

My recipe this week and it is my favourite soup…Tomatoes, chilli, egg, mince, spring onions and Dill…. A virtual assault on my taste buds… The fresh taste of tomatoes is intense and heavy on dill which I love this is one of the best soups ever…

Egg drop Soup.

Egg-drop-soup-recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tbsp oil ( I use coconut)
  • 3 spring onions
  • 3/4 lb ripe tomatoes ( chopped and cored)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-2 tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 1/3 lb finely minced pork/ chicken
  • 1-2 chillies diced diagonally
  • 2 eggs beaten or you can just drop the egg in whole and the heat of the soup will cook the egg.
  • 2 sprigs of coriander or dill or more
  • 5 1/2 cups water
  • Black Pepper to taste

Let’s Cook!

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add tomatoes and salt, cover and cook until soft about 4-6 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.

Add fish sauce and chillies….I would add I tbsp of fish sauce and taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Add mince and move around to break up any big clumps.

Add water, bring to boil and skim off any scum that arises.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes add spring onions and simmer for another 10 minutes.

If you are not serving immediately then remove from heat and keep the lid on.

To Serve:

Bring soup to simmer, Taste and adjust seasoning, fish sauce or salt.

Pour beaten egg into a bowl in a wide circle; stir gently to break up into strings.

Ladle soup into a bowl, add a generous sprinkling of pepper and garnish with Coriander or Dill.

Enjoy!

That’s all from me for this week I hope you have enjoyed this post…How is your healthy eating going ???

Thank you for reading this post I am happy that you joined me today for our little chat on how we can improve the health of both our body and our purse/wallet.

I hope you thought so  too 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 week xx

Healthy Eating…The bonus? You may lose a few kilos… Anti-inflammatory foods…

Welcome to Tuesdays healthy eating post…It is a tad cooler here in the mornings and the fan is staying firmly off my shawl is around my shoulders albeit the sun is shining…I can hear you… I know many of you are experiencing extremely cold weather so never fear the recipes here today will warm the cockles of your heart…

Here I am clocking up the digits so I am going to have a little corner for food which will help alongside a healthy diet to help keep those wrinkles at bay… and hold back the sands of time…

shar pei puppy

It is also a known fact that if you eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure that YOU will live well and longer!

I know that some health conditions are caused all or partly by inflammation and doctors may advise following an Anti-inflammatory Diet.

On hearing these words many people just freak and think what! It is going to be expensive, it will be foods I don’t like, I am going to have to eat different food to the rest of my family… all manner of thoughts…

It is Healthy Eating no more no less…It is knowing which foods cause inflammation and which foods help calm inflammation…Pure and simple…

Let’s have a look, shall we? Break it down…

Firstly reassess your lifestyle as stress plays a huge part in this…Chill out!

relaxed reading kindle lady

Exercise goes without saying...It doesn’t need to mean expensive gym fees…Walking, riding a bike, using your bottom stair for step ups, using cans of beans to get those arms working, a hula hoop, a skipping rope, cleaning those windows, play ball with the kid’s, if they have a trampoline need I say more…Unleash that fun side…

girl trampoline

Many little bursts of exercise through the day can work wonders.

What to eat?

Fewer highly processed foods...You knew I was going to say that …Didn’t you? Look on the bright side it will save you money…

Spices...Turmeric contains curcumin, garlic a wonderful bulb which adds flavour to foods and helps curb inflammation, ginger may reduce muscle pain and soreness and its anti-inflammatory properties can help with Osteoarthritis.

Reduce caffeine as in  tea and coffee drink and replace with

  • Chicory Coffee
  • Matcha Tea….more info here 
  • Golden Milk. Golden milk is a rich, caffeine-free substitute for coffee. …
  • Lemon Water. …
  • Chai Tea. …
  • Rooibos Tea. … I know this as Redbush Tea and love it!

Red wine has known anti-inflammatory properties…There seem to be 2 camps on this consume or avoid…My take try moderation…

Oily Fish for that Omega 3… Salmon, tuna and sardines are all good…Just know your source and that it is sustainable fish.

Olive oil and avocados…

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables…Spinach and kale are both rich in Vitamin K and help curb inflammation as do broccoli and cabbage…Cherries, raspberries and blackberries whose colour is a type of pigment which helps inflammation. Go for colour and variety.

Whole grains…Oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, Brown Rice all may help lower inflammation.

Beans contain so much fibre and are loaded with antioxidants to help reduce inflammation.

Nuts just a handful a day… Almonds and walnuts…

Now, what to ditch… Or cut down gradually…You will notice the difference guaranteed!

  • Refined sugars and starches
  • Sodas and other highly sweetened drinks
  • Hugh fat and processed meats
  • Fried Foods
  • Transfats

beach desert island

None of these should come as a surprise to you unless you have lived on a desert island with no radio, newspapers or the internet for the last 30 years…

After following this you should notice a difference in any joint pain, stiffness, swollen joints or redness…

To give you a start here is a day’s food plan starting with breakfast.

Porridge and a lovely berry compote made with frozen berries just cook some and reduce down…Too sour add some honey.. or as I often have…

muesli-3186256_1920 porridge fruit

Pineapple Smoothie

Full of fibre and protein, which makes people feel fuller for longer.

Mango and Pineapple Protein Drink 1

Pineapple contains high levels of bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Bromelain supplements are an emerging market due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Lunch… A lovely bowl of soup

squash-pumpkin- soup

  •  1 small squash, peeled and deseeded. Cut into pieces.
  •  1 brown onion, peeled and cut up
  •  1 carrot washed and cut
  •  4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  •  Piece fresh ginger finely chopped
  •  3 Broccoli stalks, peeled and cubed (I always save the broccoli stalks) for when I make soup. Waste not, want not and I think ideal for soups for flavour.
  •  1-1½ litres fresh home-made vegetable stock

Let’s Cook!
Heat a glug of olive oil and gently cook garlic ginger and onion to just soften and not colour.
Add other vegetables gradually and cook while stirring for about 5 minutes, then add the stock and seasoning.
Simmer gently for about an hour or until vegetables are lovely and soft and remove from heat. I let it cool down before I blend.
This makes a lovely vegetable soup but I also use it as a base and freeze in portions.
When I reheat I add little-dried chilli flakes and 1 or 2 tbsp of coconut milk.
It just gives it a creamy flavour.
Sometimes I add crushed lemongrass stalk and a little fish sauce, it depends on how I feel, it is a versatile soup base so play with it, have fun.
Add some curry powder, a squeeze or 2 of lime juice or coriander, whatever you fancy. Enjoy!

Dinner… Salmon with Greens and Cauliflower rice.

Salmon Trout my way…

salmon with herbs and chilli steamed

  • 180 gm  Trout or Salmon fillet.

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.
  • 1 tbsp Fish Sauce.
  • A cheek of lime.

Mix all ingredients together.

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

Saute some kale or spring greens and serve with Cauliflower rice… recipe here

These are just some ideas of foods to eat and cook with if you need to follow an anti-inflammatory diet…Not so daunting is it?

Many of these foods are foods which you may have in your fridge/larder or buy already.

Anti- Ageing Food Corner:

Let’s start with a treat…Dark Chocolate ( Not milk) is loaded with nutrients which can have a positive effect on your health. Made from the seed of the Cocoa Tree it is loaded with antioxidants…Studies show that it can improve your health and we are talking proper chocolate here..Not your cheap stuff but one with a high cocoa content dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content.is rich in fibre, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and a few other minerals just apply the moderation bit as it does contain sugar but the fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, with small amounts of polyunsaturated fat.

dark chocolate stacked

A couple of squares a day my father swore by it and had his two squares with his afternoon tea so go on treat your self to a good bar of dark chocolate and some of them now have chilli and chilli and chocolate is good…

Well, that’s my not so little spiel over…I am happy that you joined me today.

For delicious healthy recipes???

I hope you thought so 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 week xx

Eat Smart, Eat Healthily…

Healthy eating should be a lifestyle choice

Healthy eating should be the priority and the habit of a lifetime…No fads, no weighing every day or week and then beating your self up because you haven’t lost anything.

It is about being aware of what you are eating and knowing if what you are eating is improving your health. It is not about removing whole food groups from our diets we need a healthy well-balanced diet to be at our optimum health.

What really matters is Our well-being, Our Blood Pressure figure, Our cholesterol, Our blood sugar, Our inflammation markers.

Last week I wrote about WW ( Weight Watchers) changing their thinking I wonder how far they will go and whether other diet plans will follow suit…

A question for you…In what way can I help you???

It is easy for me to sit here…I have no real barriers as in I don’t work any more which makes it easier for me…

But a little background for you… I have always worked, I have six children all grown up with children of their own… I have always cooked from scratch..sometimes out of necessity because cans or packets are generally only to feed the average size family and ours wasn’t.

I could have blown our budget and bought multiple packs of everything not only would that have been a storage problem but how to get it home or push all the trolleys required around the supermarket ..Or I could have broken it down into days and buy drinks one day, vegetables another day and still have time to work,clean, cook, do school runs and after school runs…It just wasn’t viable …

So I cooked and baked…I made use of my freezer and slow cooker and batch baked and cooked …

We had a plan and a routine it was the only way…

My first job every morning was to do the ironing and packed lunch boxes so when the kids appeared they got their pile of ironing to put away…

We had pets so whoever’s pet it was looked after it and kept the cages clean.

bath time animal-1298962_640

One washed the breakfast dishes… we didn’t have a dishwasher at that point, one dried and one put away…The biggest helped the littlest and I was never late for work and the kids were not late for school.

Did it hurt them?? Ask them!

The boys can cook, iron and clean and their wives love it!

I made no distinction between sexes…

They cook from scratch and are great cooks… Why? Because it was a way of life for us…Did they eat cake and biscuits…Yes, they did ..We had fun making them…The whole neighbourhoods kids were at my house on baking day and often we had a guest or two for dinner…That line of shoes always seemed to grow…

And as old as they are they still reminisce about holidays and food they remember me making big pots of stew and they all eat their vegetables…No fussy eaters… If your kids help prepare they are more likely to eat…

Family and community are key I believe to a healthy lifestyle we are sociable creatures aren’t we who need contact with others…

Much of that has been lost with the demise of families and friendly neighbours…Computer games and the like have also played a part…in sedentary lifestyles and other problems.

Well, that was a bit of a saga … Wasn’t it?

I still do most of what I have always done and always prepare food in advance… I portion up my meat or fish so I can cook meals during the day which are quick to do…Which is why I love the Thai way of cooking…Quick and easy just a few ingredients stir-fried and eaten with rice or noodles.

Now I am older I apply moderation more …I have eaten my fair share of chocolate and cakes and they don’t hold that fascination for me anymore ..that must eat feeling…Maybe because I have kicked the added sugar habit?

So I suppose what I am saying is if you have small children teach them to cook and help even growing some herbs or fruit…It will set them up for life …

A recipe for you…

Pork and Basil…….. 5 ingredients plus seasoning…

cauliflower-rice-pork-thai basil-recipe

Ingredients:

For 1 serving.

100 gm pork loin sliced finely

2/4 birds eye chillies. cut in small slices.

2/4 cloves garlic finely sliced.

2/3 long beans( snake beans) chopped in small pieces.

2 stems Thai Holy Basil.

1 tbsp Oyster Sauce.

Shake or 2 of Maggi ( seasoning sauce)

1/2 tsp black soy.

Let’s Cook!

Put tiny bit oil in small frying pan.

Add chillies and garlic and cook for  1 minute then add your finely sliced pork loin-stirring until cooked about 2 /3 mins. Add Green Beans and Thai Holy Basil cook for further 2 mins.

In the picture, I have served it with cauliflower rice but I also serve with steamed rice it depends just how I feel… I absolutely love this dish it takes 15 mins max to make as long as it takes the rice to cook and if you are using cauliflower rice even quicker. You will also notice that I varied the amount of garlic and chillies I love both and use loads as well as many more herbs than I state in my recipes…

Enjoy!

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.

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://blondieaka.wordpress.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