Welcome to down on the farm…My lemongrass is now dry enough to blitz I can’t wait to try for soups and stir-fries…The mangoes took me a while to peel and then it was mango smoothies all around…to the peels and pits, I added the sugar and the lime zest stirring every 45 minutes until the sugar had dissolved I then left it covered overnight and then pushed what I could through a sieve the next morning…Make sure to use a plastic or glass bowl which is non-reactive.
I used the peel and pit of 8 mangoes(16 0z) to 1 cup of sugar and the rind of lime but the lemon rind is fine. Plain white sugar, or a raw to semi-refined sugar such as jaggery, or palm sugar…I used raw sugar which gave the syrup a darker colour.
The syrup can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks in a glass bottle or jar.
It can be used in place of lemon syrup in recipes such as lemon chantilly cream or replace the lemon in a salad dressing with mango syrup.
I use fruit scraps wherever I can…
I love pickling watermelon rinds, in fact, the only way I like watermelon is pickled, the work involved in finely shredding the lemongrass was worth it…Making mango syrup was a little messy for just over half a cup of syrup …
I will say when mixed with carbonated water and with a squeeze of lime it made a refreshing drink…Hubby did suggest a shot of vodka would be a nice addition…The mango syrup with vodka came later….mmmm
It may be something I would make if I had visitors and was making cocktails….cancel the maybe I would make it again as it got a thumbs up from the menfolk who loved it with vodka…
This little pork dish can be also made with chicken the meat can be either minced or sliced. All you need is some curry paste a little bit of coconut milk and a squeeze or two of lime/lemon….it is a dish I make when I can’t be bothered and want something quick.
Just heat a glug of oil and add some red curry paste, a little fish sauce and a cheek of lime I just squeeze the lime and chuck it in the pan and remove it when the meat is cooked. Add your meat and stir fry until cooked add just a little splash of coconut milk and cook until it has evaporated a couple mins sometimes I add another splash if I know it is just going to be that hot and spicy…This is a dry spicy little dish with a wedge of lime, some rice and some raw white cabbage…
A lovely quick little snack…Just take your cabbage and add some of the pork and rice a squeeze of lime a nice very spicy, crunchy little mouthful. Really quick to make and tasty…
At the moment I know that going shopping is a no, no for some of you and when you do maybe it is hit and miss as to what is available…Fancy some hummus and have no Tahini It is the easiest of things to make, takes a couple of minutes …
How to make your very own Tahini paste/butter..it is so quick and easy and the cost of a packet of sesame seeds is virtually pennies against the cost of a store-bought jar of tahini and no nasties….
Let’s Cook!
Into the kitchen, a quick, toasting of the Sesame Seeds, then into the mini blender, 3 tbsp Olive oil, and a quick whizz, scrape down the sides, another tbsp Olive oil and another scrape, a bit more oil and a quick whizz and viola your Tahini Paste is now ready to use.
I have been making my own Tahini paste for years now made even simpler as we have our own little sesame seed bushes…
It is such a pretty plant…which apart from producing seeds which are used mainly in desserts in Thailand. Here down on the farm they are dried and used for just that really and to make the lovely sesame biscuits which we love…
The oil from the seeds is not really used in Thai cuisine like it is in Chinese cookery.
The sesame seed is one of the most ancient seeds on earth there have been remains of Sesame seeds found and dated as far back as 3500BC. It was also widely traded in parts of Mesopotamia and the Indian subcontinent around 2000BC. Always highly valued in Eastern, African and Mediterranean cultures it has been used for thousands of years in cooking to flavour foods. Sesame oil has one of the highest oil contents of any seed and a rich nutty flavour. Across continents, worldwide sesame oil, tahini and seeds are widely used.
It is a good source of vitamins and minerals that boost nutrient absorption, it is beneficial to human metabolism and the body’s fat-burning ability.
Sesame oil is a strong antihypertensive and can also help normalize blood pressure levels.
Sesame butter or Tahini is a pretty calorific dense food with 89 calories plus 8 gm of fat per tablespoon BUT the majority of that fat comes from healthy unsaturated fat like Omega 3 oils which help lower inflammation and thus lower the risk of heart attacks. However, as always I advise moderation.
Making your own Tahini is so quick and easy just the cost of a packet of sesame seeds is virtually pennies against the cost of a store-bought jar of tahini and no nasties…
Run out of your store brought BBQ sauce...again so easy to make from store cupboard ingredients…
- 1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.
- 1 tbsp lime/ lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tsp hot sauce…I use 1/4 cup siracha which gives a nice background heat.
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Whisk all your ingredients together in a small pan and heat and simmer for about 5 minutes then use as required…Today I halved the recipe and added a couple pinches of mixed herbs…I just wanted enough to baste some Pork belly which I did a couple times during cooking.
If not used immediately allow to cool and store in the fridge in a screwtop jar. It is good for about a week.
Lovely brushed on meat or fish or as we did last week we cooked our ribs in the sauce.
Thank you for reading I do hope you are all staying well and safe…It seems like the whole world is on lockdown…scary times…xx… I haven’t been going out unless it is a necessity… a nightly curfew has also been put in force, hotels are now closed to new customers here the buying of alcohol is banned the world is gradually being taken towards complete lockdown…I wonder how all this will pan out…A brave new world?
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!
Thank you for reading and please stay safe and well…xxxx
Retired? No one told me! 