Saturday Morning Market…Not this Saturday morning or until further notice although as it is a food market it is still open…

I am torn between supporting the local community and the small farmers however my survival instinct has kicked in and I do not want to take a chance, not just with my health but my families health.

I have also been very, very lucky as my Thai family arrived at the crack of dawn the other morning masked up and left us sacks of rice, boxes and bags of fresh vegetables, fruit, herbs plus meat and fresh honey all fresh from the farm…How wonderful was that… it made me cry they are so loving, caring and thoughtful …Beautiful souls…

Much more than we could possibly eat/freeze which meant  I  could share with my neighbours… the remainder I am madly cooking and searching for recipes for lemongrass and eggplants…

Today is also National Carrot Day…

Carrots…The national carrot day was founded fairly recently in 2003 to be exact…Its aim to encourage people to eat carrots and promote the health benefits of eating carrots.

I love carrots but my new favourite carrot is the purple carrot…it looks vibrant on the plate and makes sure I eat my purples…

My Pineapple and Carrot Cake...tried and tested.

This is a really lovely moist cake and we all liked the addition of the pineapple and for Easter. You could also add some of those little carrot icing shapes you can buy but it is so hot here that the icing melts within minutes as you can see………

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp EACH ground cloves, ground ginger, + ground nutmeg
• 1 cup of coconut oil
• 1 and 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
•  4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 large carrots, grated (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 cups icing sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

Let’s Cook!

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch pan. I always use my glass dish.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and other spices together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

Fold in the grated carrots, pineapple, and walnuts.

Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours.

The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminium foil.

Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place it in the refrigerator to speed things up it’s so hot here nothing cools down properly unless you put it in the fridge.

Make the frosting:

In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.

Add the icing sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes.

If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of icing sugar (I added it).

Spread the frosting on the cooled cake.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.

Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days although that was immaterial here it just disappears…lol

Eggplants something I have kilos of...I have shared as many as I can so we are eating eggplants raw and cooked with everything it was with spicy liver the other night and also with the stirfried pork I cook with grapow instead of beans I have been using eggplants…

• 100 gm Pork loin thinly sliced
• 6-8 Thai eggplants quartered.
• 2-4 cloves of garlic
• 1-5 Thai chillies
• Krapow …A big bunch of Thai sweet basil  Leaves picked and as you can see from the photo I use quite a lot.
• 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp black soy.
• A splash of cooking oil…I use Coconut oil.
• A good shake of seasoning..not sure if you would get the one I use here but if not just a little pork/chicken seasoning salt.

Peel garlic and cut chillies finely at this point I put in a pestle and mortar as it brings out the flavour. If you don’t eat your food very hot like us then just cut chillies and garlic finely.

Add a splash of oil to a hot wok and add chillies and garlic cook stirring for 1 minute being careful the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the eggplants and cook for 1-2 mins then add pork and stirfry until pork cook about 3-4 mins.

Add all sauces and stir cooking for 1 minute. Add a little hot water if the sauce is too strong.

Lastly, stir in your herbs and allow to wilt slightly serve with rice and a fried egg if liked.

I have tried this with the herb grapow and Thai basil but any basil would suffice.

Enjoy!

You can also make a very nice, spicy dip called Jeow Mak Kheua which is eaten with sticky rice and or fresh vegetables a very popular eggplant dip here in Issan(Northern ) Thailand.

The Thai Eggplant…

Eaten both cooked and raw here …Eggplant is a high-fibre, low-calorie food that is rich in nutrients and comes with many potential health benefits. From reducing the risk of heart disease to helping with blood sugar control and weight loss, eggplants are a simple and delicious addition to any healthy diet.

The Thai eggplant is about 1.5 inches in diameter and looks pretty similar to a golf ball with a stem. The colour can be medium green, pale green, or white with green stripes. What makes it unique is the crunchy texture and mild flavour. That’s why it can be enjoyed raw without removing the skin.

Surprisingly while the eggplant is eaten as a vegetable here it is, in fact, a fruit it also belongs to the Nightshade family.

That’s all for today…

 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 again for reading enjoy your weekend and stay safe and healthy xxx