Tag Archives: Thai Food

CarolCooks2…Weekly Roundup…Butterfly Pea Tea, Plastic Bags,

2 Replies

Good morning and welcome to this week’s roundup just in case you missed some although I missed last week as I was on a jolly to Bangkok to meet my number #1 Son we had a lovely weekend of tea tasting, temples, shopping and of course eating delicious street food…I didn’t even ..shock horror take my laptop…haha

Do you know the difference between a Biodegradable Plastic bag and a Compostable Plastic Bag?

Do I use biodegradable bags or compostable bags?

How can we be sure biodegradable bags are really eco-friendly? Are they the same as degradable plastic bags?

coloured plastic bags blowing in the wind

There are independent certification schemes you can look out for that give you peace of mind about the claims being made. But it means that you must do your research…To help you a little I have conducted some research and these are my findings…

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/20/plastic-part-9-biodegradable-and-compostable-bags/

My weekend in Bangers( Bangkok)…

All is revealed …

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/21/healthy-eating-eat-smart-a-bangkok-weekend-tea-tasting-butterfly-pea-flowers/

This next post is from my archives…I gave Sally permission to have a route around and this is one of my early posts which she chose to publish featuring the lovely Saangchai who is a Soi dog who now has his forever home with us…

SAM_7022

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/05/22/smorgasbord-posts-from-your-archives-potluck-dogs-are-not-our-whole-life-but-they-make-our-life-whole-by-carol-taylor/

My next post is my Waste Not! Want Not series …

It is certainly pleasing to see so much tree planting happening around the world and things do certainly seem to be ratching up a few notches there are lots of encouraging stories which leads me to think all may not quite be lost just yet but we mustn’t drop the baton…For the sake of our children, grandchildren and future generations, we must do all we can…

adult hand holding the world and a child finger pointing

Image by DarkWorkX from Pixabay

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/23/waste-not-want-not-india-plants-66-million-trees/

Fajitas are my grandsons new favourite dinner so I have been told …Something I rarely cook but it looks like that will be changing…haha…My preference is smoked mackerel with green mango salad but it wouldn’t do for us all to be alike would it and I love nothing better than seeing a child enjoy his/her food…

mackerel and green mango Thai salad

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/24/this-week-in-my-kitchen-fajitas-green-mango-and-mackerel-salad/

Carrying on with my smoked mackerel my next recipe was smoked mackerel with broccoli, almonds and walnuts and very tasty it is as well…

smoked mackerel and broccoli salad

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/25/smoked-mackerel-with-brocolli-almonds-and-walnuts/

Thank you very much for reading I have lots of good news for next week on the Waste problem around the world, A new drink I have discovered and lots more so please join me 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!

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 great weekend xx

CarolCooks2…Weekly Roundup…Squidilicious, Cholesterol, How to brew green tea…

10 Replies

Welcome to this weeks roundup…Take a pew, grab your favourite drink and have a read most of all enjoy!

great reads a weekly roundup lady with electronic reader

How does plastic get into the sea?… It is the subject of many news desks, question time, documentary’s, in fact, it is on the news, it comes up on your FB news feed, magazines, newspapers..everyone is talking about plastic…But although plastic is a huge problem so are discarded fishing lines and nets so let’s not forget those and the distressing photos of turtles and fish with hooks in their bodies or caught in discarded nets and they can’t free themselves…So much abuse of the natural world is caused by man.

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/06/plastic-part-7-how-does-plastic-get-into-the-sea/

Healthy Eating...How is your eating plan going? If you have reached a plateau and we all do at times Sally has a written a great post with lots of tips …and there is also a video for some great arm exercises…

ladies jogging

I am only walking and when I come back I am leaking like nobodies business…The humidity here but it seems to be helping me lose weight and inches so I am not complaining…haha

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/07/healthy-eating-eat-smart-have-you-reached-a-plateau/

Cholesterol something which many people have or have a problem with or someone they know has a problem…Sally’s post busts the myths and gives you the facts…

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/05/07/smorgasbord-health-column-cholesterol-and-fat-myths-part-two-vitamin-k2-and-healthy-fats-by-sally-cronin/

Waste Not! Want Not! …Lots of good news this week and ways that as an individual we can help…

Bluebell woods

To me, there is nothing more beautiful than a bluebell wood.

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/09/waste-not-want-not-week-23-bees-and-coffee-grounds/

I do a lot of research and I found this post very helpful as to what questions to ask and how to study…A very useful article if you do ant=y research or just look up things as you think of them …Which I do if I see a news article and want to check something out…

Featured Image -- 19748

https://motivation-environment.com/2019/05/08/7-important-steps-that-can-be-used-to-study-environmental-problems-like-a-scientist/

Squid or Calamari...I call it squid purely out of habit and it is called squid here in Thailand whereas in Europe it is called Calamari. What I buy here is definitely Calamari family but I refer to it as squid.  Squid is different it is cheaper and not so tender…If you are not sure ask your fishmonger or check out this post to see the difference between the two …Either way, the recipes are Squidilicious…

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/10/this-week-in-my-kitchen-squidilicious-salt-pepper-squid-and-bbq-squid/

Green tea…So often I hear the comment as to it is bitter…It is if you don’t brew it correctly my post tells you how and you never have bitter tea again unless like me when I leave my little strainer in the pot…

china green tea pot

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/05/11/green-tea-or-oolong-how-to-brew-the-perfect-cup/

I hope you have enjoyed this weekly roundup if you have any comments please share as I love your comments and always answer them…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 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 great week xx

Smorgasbord Health Column – Cook from Scratch to prevent nutritional deficiency with Sally Cronin and Carol Taylor – Vitamin B5 – Pantothenic Acid

4 Replies

Today it is all about the Vitamin B5 most of us have enough of it in our bodies but if you have a deficiency then all the information is here plus recipes…

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

In this series we look at cooking and your diet from a different perspective. Usually we emphasize the health benefits of food and how they can be incorporated into your diet. But, what happens if you do NOT include them in your diet.

We wanted to share with you what happens if your body is deprived of individual nutrients over an extended period of time.

Thankfully most of us eat reasonably well, with plenty of variety, but if you take a look at a week’s worth of meals, do you find that you are sticking to a handful of foods, all the time.

Variety is key to good health, to provide your body with as broad a spectrum of nutrients as possible that the body needs. Taking a supplement or relying on shakes and bars to provide your daily allowance of vitamins and nutrients is not in your body’s best…

View original post 2,204 more words

Sunday Roundup…Recipes and Rants!

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food and lifestyle blog

 

Wow! What a week and just in case it has been one of those crazy weeks for you… Here is a roundup of all my posts so grab a drink, settle down in your favourite chair. Relax and enjoy …

A subject which I am very passionate about is waste plastic, food and anything which fits in between…We live in a very beautiful world and it is getting trashed by mankind in the name of greed, profiteering or just plain laziness because you can’t be bothered to dispose of it correctly.

Food waste is to me a cardinal sin when in this day and age there are still people starving…I believe we should start in our own homes and encourage our children and family members and that means then YOU would be making a difference and have more money in your pocket…Yes, and that is a fact…

Waste not Want not

https://blondieaka.com/2018/10/16/waste-not-want-not/

Second out of the starting gates is still food connected and we need to eat healthily to stay healthy…I mean who likes taking tablets and potions and feeling just blah?

Eat smart eat healthily eat to live

It is a true saying we are what we eat…

https://blondieaka.com/2018/10/16/eat-smart-eat-healthily-eat-to-live/

Halloween celebrated in many places around the world I have brought you some luscious food and yes …Eating what you love is good we should enjoy our food…Just moderation…The reason I have added this little bit is that yes I bang on about healthy eating but we should enjoy and if you cook from scratch we can have the best of both worlds. So enjoy Halloween and these recipes x

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/10/17/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-the-cookery-column-with-carol-taylor-halloween-party-food/

Two of my favourite ladies get together and the lovely Colleen is interviewing talented author Debby Gies…So head on over and get to know them both…Enjoy!

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/10/18/conversations-with-colleen-meet-author-d-g-kaye-aka-debby-gies/

Fang-Tastic Friday will be drawing to a close soon as Halloween will be upon us… For those of you who have peanut allergies then I have found some lovely mummy biscuits loving made by a lady who knows her allergies. Lots of  Halloween facts and trivia and some awesome glow in the dark cocktails. Lastly, enjoy your Halloween celebrations x

Halloween-Pumpkins- witches-

https://blondieaka.com/2018/10/19/fang-tastic-friday-allergies-then-you-will-find-some-recipes-here-and-some-glow-in-the-dark-cocktails/

I am just dipping my toes into the world of writing and very tentatively but I am participating in the lovely Lorna’s PROMPTS over @ Gin and Lemonade… I hope you like it…

ouch-147868_640

https://blondieaka.com/2018/10/20/biscuit-crumbs-a-prompt-to-a-short-story-prep/

Lastly but not least the Teagan we know and love for her amazing talent of storytelling is launching her new book…Atonement TN so please click the link and join the party bus and get your copy x

Featured Image -- 17860

https://teagansbooks.com/2018/10/20/book-launch-party-bus-atonement-book-fair/

Thank you so much for reading I do hope you have enjoyed this week’s posts if you have please comment, reblog, share on Pinterest or your favourite media all my links are below…Thank you muchly 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.

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 weekend 🙂 xx

 

 

Crispy Pork and Kale

3 Replies

Kanaa Moo Krob ผักคะน้าหมูกรอบพิเศษ

Ingredients:

  • 2 Belly Pork Strips.
  • 8 Large leaves of Kale.
  • 3/4 cloves Garlic. squashed with the flat blade of a knife.
  • 2/3 birds eye chillies.
  • 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 2/3 shakes of Maggi Sauce.
  • Half tbsp. Oil.

Let’s Cook!

Cook Belly Pork in the oven until tender and crispy. For about 30 mins.

pork belly strips crisoing in the oven

I normally cook on about 180/200 degrees to start and then reduce heat slightly to160 degrees. When the pork is tender turn up the heat to crisp the pork. When nice and crispy remove the pork from the oven and chop into bite pieces.

Heat the wok or large frypan and add half tablespoon oil.

Add crushed garlic and chillies, add little hot water and cook for 1 min…at this point the chillies may overpower you..ha ha….turn on expel fan and add chopped Kale.

Stems first if using as they take longer to cook. I use stems of Kale also if they are quite thick slice into 2-inch pieces.

Cook for 2 mins and add remainder of Kale leaves and turn over a few times ….I use fish slice as I find it easier to just turn kale over.

Thai crispy pork and Kale

Add 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce and 1 tbsp Soy along with few shakes of Maggi ( seasoning Sauce). Taste and adjust if necessary. Cook for further 2/3 mins.

Add crispy Pork turn or stir a few times to mix.

Kanom Moo Krob Thai crispy pork and kale

Check the seasoning again and serve with steamed rice.

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

Saturday morning at Tessaban Market, Udon Thani, Thailand

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Up bright and early to catch the bus to Tessaban market with Tik…The bus was really busy with ladies all going to market and all very interested in this lady who they say was very beautiful…They wanted to know how long I had lived in Thailand, did I like it here and how old I was ?…Life history time…Again..lol

A dull gloomy day here but ideal for shopping…What did I get today ? Some lovely fresh coconut and other vegetables my favourite snake beans, fresh mint and coriander and of course peppercorns …I just love fresh peppercorns they make a lovely sauce.

fresh-vegetables-thai- market

I love the early morning market it is so vibrant and busy lots of lovely fresh produce…Today I bought some lovely fresh prawns some hand picked crab ( so much easier than picking out the crab claws) and an Issan dish  called Mok pla siw which means various small fish. they are cooked on a BBQ wrapped in a banana leaf with chilli, Thai basil and spring onion…Then eaten with sticky rice either on its own or as an accompaniment to other dishes…We had ours with Grapow Moo       

Which Tik made when we got home for our brunch.

fish-chilli-pla-basil-banana-leaf

What other goodies did I buy? A whole coconut for hubby as he likes to munch on fresh coconut… a whole one lasts him about 5/6 days…

crab-betel-leaves-coconut

The betel leaves and the fruit are for Tiks mum …Which is an age old tradition which old people do..although it is actually against the law…A blind eye is turned so if you are visiting here and see someone with very red lips and teeth it is the betel leaves and nuts which they chew/smoke …It is illegal as it makes you a tad high so they will also probably have a calm faraway look…But it is big business here…

I just love the choice and the different foods I see every time I go…Lots of fish..Thais love fish of all sorts steamed, BBQ, smoked or as pla… and many smiling faces all trying to sell me their wares one stop shopping at its best you can buy almost anything here… if you love browsing you would love it anyway  back to food shopping  and not forgetting the rice and man farang ( potatoes) which I needed…

That’s all for my trip down the market today… It is still pretty gloomy here no sign of the sun today…But I am pleased with my shopping lots of fresh food for a few days…

I hope you enjoyed my local shopping trip today and you will most probably recognise a few of the vegetables some which are eaten all over the world others which are not an Aladins cave full of fresh goodies.

Connect to Carol( Moi)

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/

Enjoy your weekend , be happy and mindful and laugh a lot xx

 

Krapow( grapow) Moo Pork with Basil

6 Replies

 

ingredients for grapow Moo

Krapow Moo is my favourite Thai dish and one which we often have for brunch..we are a two meal a day family. It can be made with Chicken mince but I prefer pork mince. For maximum heat, I always grind my chillies and garlic together in my pestle.

Ingredients: This serves 3/4.

  • 200 gm Pork mince
  • 4 snake beans cut into 1/4 inch slices.If you can’t get the beans pictured then ordinary green beans will be fine.
  • 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.
  • 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp black soy.
  • A splash of cooking oil…I use Coconut oil.
  • 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 minced pork( chicken) and stir until cooked 3-4 mins.

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

grapow moo cooking adding herbs
Then add the green beans and cook 1 min then add Grapow and stir until wilted.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

grapow- krapow-egg-pork

Serve with rice and a fried egg which is traditionally how Thais eat this dish.

herb grapow

N.B.Holy Basil is available now in many Asian stores throughout the world.

Please note I have put for example 1-5 chillies it all depends on how hot you like your food and the same with garlic I love lots of garlic and herbs BUT as I always say start with a litle you can always add and most importantly TASTE AND TASTE again and again while you are cooking trust your palate…

Enjoy!