Tag Archives: green

Green Mango Salad

Dinner, , , , , , , , ,

Green Mango Salad

We love Thai food and this green mango salad is a simplified version that is made sugar and soy free through the use of maple syrup and coconut aminos. It is great served with a Thai Green Chicken Curry or a Thai Pumpkin and Mushroom Curry.

Ingredients

  • Coconut oil
  • 5 red shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 cm fresh galangal, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, chopped (deseeded when using a hot chilli)
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1,5 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1/4 tsp maple syrup
  • Splash of water
  • Squeeze of lime juice
  • 1 raw green mango, peeled and cut into thin strips of 3 cm long
  • Handful fresh coriander, roughly copped
  • Few Thai basil leaves
  • 3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped and with the middle stem of the leaf removed

Directions

  1. Fry the shallots, garlic, galangal and chilli in a little coconut oil for about three minutes.
  2. Add the coconut aminos, maple syrup, water and lime juice and give it a stir.
  3. Take the pan of the heat and add the mango, coriander, basil and kaffir lime.
  4. Mix well and serve with grilled salmon, Thai Green Chicken Curry or a Thai Pumpkin and Mushroom Curry.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Midlake – Antiphon

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Dinner, , , , , , , , ,

Thai Green Chicken Curry

A Thai curry is a very regular event at our table. It is one of our go to, mid week meals. We love to spice it up. You can adjust the spiciness with how much curry paste you add, and it depends on how spicy the paste is that you use as well, so do experiment a little to vary it to your own taste. We make our own paste, but we also have found a very good paste from a Thai supermarket that avoids any nasty ingredients as well. Up to you which you prefer.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 1-2 Tbsp green curry paste (store bought, or see the separate recipe to make your own Green Curry Paste)
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp fish sauce – check the label carefully to make sure it is just fish and salt and does not have other nasty ingredients (or use vegan fish sauce if you are vegetarian or vegan)
  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized portions.
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 handfuls pea aubergines
  • 6-8 apple aubergines, cut into wedges
  • (If you can’t find the pea and apple aubergines then use green beans, mushrooms and regular aubergines instead or any other vegetable that you like)
  • large handful of Thai basil
  • few kaffir lime leaves
  • 2 large red chillies, cut on the diagonal to give slices

Directions

  1. Put the coconut cream into a frying pan, add the curry paste. Cook over a moderate heat for a minute or two. Keep on stirring to make sure it does not stick or burn.
  2. Add the coconut milk and water and stir well to combine
  3. Season with fish sauce
  4. Add the chicken and cook slowly for about 10 minutes
  5. Add the vegetables and cook for 5-7 minutes until the aubergines are cooked through
  6. Add the kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil. Stir well and simmer for another minute
  7. Remove from the heat and garnish with sliced red chillies.
  8. Serve with (cauliflower) rice and a green mango or papaya salad

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Brooklyn Brothers – The Album

Thai Pumpkin and Mushroom Curry

Dinner, , , , , , , , , ,
Thai curry with mushrooms and pumpkin
This recipe has become one of our go to staple dinners. We keep a pot of homemade Thai curry paste in the fridge (it lasts a couple of weeks) and whip this up as a quick after work meal together with rice or cauliflower rice.
Ingredients
Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the curry paste. Fry until the paste becomes fragrant.
  2. Add the coconut milk and stir.
  3. Add fish sauce, water and vegetables and bring to the boil.
  4. Cook for 10 minutes or until the veggies are done.
  5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, stir and serve with rice or cauliflower rice.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: William Fitzsimmons – Gold in the Shadow

 

Thai Green Curry Paste

Condiments and Dips, , , , , , , , , , ,
Thai Green Chicken Curry
This is a basic Thai Green Curry paste recipe that can be used as the basis to make Thai green curries with any number of fresh vegetables, chicken or other meats, such as our Thai Pumpkin and Mushroom Curry and Thai Green Chicken Curry.
Ingredients
  • 15 medium green Thai chillies
  • 1 tbsp fresh galangal
  • 2 tbsp lemongrass, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp zest of kaffir limes, chopped (substitute with zest of regular limes if not available)
  • 2 tbsp scraped and chopped coriander root (from the stems of fresh coriander)
  • 3 tbsp red shallots, chopped
  • 2 tbsp garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground
  • 10 white peppercorns
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste (substitute for fermented tofu in brine for a vegetarian / vegan version of this recipe)
Directions
  1. Put all ingredients in a blender – except the shrimp paste – and blend until smooth. You might need to use a little water to get the blending started. Never use oil in your paste!
  2. When the paste is smooth, add the shrimp paste and blend a little more.
  3. Use or store in a glass container in the fridge. Will keep for a few weeks.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify:  Emily Rice – Find Me Here

Lemon, Lime and Ginger Green Tea

Drinks, , , , , , , , , , ,

Lemon lime and ginger green tea

The weather has gotten so hot in Singapore that I am searching for new refreshing drinks to quench my thirst, but that also taste great. This is my latest experiment. It can be drunk either as a hot tea, or served over ice for a refreshing summer drink.

Ingredients

  • 1 lime
  • 1 lemongrass stalk
  • 4 slices of fresh ginger
  • 1 green tea bag or 1/2 tsp of green tea leaves
  • 1 litre water

Directions

  1. Crush the lemongrass stalk either using a knife laid on top of the stalk and banging it with your fist, or using a clean meat mallet.
  2. Slice 4 slices of ginger approximately 0.5cm wide from your fresh ginger root
  3. Cut the lime into quarters to expose the flesh
  4. Place the lemongrass stalk and fresh ginger, along with 1 litre of fresh water into your water kettle (jug)
  5. Boil the jug / kettle
  6. Add the boiled water, lemongrass, ginger, lime pieces and green tea to a tea pot (preferably one with a filter).
  7. Allow the tea to brew for around 15 minutes so that the water has cooled down enough to drink. The tea will continue to increase in flavour the longer you leave it.
  8. Enjoy either hot or over ice with slices of lime for a refreshing iced tea.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: The Map Room – The Map Room

Cardamon Black Tea

Drinks, , , , , , ,

 Cardamon Tea

When I lived in India I loved Masala Chai (a milky spiced tea), but I have also discovered that adding Cardamon to black or green tea without adding milk is also a delicious, and warming tea. Cardamon originates from the area including India, Pakistan and Bhutan. It is a  fragrant spice that adds aroma and depth to a variety of both sweet and savoury dishes. It is very easy to buy in most Western Supermarkets in the spice aisle.

Ingredients

  • 4 green cardamon seeds
  • 1 tea bag of black or green tea (or 1/2 tsp of loose tea leaves)
  • 500ml water

Directions

  1. Crush the cardamon pods. You can do this either by squeezing them between your fingers or by placing them on a board, laying a knife flat on top of them, and banging them with your fist.
  2. Make sure that the pods are open, and you can see the black seeds inside, but not yet that the seeds are falling out of the pods. Exposing the seeds to the water will add even more fragrance to the tea.
  3. Place the cardamon pods into a water kettle (jug). Add 500ml of fresh water and boil the jug / kettle.
  4. Add the tea bag to a tea pot with a strainer. Pour the water and cardamon pods into the kettle.
  5. Let the tea brew for around 5 minutes and then serve.
  6. Makes 2 cups.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Ijahman Levi – Lilly of my Valley

Hulk Green Juice

Drinks, , , , , , , ,

Hulk Juice

Yesterday Liam decided that he wanted to make a green juice. It had to be “as green as the Hulk” he said. So he went through the fridge to find everything he could find to make a yummy green juice. This is the result of his efforts. The ginger makes it a warm, comforting juice.

Ingredients

  • 2 kale leaves (whole, washed)
  • 1 cucumber (whole, washed)
  • 1/2 lemon (unpeeled)
  • 1 lime
  • 5 apples
  • 1.5cm ginger

Directions

  1. Wash the Kale, apple, cucumber and lime. Remove the apple stalks.
  2. Juice the apples whole on the higher speed. Only cut them if needed to fit in your juicer tube.
  3. Juice the lemon, lime, ginger and kale on the higher speed. 
  4. Juice the cucumber on the lower speed. 
  5. Stir the juice and serve over ice.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Vinicius de Moraes – Pure Bossa Nova

 


 

Apple Aubergine

Glossary, , , , ,

Apple Aubergine

Green or Apple Aubergines (eggplant) are about the size of a plum. They are green and white, and are usually quartered and added to curries, especially Thai Green Curry (Gaeng Kiaw Wan). They discolour quickly, so are chopped and added immediately to the curry, and cook in 5-10 minutes when they have softened slightly.

They can be replaced with locally available aubergines if you are not able to find them at your local asian food store.

Aubergines are a nightshade, so should be avoided if you have a nightshade sensitivity.