PAD THAI

• 
• 
  
• INGREDIENTS
  250g Rice Noodles
  2 tspTamarind Paste
  3 tbsp Fish Sauce
  2 tsp Sugar
  1 Garlic Clove
  3 Spring Onions
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Egg
  200g Cooked Prawns
  75g Bean Sprouts
• Lime Wedges
  Peanuts
  
  METHOD
  
  Soak 250g of rice noodles in boiling water for 5-10 minutes until soft and drain well
• Mix together 2tsp of tamarind paste, 3 tbsp of fish sauce and 2 tsp of sugar in a small bowl
• Peel and finely chop a garlic clove and trim the ends off 3 spring onions and cut into thin slices about 1 cm long.
• Heat a wok or large or a large frying pan and pour in 2 tbsp of vegetable oil when it's really hot
• Add the garlic and spring onions and stir-fry, keeping the veg moving for about 30 seconds, just until they begin to soften
• Push the vegetables to the side of the wok and crack the an egg into the centre.  Keep stirring for 30 secs until it begins to set and resembles a broken-up omelette
• Add 200g of large cooked prawns and the 75g of beansprouts, followed by the noodles.
• Pour over the fish sauce mixture and heat it all through.
• Serve onto plates with lime wedges and sprinkle with a handful of chopped salted peanuts

Some history on Pad thai ...

The Pad Thai dish was developed during World War II when Thailand was faced with a shortage of food because of war and flooding. The Thai government promoted the use of rice noodles because they were cheap and available.  It became Thailand's national dish because it's tasty, nutritious and popular.   You can add other vegetables and chicken instead of seafood if that is all that you have available.  Just be creative. 

COMFREY OINTMENT

Homemade Comfrey Ointment Recipe

1 oz dried comfrey leaves (or 2 oz fresh leaves) finely chopped
10 oz olive oil
1 oz grated beeswax

Preparation

Add the Comfrey leaves to the olive oil in a pan and simmer, stirring constantly, for about 30 minutes. Pour the mixture into a cotton bag or square and gather up, then squeeze this mixture (wearing gloves because it is hot) into another pan.

Add the beeswax to this  strained oil mixture and stir well over a low heat until it melts. Pour to a jar and place the lid on the jar without doing it up. When the Comfrey ointment  mixture has cooled, tighten the lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

I have made this and I have used baking paper in the pan to protect the shallow frying pan and once strained into the muslin over another piece of baking paper I then used that baking paper as a funnel to pour the mixture into the clean glass jar to cool and store. 

Brice had a niggling injury to his elbow and when I used a Comfrey poultice it inflamed his arm and it took some days for that inflammation to go, however it did help the Tennis Elbow and he had some relief from the pain .. It is an over stretching of the ligaments in his arm from picking up wood the way he did. 

Then I had to make an ointment to use instead of applying the straight Comfrey leaves and I made this recipe.

You get the Beeswax from any honey person or health food shop.  Grow the Comfrey because its the staple herb for the garden, chooks love it, compost loves it and of course it has these healing properties for Bone, Joint and Ligament injuries.

Use no more than ten (10) days in a row and for no longer than 4 to 6 weeks in any 12 month period.  It is a strong mixture and should have done the job in that time.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

SPRING ROLLS

Spring Rolls
500g minced pork
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 litre groundnut oil for frying
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons water
150g shredded cabbage
50g grated carrots
8 spring roll wrappers
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
Season pork with ginger and garlic and mix thoroughly. Heat mixture in a medium frying pan, stirring, until pork is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside.
In another large frying pan heat oil to about 190 degrees C or medium high heat. While oil is heating, combine flour and water in a bowl until they form a paste. In a separate bowl combine the cabbage, carrots and reserved pork mixture. Mix all together.
Lay out one spring roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place about 4 to 5 tablespoons of the cabbage, carrot and pork mixture on spring roll wrapper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the centre and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal the spring roll.
Place spring rolls into heated oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on kitchen roll or wire rack. Put on serving plate and top with sesame seeds if desired

 You've never tasted anything until you have tasted home made spring rolls. 
My son's friends Filipino mother showed me how she makes hers and she uses half pork and half beef mince.  Delicious!

BASIC SHORTCUST PASTRY

Basic shortcrust pastry

Ingredients

 

225g plain flour
100g butter diced
pinch salt

Water
 

Method

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling. 

I found this easy recipe on Facebook... here is the link to heaps of excellent recipes by a lady called Maggie.  -  Maggies Quick Easy Recipes