Thailand

Thailand is another country with a regular stream of visitors to the blog site.

I have never been to Thailand, but I love Thai food - so here are two great recipes that I make at home regularly - which are easy and relatively cheap to make.

Papaya Salad

Ingredients

1 large ripe Papaya
1 medium sized red onion
1 bag of fresh beansprouts
1 red pepper
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
1 handful of crushed peanuts
1 thumbnail size piece of fresh ginger
1 or 2 fresh chillis
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
2 or 3 tablespoons of groundnut oil
2 or 3 tablespoons of Thai fish sauce
2 or 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 handful of choped coriander
1 handful of chopped mint
Juice of 1 or 2 fresh limes
Pepper and salt to taste

Method

1. Finely slice the Papaya, red onion and red pepper - and place in a nice salad bowl
2. Finely chop the ginger and garlic - and add to the bowl
3. Add the beansprouts
4. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half - bruise them a bit - then add to the bowl as well
5. Add all the other ingredients - and mix well - you can add the zest of the limes if you want for extra va va voom

Leave for half an hour - but mix a few times to allow the flavours to develop.

Decorate the top with the crushed peanuts - before serving.

Spiced Beef

Ingredients

1 kilo of good quality minced beef
1 large red onion
1 handful of dried rice - Basmati or Jasmine
1 thumbnail size piece of fresh ginger
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
2 or 3 tablespoons of Thai fish sauce
2 or 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 handful of chopped mint
1 handful of chopped basil
Juice of 1 lime
2 or 3 fresh chillis
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Cook the minced beef in a little groundnut oil - and place in a bowl
2. Dry roast the rice in a separate pan until it turns light brown - and grind to a powder once it cools
3. Finely slice and chop the onion - and add to the bowl along with the choped ginger and garlic
4. Add all the other ingredients and season to taste - it should be fiercely hot and spicy

The only problem with Spiced Beef is that it looks a bit like dogfood - unfortunately.

So a nice way to serve it is to spoon the mixture into Little Gem lettuce leaves - laid out on a nice big plate or platter.