Corn on cob makes a great side dish, and is low effort and tastes great cooked on the barbecue or in the oven.
I used fresh mini corn cobs, but you can also use frozen ones that you have defrosted. There’s no need to blanch the corn first, it can go straight in the oven or on the barbie (just remember to turn occasionally).
Serves 2-4
4 Mini corn cobs
1-2 Tbsp Oil
1 Tsp Smoked paprika
1 Tsp Salt
Method
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (Celsius).
Add the salt, oil, and paprika to a bowl an stir well
Roll the corn cobs in the oil mix and place on an oven proof dish
Bake for 15 minutes (don’t try to eat immediately as they’ll be piping hot)
About a million years ago I spent the Summer working in an American Summer camp (Camp Danbee).
It was a total culture shock, we worked like dogs, had some great craic and got to try food that was new to wee girl from Belfast.
One of my favourite things were S’mores. Digestive biscuits/Graham crackers sandwiching chocolate and a toasted marshmallow. How could you not love this.
They popped into my head and I decided to try a more grown up version. This pie has a biscuit crumb base, rich chocolate filling and toasted marshmallow topping. Yes, it’s incredibley rich, but a little piece for a special occasion will do no harm.
Serves 8
Ingredients
For the base
12 Digestive biscuits (bashed to fine crumbs, either in a food precessor or in a bag with something heavy)
100 Grams Butter (melted and allowed to cool)
For the filling
300 ml Double cream
225 Grams Chocolate (I used half dark and had milk chocolate, but into small pieces)
3 Eggs (whisked)
Topping
200 Grams Marshmallows (mini marshmallows are best, I couldn’t find them so cut normal one in half)
Method
Lightly grease a 9 in (loose bottomed pie dish)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Mix the biscuit crumbs and melted butter together and press around the sides and base of your pie tin (push with the back of a spoon to make sure it’s firmly packed in
Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool
Put the chopped chocolate into a large bowl. Heat the cream until just before boiling and then pour over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes (if you don’t allow it to cool a little first the eggs with cook as soon as it hits the mix). Whisk in the eggs quite thoroughly and bake for 25 minutes, before removing from the oven and allow to cool
Spread the marshmallows across the top of the pie. If you have one of those chefie little blow torches you can use this to toast the marshmallows. If not put the pie under a hot grill and watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn
If you have watched The Bear recently, its a fairly accurate representation of the highly stressed shouty nightmare that a professional kitchen can be.
I made this version shown in the TV show and am slightly addicted to it. A simple omelette with a Boursin cream cheese filling and a handful of crushed sour cream and chive crisps over the top is amazing.
You can go down the chefie route and and sieve the eggs first to make the omelette super smooth, but if you can’t be bothered it won’t affect the taste. In the TV show the chef also piped the cheese onto the omelette, but really who has the time, just spread it , it will taste the same.
Give this a try, and I guarantee you’ll make it again.
Serves 1
Ingredients
3 eggs
Large knob of butter
50 Grams Boursin garlic and chive cream cheese
Salt and pepper
Handful of crushed sour cream and chive potato crisps/chips
Method
Whisk the eggs together (you can put them through a sieve if you want a really smooth omelette but it isn’t essential)
Heat the butter in a pan over a medium/high heat
When the butter has started to foam slightly (don’t let it brown), add the eggs.
Roll the eggs around the pan and with a spatula move the cooked parts towards the centre of the pan so that runny bits run out to the edges and cooks. It doesn’t have to be perfect it just has to be cooked
Spread the Boursin on one half of the omelette and fold over. Cook for another minute to allow the Boursin to warm through
Top with the crushed crisps (you can also used chopped chives or herbs of you have them) and devour immediately
If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll know I love mushrooms of any type.
I had the chance to attend one of Hearty Growers mushroom events and for nerdie foodies like me it was perfect (and even normal people too). https://www.heartygrowers.com
Hearty Growers is based in the Banana Block in East Belfast. If you haven’t been there before it’s well worth a visit. It has great cafes, and local traders selling everything from tropical plants, vintage records, a micro brewery and runs events like comedy nights, monthly artisans market and pop up food events.
Hearty Growers have been running their workshops for the last 12 weeks and have had great interest. Terry, the owner is really passionate and interesting in explaining how an interest in funghi and their place in the ecosystem developed from a hobby during lock down into a thriving business.
I was really lucky to be in with a lovely group who were also very interesting. Other guests included people who were involved in product development, traditional Chinese medicine, a pharmacist, and people like myself who just love food.
Mushrooms/funghi are fascinating and really underrated, both for their medicinal qualities, and performance enhancing properties, as well as being yummy. Terry and his staff were great, letting us taste samples of different teas (which I promise don’t taste weired or mushroomy, but have great health properties). We also tried mushroom jerky, mushroom beer, mushroom chocolate etc, as well as locally made pies.
Mushrooms are grown on site and it was interesting to learn what the process is, and how they’re trying to get involved in circular farming. Hearty Growers sell a range of products, they produce themselves, and I had to stop myself buying more than I could carry. I left with shitake mushroom powder (which smells amazing and I know is going to be brilliant in stocks), a grow your own oyster mushroom kit, and a lion’s mane mushroom kit on order. They will also be launching a subscription service soon, so if you have a foodie in your life the kits and other products are brilliant gift ideas.
Seaneen's Sunnyside Kitchen 