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)
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
Proper cakes are amazing, but the last time I bought fresh crab I almost had a coronary because it was so expensive.
To make a cheaper version I tried using seafood sticks (little bars of processed fish my nephew refers to as fish sausages).
While using proper crab is preferable, if you’re on a budget these are still really tasty. They make a great lunch or starter, and you can serve them with tartar sauce or just a squeeze of lemon. It’s also a good way to use up left over mashed potato
150 Grams Breadcrumbs (seasoned with salt and pepper)
Method
Add all the ingredients (except the oil for frying and breadcrumbs) in to a large bowl and mix with your hands until well combined
Divide into 8 patties, and coat these with seasoned breadcrumbs
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry them 4 at a time for 5 minutes on each side each or until golden brown. You can also cook these in an air fryer or bake in the oven at 200 degrees (Celsius) if you prefer not to fry them
Some evenings after work you just want something quick and tasty, and this is fairly healthy too.
Any leftovers are good to take to work for lunch the next day.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Feta cheese
350 Grams Cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
1 Courgette/zucchini
1 Red onion (cut into 1/2 cm slices)
2-3 Cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)
3-4 Sprigs of thyme, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
2-3 Tbsp Olive oil
Black pepper
Enough pasta for 4 people
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
Put the block of feta in a large baking dish and surround with the chopped vegetables, garlic and herbs
Drizzle the cheese and vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper.
Bake for 30 minutes
10 minutes before the baking dish is due to come out of the oven, put your pasta on to cook (cook according to instructions on the packet)
After 30 minutes remove the dish from the oven, a mash the feta cheese with back of large spoon. Take 1/2 a cup of the starchy water the pasta was cooking in and add this to the cheese and vegetables and stir well until until this creates a creamy sauce (add more water if you think it needs it.
Drain the pasta and stir through the sauce before serving
What I love about food is that it can transport you to different places or recall memories of places you visited and meals you enjoyed.
I visited Marrakesh six years ago and the place was an assault on the senses. The heat was like nothing I’d ever experienced, and the onslaught from traders left me a little stunned. What I did love was the food, which was too delicious and varied to cover in one post.
What I still crave was the delicious freshly made bread that was served everywhere. Perfect with tagines if you can’t face couscous, or great with houmous and olives, or soup for lunch.
I found a recipe from Cooking the Globe which is pretty much spot on for recreating what I remember. The ingredients and methods are straight forward. It does require a decent amount of kneading , but I don’t mind this as it allows me to burn off some stress and do some rage baking.
Ingredients
250 ml Warm Water (about skin temperature or luke warm, not too hot or it will kill the yeast)
500 Grams Plain flour (you can also use strong bread flour if this is what you have)
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Sugar
2 & 1/4 Tsp or 7 Gram Sachet of dried yeast
Method
In a small bowl add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir. Leave in a warm room for 10 minutes, it should start to foam (if it hasn’t done this your yeast is dead)
In a large bowl combine the flour and salt, then gradually add the yeast mixture and work together until you get a soft dough (you may need to use a little more or less water)
Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth (this is time to let your rage baking take hold) or if you’re well adnusted and have a stand mixer ou can use the dough hook. Divide into two equal size balls, cover with a slighlty damp tea towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Transfer the bread to the baking sheet, flatten slightly to about 2-3 cm thick, and and cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm room for an hour to rise
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Uncover the bread and knick each loaf 4-5 times with a knife if you want to be totally authentic you can sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina. I didn’t have this and it was still fine
Bake for 25 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when you tap them
With the weather improving it’s time to eat a little lighter, and make use of all the delicious veggies that are now coming in season. If you want something healthy full of crunch and protein, then this is the perfect salad.
Ideal for lunch or as a side dish, this salad has lots of colour and fresh flavours (don’t skimp on the herbs). If you don’t already do it, window boxes full of herbs will transform how you cook and eat. The dressing has some Asian flavours for a little extra zing, but if it’s not your thing you can leave out the miso and ginger.
Ingredients
75 Grams Green lentils (dry weight, or use 1 Can of ready cooked lentils)
150 Grams Bulgar wheat, dry weight (you can also use cous cous, barley or whatever grain you prefer)
2-3 Scallions/spring onions (finely chopped)
1 Courgette /zucchini (grated)
75 Grams Cucumber (seeds removed, and chopped into 1 cm chunks)
1 Apple (chopped into 1 cm chunks and cover with some od the lemon juice for the dressing to stop it going brown)
1 Carrot (grated)
1 Handful Parsley or mint (chopped)
1 Handful Coriander (chopped)
I Tbsp Pumpkin seeds
Salt and pepper
Dressing
1 Lemon (juiced)
2-3 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Grated ginger
1 Tsp Miso paste
Method
Cook the lentils and Bulgar wheat according to the instructions on he packaging, set aside and allow to cool. If you are using pre cooked lentil just drain them
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together and drizzle over the salad ingredients
Mix well and add salt pepper if you think it needs it.
This pie is very satisfying but still quite light and a good way to get your daily dose of veggies.
I use frozen spinach, because it’s cheaper and a kilo of fresh spinach will take up half your kitchen, make sure to squeeze out as much water as possible so the pie won’t be soggy. Fresh herbs add flavour, and while dill is traditionally used, I used parsley and mint which are also used in some parts of Greece.
Filo pastry can be bought in most larger super markets. Make sure to cover the pastry with a slightly damp tea towel to stop it drying out when you are making the pie.
The pie can be eaten hot or cold and can live in your fridge for 2-3 days. It’s great as a lunch dish served with some salad or as a side dish.
Ingredients
1kg Frozen spinach (defrosted, and all excess liquid squeezed out)
3 eggs
Handful of finely chopped parsley and mint
250 Grams Filo pastry
200 Grams Feta style cheese (crumbled)
1 Leek or bunch of scallions/spring onions (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Oil
25 Grams Butter (melted)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 Tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and fry the leek until soft. Set to one side and allow to cool
Add the drained spinach to a large bowl and loosen up with a fork. Stir in the eggs, feta, herbs leeks and seasoning. Stir until combined
Grease a 6 x 9 in baking tin and line with sheets of filo pastry, brush each sheet lightly with butter before topping with another sheet (lay 5-6 sheets of filo pastry as a base)
When the tray is lined, spread the spinach mixture evenly across the base. Fold in any overlapping pastry and top the pie with the leftover sheets of pastry (brush each sheet lightly with butter before topping with the next.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until brown and crispy
Trying to get away from winter’s stodgy comfort food, doesn’t mean giving up on flavour.
This salad is jam packed with flavour and texture and takes 10-15 minutes to knock up. It’s also gluten free and vegan and makes a great lunch box filler if you’re fed up with sandwiches.
Ingredients
500 Grams Dried rice noodles
1/4 Red cabbage (finely sliced)
3 Scallions/spring onions (finely sliced)
2 Small carrots (grated)
1 Red pepper (finely sliced)
2 Tbsp Coriander (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp Mint (finely chopped)
Dressing
2-3 Tbsp Peanut butter
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Grated ginger
1 Tsp Maple syrup or Honey if you’re not vegan
1 Tsp Chilli flakes
1 Tbsp White wine vinegar or lemon juice
Topping (option)
2 Tbsp Pumpkin seeds
100 Grams Cashew nuts/peanuts (toasted)
Method
Toast the nuts in a hot frying pan and set to one side and allow to cool.
Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the noodles and add to a bowl of ice water to stop them over cooking.
Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl and mix well. You might need to add some hot water to loosen up the dressing if its too thick.
Drain the cold noodles and add to a large bowl. Stir in the vegetables and dressing and mix well.
A good sausage roll is one of my many weaknesses and when I was making some some for a work party I realized I work with quite a few vegetarians and would need to have something for them.
Only psychopaths make their own puff pastry, so when you are buying your pastry check that its vegetarian/vegan friendly (most are), unless you want to use the “all butter” versions but this would obviously not be suitable for vegans.
Pastry glazes for vegan dishes obviously can’t use the traditional egg or milk glazes but plant milk or coconut oil can work well, I used some onion seeds as well to add some interest.
While these are mushrooms flavoured, I also included some lentils to add some meatiness to the texture as well as some protein and some miso paste to give it that umami flavour that some vegan dishes lack.
Ingredients
1 x 375 Gram Sheet ready rolled puff pastry
300 Grams Button mushrooms (finely chopped)
25 Grams Dried Porcini mushrooms
100 Grams Breadcrumbs
1 Tsp Miso paste
200 Grams Tinned lentils (or cooked green lentils)
1 Leek (finely chopped)
1 Tablespoon Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Plank milk/Coconut oil to brush the pastry with
2 Tsp Onion or sesame seeds to decorate (optional)
Method
Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl with 100 Mil boiling water and allow to soak for at least 15 minutes
In a large frying pan over a medium heat, and the oil and when hot add the mushrooms and leek. Cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally (don’t move the mushrooms about too much or they will become watery)
When cooked add the lentils, miso, and porcini mushrooms (including the water they were soaking), cook for a further 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, and then add the breadcrumbs and stir well. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius) and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking and cut the pastry sheet in half lengthways.
Spoon the cooled mushroom mix down the centre of each strip of pastry leaving enough space for when you roll the edges together. Wet the long edges of the pastry and gently bring the edges together to slightly overlap each other then press together
Turn the side where pastry meet to the bottom and brush with your glaze before sprinkling with seeds, if you are using them.
With a sharp knife cut the pastry sausage into 3-4 cm slices before transferring onto the lined baking sheet.
This dish was would have traditionally been made with duck (which I think would be too rich), and is now usually made with chicken. I have also made a vegan version with aubergines and I have to say I think it was my favourite.
This is quite a rich dish and the use of pomegranate molasses (available from most big supermarkets or Asian grocers) gives the stew a tangy sweet and sour flavour.
I call this a weekend recipe, meaning its something that requires low and slow cooking and you aren’t going to try and do for a quick weeknight dinner.
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 Chicken thighs (bone in, but skin removed), or 2 large aubergines (cut into bite sized chunks)
1 Tbsp. Tomato Puree
250 Grams Walnut pieces
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Black pepper
125 Mil Pomegranate molasses
1 Tsp Sugar (or more to taste)
Pomegranate seeds to decorate (optional)
Method
Add the walnuts to a food processor and whiz until they become fine crumbs and start to stick together in a paste
Move the walnuts to a large pot with a lid, and add 1 litre of cold water to the walnuts. Bring to the boil for a couple of minutes, and then reduce the heat and cover with a lid simmer for 2 hours.
Stir in the pomegranate molasses, tomato purée, cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper until well combined. Return the mixture to a simmer
Add the chicken thighs or aubergine chunks to the pot and cover with the lid again and simmer for a further hour. Remove the lid and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds if using just before serving rice or flat breads
Seaneen's Sunnyside Kitchen 