Dressed up Corn on the Cob

Dressed up Corn on the Cob

Cook the corn to your liking and then simply dress it up in one of two ways. Both the recipes are enough for 6 – 8 corn on the cob.

Spicy Mexican Corn:
125ml mayonnaise
10ml + 10ml smoked paprika
5ml chilli flakes
5ml salt
125ml grated parmesan cheese
2 lemons

Add the mayonnaise and 10ml smoked paprika to a small bowl and mix through. Set aside.
Add the other 10ml smoked paprika, chilli flakes and salt to another bowl and mix together.
Brush the cooked corn with the mayonnaise mixture, sprinkle over the spice rub and roll the corn in the grated parmesan.
Cut the lemons into quarters and serve with the corn.

Herbed Corn:
60ml parsley, tightly packed
60ml coriander, tightly packed
60ml garlic chives
30ml grated lemon rind
80g grated parmesan cheese
60ml butter, cubed

Chop the parsley, coriander, chives and grated lemon rind together until very fine and spoon into a shallow dish.
Add the grated parmesan to another shallow dish.
Melt the butter and brush it all over the cooked corn.
Roll the corn in the herbs and then in the parmesan.
Serve immediately.

Green Olive Tapenade

Green Olive Tapenade

250ml green olives, pitted
2 anchovies, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml fresh parsley, chopped
60ml olive oil
15ml capers
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
45ml lemon juice

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend together.
Check whether you’re happy with the texture.
Taste and season with salt, lemon juice and black pepper if needed.
Serve on toasted baguette or crackers as a canapè.

Green Quiche

Green Quiche

Pastry:
360g flour
150g butter, cubed
1 egg
100g cheddar cheese, grated

Filling:
45ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of Kale, chopped
125ml chicken stock
6 eggs
125ml cream
5ml salt

For the pastry:
Add the flour and butter to a mixing bowl and rub together with your fingers until the lumps are the size of peas.
Add the egg and cheddar and mix to bring together.
Knead the pastry by hand. It is very flaky and falls apart but push it together as best you can.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a loose-bottom cake tin or pie tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry into a rough circle shape even if it breaks apart and transfer (even if it is pieces) to the pie tin. Gently push the pastry out on the base and sides of the baking tin. It is okay to “patch” the pastry as long as there are no gaps for the filling to leak out.
Line the pastry with baking paper and dried beans.
Bake for 7 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the filling:
Add the vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the kale and stir-fry until slightly softened and bright green.
Spoon the mixture into a blender, add the stock and blitz until smooth.
Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
Add the kale mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to rest for 15 minutes before serving with whipped goats cheese.

Corn and Coriander Salad

Corn and Coriander Salad

This salad is my new obsession – it is zingy, fresh and everything and more that your tastebuds are craving ..!

8 corn cobs, cleaned
olive oil
80ml mayonnaise
30ml sour cream
80g feta cheese, finely crumbed
45ml lemon juice
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
40g coriander leaves, picked off the stems (it is about an average bunch)
3 spring onions, sliced

Heat a wood-fired grill to medium-high heat.
Coat each corn cob with a thin layer of olive oil and season with salt.
Place the corn on the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Turn them every now and then so that they get a char all over.
Cool slightly and then cut the kernels from the cobs. Set aside.

Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, feta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest to a small bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and mix together.
Spoon half the corn kernels on a serving dish.
Top with half the spring onions and half the coriander leaves.
Drizzle half the dressing over and repeat the corn, spring onion and coriander layers, finishing with a drizzle of the dressing.
Serve the salad at room temperature.

Melon and Feta Salad (with Basil Dressing)

Melon and Feta Salad (with Basil Dressing)

150ml olive oil
250ml tightly packed basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
2,5ml salt
15ml lemon juice
15ml apple cider vinegar

cos lettuce
1 small melon
200g feta cheese
3 tomatoes

For the dressing:
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz at high speed for one minute. Set aside.

Arrange some lettuce leaves on a serving platter.
Slice the melon in half and take out the seeds.
Cut the melon into slices and then cut the flesh out of the skin,
Scoop a few melon balls from the flesh if you have a melon scoop.
Arrange the melon on the lettuce.
Slice the feta and tomato into slices and add it to the melon and lettuce.
Drizzle the basil dressing over the salad and serve.

Sweet Potato Gratin

Sweet Potato Gratin

1kg sweet potatoes, peeled
250ml grated Gruyére cheese
250ml grated cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
375ml cream
15ml thyme leaves, chopped
1ml ground nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a ceramic dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Slice the sweet potatoes into very thin slices – not thicker than 2mm.
Arrange the slices in a single layer overlapping slightly, in the oven dish.
Mix the two cheeses together and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese on the sweet potato. Keep going with the layers until you have a quarter of the cheese left. Set aside.
Add some vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook while stirring, for about 1 minute.
Pour in the cream, thyme and nutmeg and simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes. It should thicken slightly.
Add the last quarter of the cheese to the saucepan and stir through until melted.
Season the cream with salt and pepper and pour it over the sweet potatoes.
Place the dish in the oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly – about 45minutes. Check that it is fully cooked by inserting a sharp knife in the centre.
Remove the gratin from the oven, rest for 15 minutes and serve.

Fresh Summer Tart

Fresh Summer Tart

1 x 400g pastry
5 eggs
185ml cream
100g baby spinach, chopped
250ml frozen peas
100g ricotta cheese
100g feta cheese, crumbed
80g rocket leaves
125g sugar snap peas
3 zucchini, shaved into ribbons

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and side of the cake tin. Set aside.
Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the chopped spinach, peas and cheeses and mix through. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 30 minutes.
Cool the tart for 30 minutes.
Top the tart with the rocket leaves, sugar snaps and zucchini shavings.
Drizzle over some olive oil to serve.

Miso Cauliflower

Miso Cauliflower

1 large cauliflower
olive oil and spices of your choice
2 cans black beans
2 cloves garlic, minced

Miso-Cheese Sauce:
15ml butter
15ml flour
15ml miso paste
500ml milk
15 ml sirachia sauce
50g cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Cut the cauliflower into steaks and place on the prepared tray.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and spices of your choice and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Drain the black beans in a small saucepan, add the garlic and place over a medium-low heat until warm.
Blitz the mixture to a smooth pureé.
Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Miso-Cheese Sauce:
Set a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter and flour.
Stir until the butter has melted and you have a paste.
Add the miso paste and stir to mix.
Drizzle in the milk while whisking and cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
Turn the heat down to low and add the sirachia sauce and grated cheese.
Stir until the cheese has melted.

Spoon the black bean pureé on to a serving plate and arrange the roasted cauliflower on top.
Drizzle the miso sauce over and add a few micro greens to serve.

Banana Flower Curry

Banana Flower Curry

30ml vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10ml ginger powder
15ml garam masala
10ml curry powder
10ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
5ml smoked paprika
2,5ml turmeric
5ml salt
15ml sugar
250ml vegetable stock
1 x 400g can coconut milk
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
3-4 handfuls of baby spinach
2 x cans Banana Blossoms

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and onion.
Stir-fry until the onion is soft, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the ginger, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and sugar and stir-fry for a minute or so.
Now add the stock and the coconut milk and stir together.
Add the chopped tomato and turn the heat down slightly. Allow the curry sauce to simmer for 5 minutes or so – you want it to become slightly thicker.
Add the banana blossoms and baby spinach and stir.
Simmer lightly for 10 minutes.
Serve on a fragrant rice.

Tabbouleh Salad

Tabbouleh Salad

250g uncooked spelt
4 medium tomatoes, very finely chopped
1 English cucumber, very finely chopped
2 bunches parsley, very finely chopped
12 mint leaves, very finely chopped
4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
45ml lemon juice
45ml olive oil
salt and pepper

Prepare the spelt according to instructions and drain.
Add the spelt and all the chopped vegetables and herbs to a mixing bowl.
Drizzle over the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Mix through and serve.