Corn on the Cob

...it's very dark inside the corn pot.

Some people cover these cobs in water and boil the heck out of them. In my experience, very little water and very little time (as in, a few minutes) is required to cook fresh corn on the cob. You do need a large pot with a tightly-fitting lid so that the steam from the boiling water in the bottom of the pot reaches every single kernel. To test for doneness, use the end of a sharp knife to pierce a kernel. It should be easily piercable.

Add butter and salt.

Chicken Chili

Several years ago the oven at the cottage oven 'gave up the ghost' as they say.

Of course, the oven had a highly unusual element that needed to be replaced. I expect a replacement part might have been available somewhere in Timbuktoo. Given the number of guests arriving over the ensuing week, I began desperately dreaming up recipes to make on top of the stove. This chicken chili recipe was one of them. It's done me well.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 rotisserie roast chicken from the grocery store, skin removed 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 of a large red pepper, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas (19 oz/540 ml), drained 
• 1 can white kidney beans (19 oz/540 ml), drained
• 1/2 can black beans, drained
• 1 can of baked beans (398 ml) 
• 1 can of corn (12 oz/341 ml), drained
• 1 (430 ml) jar of salsa (your choice, but I used mango/poblano pepper salsa) 
• 1/2 of a 720 ml. jar of possata (strained tomatoes)
• 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened coca powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed chili pepper
• a handful of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• water as needed to cover the ingredients and form a sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Potential toppings:

• sour cream
• grated cheddar cheese

Methods:
Go to the grocery store and buy a roast chicken. When you get it home, remove the skin, then remove the flesh from the bones. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Then grab a large pot, (I used the jam-making pot), and place it on the stove over a medium heat. Sauté the onion and red pepper in the vegetable oil until softened. You can add the rest of the ingredients in any order you like, aside from the water, salt and pepper. Stir. You'll have to decide how thick you want your chili to be before adding too much water. And you'll have to taste it prior to adding too much salt and pepper.

Lower the heat and simmer for about an hour to allow all of the flavours to meld. The flavour of the chili will improve if it is left in the fridge overnight prior to re-heating and serving.

Muesli - Awful name but surprisingly yummy

The name of this breakfast dish does not do it justice. According to Wikipedia, muesli was introduced around 1900 by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital, where a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables was an essential part of therapy. It was inspired by a similar "strange dish" that he and his wife had been served on a hike in the Swiss Alps. I suspect any combination of raw oats, fruit, nuts, yogurt and milk will do the trick, but this is what I used.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• a grated apple

Methods:

Mix everything together (except the grated apple) in a large bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, mix in a grated apple. Top with whatever fresh fruit you like. I obviously used blueberries.

Smashed Cucumber Salad from Bon Appetit Magazine

I'm not sure why smashed cucumbers are in vogue right now, but I tried this recipe from Bon Appetit and it was A-OK. The final product kinda looks like you've had a meltdown in the kitchen. However, it tastes good, and you get to release all of your frustrations by bashing a vegetable. Here's the link to the recipe.

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/smashed-cucumber-salad-with-lemon-and-celery-salt