Lately there has been a frozen product in the grocery store that I have been tempted to try. Corn Ribs. PC Smokin' Stampede Corn Ribs. My sister bought them once to try and they were not bad. Pre-seasoned and slightly spicy, but a bit on the pricy side for what they were.
Corn season is beginning here in Nova Scotia. I love LOVE sweet corn. In the U.K. they did not really have good fresh corn. It all comes from Kenya and how can corn that has been picked in Kenya and then shipped thousands of miles, peeled, ever taste as good as it should?
When you have grown up eating fresh corn on the cob within hours of it being picked, nothing else quite ever satisfies. It is saying something when canned corn tastes better than the fresh corn, and that is how it was.
I even tried growing my own corn there one year. From a whole package of peaches and cream corn seeds, I got four 3 inch ears. They just don't have the climate to grow their own corn.
One of the things I was looking forward to when I moved back to Canada from the U.K. was corn season! This is my second summer of being able to enjoy it and I am right in my glory.
During corn season I like to try out different ways of cooking it, and top of my list this year was to try to cook Roasted Corn Ribs. There had to be a way that was cheaper and maybe even tastier than the frozen ones!
This Roasted Corn Ribs recipe that I am sharing today was adapted from one I found on a blog called Sunny With Shadows. There were more recipes to choose from, of course, but this one seemed to be the easiest.
There are no bells and whistles, no hoops to jump through. Just simple natural ingredients, put together in a simple way. That is how I like to cook in my everyday life as you know!
I took the liberty of downsizing the original recipe to make only two servings of corn. I have my daughter staying here with me this week and I thought that this was something she would also enjoy.
This was such an easy recipe. The hardest part was cutting the cobs to the right size. Those corn cobs are incredibly hard, but with a sharp knife and a bit of strength, I managed to get through them!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROASTED CORN RIBS (FOR TWO)
Simple natural ingredients. A bit of corn, some oil and seasonings.
- 2 fresh ears of corn
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- fresh lime wedges to squeeze
The corn I used for this was the early bi-color corn. It is so lovely and sweet. Nice and tender too. We picked this up at Goucher's farm market and it had just been picked that morning.
As soon as it is picked, corn starts to lose its natural sweetness and develop starch, and once you husk it, this accelerates the process.
Have you ever had corn that is overly starchy, not so sweet and kind of chewy? That is old corn. Past it's prime.
This corn had just been picked and still had it's husks on it. We just knew it was going to be delicious no matter how we cooked it!
TIPS ON CHOOSING THE FRESHEST CORN POSSIBLE
If you follow these tips you can be pretty sure your corn will be really fresh and tasty!
1. If the corn feels heavy and firm when you pick it up, that is generally a good indication that it is a good ear of corn. There is no need to pull back any of the husks to check. Most farm markets are not happy when you do that. It ruins the corn for anyone else.
2. The husks should look fresh and be tightly wrapped/affixed around the cob. If they are dry and loose, don't buy it. That is an indication of old corn.
3. Make sure that the tassel is still attached and that it also looks pretty fresh and not dry. This is going to be your main helper in husking the corn.
HOW TO EASILY HUSK (SHUCK) CORN ON THE COB
- Take your corn in hand, one cob at a time and peel off the outer leaves. You want to peel it until you only have one thin layer of inner leaves remaining around the ear.
-Peel back the leaves that are left at the tip of the cob, just until you can see the top few rows of kernels.
-Grab the tops of the leaves and the tassel together in one hand, holding the bottom of the ear of corn with your opposite hand. Pull the leaves and tassels straight down using one firm tug. You will need to pull all the way to the bottom.
-Gather the leaves and silks in one hand, snapping them off at the base of the ear of corn. Discard the leaves, silks, and tassels, and repeat this action all the way around the cob.
- Run your fingers over the husked cob and pick away any remaining silks. It is almost impossible to ge them all, but you can get most of them.
-Repeat with the remaining ears of corn. Some corn silk can be particularly stubborn. I find though that this method helps to get rid of almost if not all of the silk.
HOW TO MAKE ROASTED CORN RIBS
Like I said, cutting the corn is the most difficult part of this recipe!
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Spray a baking sheet lightly with some non-stick baking spray.
Husk your corn, cleaning off all of the silk and tassels. Break each cob in half in the center. (see above)
Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise down the cobs to cut the halves into halves yet again and then cut the halves lengthwise again into quarters. (This is the hardest part, so do take care and use the sharpest heaviest knife you have.)
Mix the oil and seasonings in a plastic zip lock baggie. Add the pieces of corn and give them a good shake and massage to coat each piece well.
Place into a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the desired doneness. Serve hot with lime wedges for squeezing.
Notes
You can add or use other seasonings which are also delicious such as dry ranch salad dressing mix, dry Italian salad dressing mix, Taco seasoning, etc. Experiment with your favorites!
This was really, REALLY good. Dare I say it? Oh why not. This was way better than the frozen version. It was a bit hard cutting through the cobs, but not impossible.
The flavors were amazing. Not too spicy. Just right. Squeezing lime juice on it at the end was a really nice touch! We both really enjoyed this!
If you are fond of corn like I am fond of corn, then you might also enjoy the following recipes:
EASIEST CORN ON THE COB - This is the easiest, tastiest way of cooking corn on the cob. When you are a single person or even a couple, or only have a few cobs to cook, this is the quickest and most delicious way to cook corn on the cob. I will never ever cook corn on the cob for eating on the cob any other way again.
HOMESTYLE CREAMED CORN -I love tinned cream corn and this is a bazillion times better. I really only make it when fresh corn is in season, so its a once a year kind of a treat! I could eat a whole bowl of this with a slice of buttered bread and nothing else!
Yield: 2
Roasted Corn Ribs
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Such an easy thing to make with fresh corn and so tasty. Lightly spiced, these make a wonderful side dish in August when the corn is ripe. Something different!
Ingredients
- 2 fresh ears of corn
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- fresh lime wedges to squeeze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Spray a baking sheet lightly with some non-stick baking spray.
- Husk your corn, cleaning off all of the silk and tassels. Break each cob in half in the center.
- Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise down the cobs to cut the halves into halves yet again and then cut the halves lengthwise again into quarters. (This is the hardest part, so do take care and use the sharpest heaviest knife you have.)
- Mix the oil and seasonings in a plastic zip lock baggie. Add the pieces of corn and give them a good shake and massage to coat each piece well.
- Place into a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the desired doneness. Serve hot with lime wedges for squeezing
Notes
You can add or use other seasonings which are also delicious such as dry ranch salad dressing mix, dry Italian salad dressing mix, Taco seasoning, etc. Experiment with your favorites!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
On this day I topped mine with a delicious taco beef (or turkey) filling and all of my favorite taco toppings for a simple supper that was not only very easy to make but also very delicious!
If you enjoy tacos and you like baked potatoes then you are going to fall in love with these simple, quick and easy Taco Baked Potatoes. I wish that I had thought of this when my children were growing up, but alas, I did not. They would have loved them.
I can't claim to have thought of them even now. I was inspired by some Taco Potatoes that I saw on Life in the Loft House. I adapted the recipe by cutting it in half to make only two servings, and I also provided two ways to bake the potatoes.
You can bake your potatoes in either a regular oven or an air fryer. Both methods work beautifully, yielding beautifully baked potatoes with a lovely crisp skin.
She wraps her potatoes in foil, but I never do. I just bake them as is. No need to waste any foil and the skins get beautifully crisp because they bake rather than steam.
You can also speed up the process by prebaking your potatoes in a microwave oven. Just wash, prick all over, place onto a plate (using russet potatoes of course) and bake for five minutes on high, then flip over and bake for a further five minutes on high.
This is only time saving when you are doing only a few potatoes. I do always like to rub them after with a bit of oil and pop them into a hot oven to crisp up a bit. But this can be a real time saver when you are in a bit of a hurry.
One thing that I really miss here in Canada are the frozen already baked potatoes that we could get in the U.K. McCain made them and they were simply lovely, and very convenient as well.
They came in two sizes. You could get four large ones in a pack, or eight smaller ones in a bag. I used to often pick up the smaller ones. You could not beat them for a quick and easy side dish or something like this.
They also had frozen mashed potatoes that I just loved. I hardly ever made mashed potatoes from scratch during the last few years of my living there. They came in bags, large enough to feed four people and were quite inexpensive.
What you had was a bag of individually frozen mashed potato pellets. You just poured however many/much you wanted to cook into a baking dish and then popped them into the microwave. A few minutes later and you had a really decent mash.
I always used to add a bit of sour cream or milk, and sometimes some butter or cheese. Stir in some grated or chopped onion, etc. It was really good and very convenient and they were inexpensive too. You could usually buy a bag for a pound which was about $2.
No having to peel, cut up or boil potatoes. Very tasty! I wonder why they do not have the frozen mash or the frozen baked potatoes here? I know I would buy them and I am sure many others would as well!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TACO BAKED POTATOES
Except for the toppings, every day simple ingredients. You can vary the toppings as to what you like and enjoy! Recipe makes two potatoes with toppings.
- 2 medium russet baking potatoes
- 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 TBS taco seasoning (see notes on how to make your own)
- water as needed
Optional Toppings:
- shredded lettuce
- chopped spring onions
- grated cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- salsa
- chopped black olives
- guacamole
I never buy the baking potatoes that are already wrapped in foil. You just don't know what lies beneath the foil and I have found that they often taste and smell musty. I just pick up my baking potatoes loose. That way I can pick and choose the best and the right size for my needs.
Today I used ground turkey. I am not overly fond of ground beef and since I try to limit my red meat consumption, I usually use ground turkey in its place. You can use whatever ground meat product you like, or even a veggie option if you wish. All will taste good.
I like to make my own taco seasoning and have included a recipe to do that in the notes below. If you don't want to make your own I think you could use approximately 1/2 of a package of taco seasoning, and the water as recommended on the package.
I have included a list of our favorite toppings. I forgot to add taco sauce. We often like to have some taco sauce on our tacos, including these baked potatoes!
HOW TO MAKE TACO BAKED POTATOES
Nothing could be easier. I know I always say that, but its true!
Wash your potatoes really well, pat dry and then prick all over with a fork. (Don't skip this as they can explode in the oven from built up pressure.)
To oven bake: Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Rub the potatoes with a bit of oil and then place them in the oven right on top the oven rack. (This helps the air circulate around them, making for a nice crispy skin.) Bake for one hour. They are done when they yield slightly to pressure when lightly squeezed. Carefully remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
To bake in the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400*F/200*C. Rub some oil over the skins of your potatoes and place them into the air fryer basket. Cook in the preheated air fryer for 40 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of your potato. They are done when they yield slightly to the pressure when lightly squeezed. Carefully remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are baking make your meat topping. Spray a medium non-stick skillet with some non-stick cooking spray and crumble in your meat. Scramble fry over medium high heat until nicely browned. If there is any grease in the pan drain it off.
Add the taco seasoning and about 1/4 cup (60ml) of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a slow simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until nicely thickened. The mixture should be moist but not runny.
Cut a slit in the top of each potato and gently squeeze the sides to fluffy up and open. Place on each of two heated plates and top each with a portion of the ground meat filling. Sprinkle each with a bit of ground cheddar. Serve immediately with all of your other favorite taco toppings! Enjoy!
Quick, easy and delicious. These made for a really nice week night supper which didn't require a lot of faffing about or effort. My favorite kind of meal is simple food. These are also really economical!
Simple doesn't mean that it can't also be delicious. Delicious food, simply prepared, that's my promise to you!
I love the potato in any way shape or form. I will often turn baked potatoes into stuffed baked potatoes. Here are some of my favorite versions!
TWICE BAKED CAULIFLOWER CHEESE BAKED POTATOES - Crispy skinned and stuffed with a delicious cauliflower cheese mixture. Fabulously tasty, this is like having two of your favorite side dishes combined into one!
SALMON PIE STUFFED BAKED POTATOES - One of our favorite meals when I was growing up was French Canadian Salmon Pie. On this day I decided to use some baked potatoes and stuff them with the salmon pie mixture with the most delicious results, and there was no fussing about with making or rolling out crusts. These are some of my favorite stuffed baked potatoes. Delicious!
Yield: 2
Taco Baked Potatoes
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M
Taco fixings and toppings make a really delicious topping for simple baked potatoes. A quick, easy and delicious meal! You can bake your potatoes in the oven or the air fryer. Its all up to you!
Ingredients
- 2 medium russet baking potatoes
- 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 TBS taco seasoning (see notes on how to make your own)
- water as needed
Optional Toppings:
- shredded lettuce
- chopped spring onions
- grated cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- salsa
- chopped black olives
- guacamole
Instructions
- Wash your potatoes really well, pat dry and then prick all over with a fork. (Don't skip this as they can explode in the oven from built up pressure.)
- To oven bake: Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Rub the potatoes with a bit of oil and then place them in the oven right on top the oven rack. (This helps the air circulate around them, making for a nice crispy skin.) Bake for one hour. They are done when they yield slightly to pressure when lightly squeezed. Carefully remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- To bake in the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400*F/200*C. Rub some oil over the skins of your potatoes and place them into the air fryer basket. Cook in the preheated air fryer for 40 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of your potato. They are done when they yield slightly to the pressure when lightly squeezed. Carefully remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- While the potatoes are baking make your meat topping. Spray a medium non-stick skillet with some non-stick cooking spray and crumble in your meat. Scramble fry over medium high heat until nicely browned. If there is any grease in the pan drain it off.
- Add the taco seasoning and about 1/4 cup (60ml) of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a slow simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until nicely thickened. The mixture should be moist but not runny.
- Cut a slit in the top of each potato and gently squeeze the sides to fluffy up and open. Place on each of two heated plates and top each with a portion of the ground meat filling. Sprinkle each with a bit of ground cheddar.
- Serve immediately with all of your other favorite taco toppings! Enjoy!
Notes
Make Your Own Taco Seasoning: Mix together 1 TBS mild chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp of onion powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Don't you just love the summer months when we have access to lovely fresh fruits and vegetables. A lot of vegetables are grown here locally in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. We also have a wide variety of apples, grapes, cherries, melons, berries (including cranberries), pears, plums and a few peach orchards.
By and large however, we get our peaches and nectarines from Southern Ontario, but there are a few private farms that do grow and sell peaches in season.
Right now we are enjoying local cherries and peaches, nectarines and plums from Ontario. I picked up some peaches and cherries the other day hoping to make a delicious dessert with them.
The recipe I decided to bake comes from a book I have entitled Rustic Fruit Desserts, by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson. I love old fashioned desserts like cobblers, crumbles, pies, buckles, pan dowdies, and this book is full of them.
I adapted this recipe from the original which used nectarines and boysenberries. I did not have those. I had cherries and peaches. I also did not want 8 - 10 servings, so I cut the recipe in half.
This is not the first recipe I have baked from this book. It is filled with a wide assortment of lovely sounding, old-fashioned desserts, most of which can be adapted to use with just about any fruit so long as you know what you are doing.
I especially love crumbles, or crisps as they are also called. Who wouldn't! That lovely sweet and sticky stewed fruit bottom. That sweet crumbly crisp buttery topping. What's not to love!
This combination of peaches and cherries is especially nice. I also love the addition of the flaked almonds in the topping. Altogether a most delicious combination! The perfect blend of sweet/tart and buttery/crisp/flakey.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PEACH, CHERRY & ALMOND CRUMBLE
Not a lot really. Pretty basic baking cupboard ingredients and the fruit of course!
For the crumble topping:
- 3/4 cup (89g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup (60g) cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup (42g) toasted flaked almonds
For the fruit filling:
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 TBS corn starch (corn flour)
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large peaches, peeled and each cut into 10 to 12 slices
- 1 cup (154g) pitted sweet cherries
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Make sure your butter for the crumble topping is cold. This will give a nice light texture to the crumble. Also do toast your almonds. They just taste nuttier.
I always toast my nuts when I am using them for baking. It is very simple to do. Just spread them out onto a baking sheet in a single layer and toast in a moderate oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely prior to using.
I like to peel my peaches prior to using them. This is also very easy to do. Cut a cross in the bottom of each peach and lower them into a saucepan of boiling water. Leave for about 60 seconds and then lift out to a bowl of cold water.
The skins should slip off very simply then. You don't have to peel them, but I am not fond of cooked skins in either peaches (or tomatoes). I always remove them.
You can also use frozen peaches and cherries if you wish. No need to thaw, just mix as per the recipe. It will take a bit longer to bake however.
HOW TO MAKE PEACH, CHERRY & ALMOND CRUMBLE
This is a very simple dessert to make. The filling just stirs together and the crumble topping is basically just dry and fat ingredients rubbed together.
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a (1 1/2 QT/1 1/2 liter)baking dish and set aside.
Place all of the fruit into a bowl. Add the corn starch, sugar, salt and vanilla. Gently mix together.
Measure the flour for the topping into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt. Drop in the butter. Rub it in with your finger tips or a pastry blender until crumbly. Gently fold in the almonds.
Spoon the fruit filling into the baking dish. Sprinkle the crumble topping over all.
Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes until the fruit filling is bubbling and the crumble is golden brown.
Leave to cool for 30 minutes prior to serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or warm custard. Delicious!
Notes
You can use frozen fruit. Do not thaw. It will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes longer to bake. Make sure all of the fruit is bubbling to make sure it is cooked all the way through.
To toast the almonds, spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer and place into the oven while it is preheating. Watch carefully so they do not burn. It only takes 5 to 8 minutes for them to toast.
This was really delicious served warm and spooned into bowls along with either a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, or some whipped cream, or in the British way with pouring cream or warm custard.
Today I served mine with warm custard. You can find my recipe on how to make your own custard here. Its not all that hard to make, or you can use custard powder, or even tinned custard.
I learned to love my desserts/puddings with custard when I was in the U.K. Today was a real treat for me. I was in dessert heaven!
SPICED PLUM CAKE - This is a really lovely cake with a beautiful batter flavored with warm baking spices . . . nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon . . . and studded throughout with plenty of sweet slices of plum. Most delicious served with lashings of cold cream.
NECTARINES BAKED IN CREAM - Delicious sweet/tart nectarines oven poached in a sweet vanilla cream, topped with flaked almonds. A beautiful dessert. simple and incredibly tasty.
Yield: 4 - 5
Peach, Cherry & Almond Crumble
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 55 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 40 M
Sweet and tart with a buttery crumble topping filled with toasted almonds. This is one really delicious dessert.
Ingredients
For the crumble topping:
- 3/4 cup (89g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup (60g) cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup (42g) toasted flaked almonds
For the fruit filling:
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 TBS corn starch (corn flour)
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large peaches, peeled and each cut into 10 to 12 slices
- 1 cup (154g) pitted sweet cherries
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a (1 1/2 QT/1 1/2 liter)baking dish and set aside.
- Place all of the fruit into a bowl. Add the corn starch, sugar, salt and vanilla. Gently mix together.
- Measure the flour for the topping into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt. Drop in the butter. Rub it in with your finger tips or a pastry blender until crumbly. Gently fold in the almonds.
- Spoon the fruit filling into the baking dish. Sprinkle the crumble topping over all.
- Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes until the fruit filling is bubbling and the crumble is golden brown.
- Leave to cool for 30 minutes prior to serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or warm custard. Delicious!
Notes
You can use frozen fruit. Do not thaw. It will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes longer to bake. Make sure all of the fruit is bubbling to make sure it is cooked all the way through.
To toast the almonds, spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer and place into the oven while it is preheating. Watch carefully so they do not burn. It only takes 5 to 8 minutes for them to toast.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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