SWEETCORN FRITTERS WITH TOMATO SALSA & AVOCADO

“Tomatoes really are the superfood of the summer – they’re bursting with healthy lycopene, which gives them their beautiful red colour, and have wonderful benefits for our skin, like helping to protect it from the sun thanks to their ability to block UV light” – Madeleine Shaw, nutritional health coach, blogger and author

(Makes 6 fritters, serves 2)

INGREDIENTS:
250g uncooked corn kernels
2 eggs
1 garlic clove, crushed
big pinch of salt
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp baking powder
2 spring onions, chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
3 tbsp porridge oats
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

For the tomato salsa
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 beef tomato, diced
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
pinch of salt

METHOD:
Place three quarters of the corn in a food processor along with the eggs, garlic and salt. Blend until smooth. Add the rest of the corn, the spices, baking powder, spring onions, fresh coriander and oats, and process for 10 seconds. Then pour the fritter mixture into a bowl.

Melt the coconut oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of mixture into the pan to form a fritter. Fry for 3 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook for another minute until cooked through.

Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to make 6 fritters.

To make the salsa, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Serve the fritters with slices of avocado, the salsa and wedges of lime to squeeze over.

Recipes from In a Year of Beautiful Eating by Madeleine Shaw, £20/£10.99

Bestselling nutritional health coach Madeleine Shaw shows you how to eat your way to health and beauty all year round. With over 100 nutritious and wholesome recipes, packed with flavour and medicinal benefits, Madeleine focuses on the importance of eating in tune with nature and supercharging your plate with what your body needs to look and feel beautiful season by season.

BAKED EGGS & SWISS CHARD

“I love chard for the meatiness it brings to a dish and it is wonderfully versatile, taking on different flavours such as citrus and spice. It’s paired best with fresh herbs, however, and I love this simple and speedy way of preparing it. If you can’t find chard, cavolo nero or curly kale will work well. This is a great dish for communal eating – simply plonk the pan in the middle of the table and let people use big hunks of buttered toast to eat it with.” – Flora Shedden, author and The Great British Bake Off runner up 2015

(Serves 2-4)

INGREDIENTS:
150g (5 ½ oz) rainbow chard
olive oil
knob of butter
2 banana shallots, finely sliced
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
small bunch of fresh marjoram,
leaves picked (optional)
4 eggs
50g (1 ¾ oz) feta cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g (1 ¾ oz) Parmesan cheese, grated to serve

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6.

Strip the leaves from the chard stems and set aside. Roughly chop the coloured stems into 2cm (¾ inch) lengths.

Heat a good glug of olive oil and the butter in an ovenproof frying pan. Add the chard stems and sliced shallots and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened and beginning to colour. Add the nutmeg and season lightly.

Add the marjoram leaves to the pan along with the chard leaves (you many need to tear those up a little). Stir everything together. Crack the eggs directly on top of the greens, then crumble the feta all over. Transfer the frying pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. You want the egg whites to have set but the yolks to remain runny.

Sprinkle the Parmesan over the contents of the frying pan and add some chopped herbs just before serving.

Recipes from Gatherings: recipes for feasts great and small by Flora Shedden, published by Mitchell Beazley, £25; octopusbooks.co.uk

A gathering is an easy way of cooking and hosting. It means no pressure, no code of conduct, and everyone – cook included – can actually enjoy themselves. Flora’s collection is a mixture of modern dishes, staple snacks, salads and sides, interesting bakes, and puddings perfect to end a feast with. Nothing overly fussy or complicated, just tasty, pretty plates of food. Choose from the chapters led by occasion or pick and choose from dishes such as Sloe Gin Braised Venison, Cocoa Nib Brownies and Redcurrant Pavlovas to put on a spread.