I have been so badly behaved with my eating recently but today I was really good :-).  I came home from Birmingham last night and was too tired to post but here are a couple of pics I would have included.

On Tuesday night we went to bed early

and ordered room service while we watched a movie which we all thought was a real treat.  Lara and I had a chocolate fondant pudding with honeycomb ice-cream – plate lickingly delicious.

The next morning I decided to go to work later than usual so I could have breakfast with the kids and treated myself to a waffle.  The hotel has a waffle maker and a large jug of batter and it took 3 minutes to cook.  It was so huge I shared it with Lara.  I had mine with cream, honey, fruit and bacon.  It was wonderful.

On to today.  I have to start behaving and I started today.  I had some strawberries and used about half a punnett

which I made in to a smoothie with a banana, 1 tbsp chia seeds and 2 tbsp natural yogurt. Nothing else so it was really thick as I didn’t add any liquid.

I stopped at a supermarket in a service station on the way home last night and bought some courgettes (why didn’t I grow any this year?).  So I had them, plus a corn cob and some very old Camembert which I retrieved from the fridge.  Corn kernels scrapped from the cob taste so much better than tinned or frozen alternatives and I have discovered the knack of removing them so they don’t ping all over the kitchen.  You hold the cob over a shallow dish so the cob is standing up and use a very small and very sharp knife and do it slowly.  Simples.

What did I make with that and a large juicy tomato?

Vegetable Gratin

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1 corn on the cob with kernels scrapped off
• 2 courgettes, sliced on the bias
• 1 large ripe tomato, sliced
• Soft cheese (optional)
• Cheddar cheese or parmesan

Method

• Heat oil in a frying pan and gently fry the sliced onion for about 15 minutes
• Add the garlic and fry for another 5 minutes
• While the onions are cooking, turn the oven on to 180 ° C
• Place the corn kernels in a shallow baking dish
• Put slices of soft cheese on the corn ( I used about 1/3 of a small one)
• Place the cooked onions and garlic on the cheese and corn

• Add the courgette and tomato and top with grated Cheddar.  I didn’t add much as I had the Camembert inside.

Bake for half an hour
Set aside and wait for 15 minutes before eating it.

It makes a difference if you can bear to wait before eating it.  It helps absorb some of the water and the flavours are more intense when the temperature cools slightly.

This was amazing.  It was so delicious and because it had cheese in it, it was very satisfying.

So I had half at lunch time and the rest late afternoon.  I have had nothing else since except a glass of water as I feel completely sated.  This was very easy and if you have a glut of courgettes, this is an excellent way to use some up.  I could make that again tomorrow.