Vegetarian Recipes

How to Cook Corn on the Cob

https://www.loveandlemons.com/corn-on-the-cob/

It finally feels like summer around here, and for me there’s nothing more summery than corn on the cob! When I was a little kid, I remember my mom covering the stoop on the back patio with ripped-open paper bags, and my sister and I would spend hours removing the husks.

I love sweet corn so many ways – I top it onto pizza, mix it into cornbread and cornbread stuffing, stuff it into tacos, blend it into hummus, add it to soups, chowder, and chili, or top it onto salad. You get the picture: I’m a corn addict!

But my favorite way to eat corn will always be the simplest: straight off the cob. While I love grilling it, my preferred method is steaming it on the stove. Because you don’t have to bring a huge pot of water to a boil, it takes much less time than boiling corn on the cob, and it comes out juicy, sweet, and delicious.

How to Cook Corn on the Cob

Want to learn how to cook corn on the cob? Here’s the best way to do it:

Fill a large skillet with one inch of water and add husked ears of corn in a single layer.
When the water returns to a boil, cover the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, until the corn is bright yellow and tender.
Drain, top with your favorite fixings (I like olive oil, salt, and lemon juice), and enjoy!

Alternatively, you can grill your corn, check out this post for grilling instructions!

Corn on the Cob Variations

As I said above, my favorite way to top corn on the cob is simply with salt, olive oil, and a generous squeeze of lemon. You could also eat it the traditional way, rubbed in black pepper, butter, and salt. If you’re looking for something more creative, I highly recommend these two options:

Basil Butter Corn on the Cob – Pulse together butter, basil, and garlic in a food processor, and rub it onto the sweet corn. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and eat!
Mexican Corn on the Cob – Brush steamed corn on the cob with adobo sauce from a can of chipotles and sprinkle crumbly Cotija cheese on top. I LOVE this combination, and if you do too, make sure you try this salad next.

Corn on the Cob Serving Suggestions

Corn on the cob is one of the best summer side dishes. I love it with anything I’m grilling, like veggie burgers, black bean burgers, portobello burgers, or avocado!

Summery sandwiches like Oyster Mushroom Po’ Boys or BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches would be delicious with it as well.

And the Mexican version would be especially good with tacos like these or these.

How to Cook Corn on the Cob

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Side dish

4 ears fresh corn, husked
olive oil, butter, lemon, salt & pepper, for serving

½ cup butter or vegan butter, at room temp
¼ cup fresh basil
½ clove garlic
pinch of red pepper flakes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
crumbled cotija cheese
chopped cilantro

In a large skillet, bring 1 inch of water to a boil and add the corn in a single layer. When the water returns to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until hot, about 3 minutes. Drain.
Season with olive oil or butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, as desired.
Basil Butter Corn on the Cob: Blend softened butter with basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Slather it on corn with a squeeze of lemon.
Mexican Corn on the Cob: Brush the corn with adobo sauce and top with cotija cheese and cilantro.

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

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Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

potatoes
eggplant (aubergine)
canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
canned tomatoes
tomato paste
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
tomato – to slice up for the topping
milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

Printable Instructions

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 2

Servings

Calories 523kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
2 Tbsp oil
400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.