Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Make it with fresh corn
We all know nothing is yummier than corn on the cob with a little butter and salt, but there are lots of other healthy ways to enjoy this season’s harvest!
Corn is fresh from the field right now and in abundance at your local farmer’s markets.
Is corn healthy? One cup of fresh sweet corn kernels (about one large ear) has 4 grams of fiber, plus it’s rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, compounds that help keep your eyes healthy as you age. Give some of these healthy, easy corn recipes a try and enjoy!
Super Easy Corn Pudding
Cooking spray
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed and patted dry
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350°F with oven rack in middle of oven. Lightly coat a 13- x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high until foamy. Add corn, onion, thyme, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into milk mixture until smooth. Stir in cooled corn mixture. Pour into prepared baking dish.
Serves 12, each serving contains; Calories 161, Fat 7g, Protein 8g, Carbohydrates 17g, Sodium 279mg, Fiber 1g
Creamy Corn Salad
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (16-ounce) packages frozen whole-kernel corn, divided
2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces Cotija cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of corn and 1 teaspoon sugar; toss to combine. Cook, without stirring, 3 minutes or until corn begins to brown on bottom. Stir and cook 3 minutes or until most of the kernels are browned. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, corn, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, chile powder, coriander, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add corn; toss to combine. Sprinkle cheese over corn; serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Serves 8, each serving contains; Calories 212, Fat 11g, Carbohydrates 25g, Protein 6g, Fiber 3g Sodium 351 mg,
Chow Chow
1 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green tomato
1/2 cup diced tomatillo
3 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño pepper
Place first 6 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add corn and the remaining ingredients; simmer 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve chowchow chilled or at room temperature.
Serves 6, each serving contains; Calories 80, Fat 0.7g, Protein 2g, Carbohydrates 28g, Sodium 169mg, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 2g.
Skillet Corn Salad
4 slices bacon
2 cups fresh whole kernel corn
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 cup grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 small fresh jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (see Tip)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon chili powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet (discard the remaining drippings). Drain the bacon on paper towels. Crumble the bacon; set aside. Add corn and edamame to the reserved drippings in the skillet; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or just until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Stir together the crumbled bacon, the corn-edamame mixture, the tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and chile pepper in a large bowl.
For dressing, combine oil, lime peel, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt in a small screw-top jar. Cover and shake well to mix. Pour the dressing over the corn mixture; toss gently to coat.
Serves 6, each serving contains: Calories 182, Fat 11g, Cholesterol 9mg, Carbohydrates 17g, Protein7g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 160mg.
Oyster Chowder with Corn
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1½ cups coarsely chopped potato
1 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground pepper
8 ounces shucked oysters with their liquid
1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, plus sprigs for garnish
½ cup half-and-half
Cook and stir onion, bell pepper, and garlic in hot oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until tender.
Carefully stir chicken broth, potato, jalapeño, salt, and ground pepper into the vegetable mixture in the saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until the potato is nearly tender. Stir in undrained oysters, corn, and oregano. Return to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover; simmer about 5 minutes or until the oysters are plump and opaque. Stir in half-and-half; heat through. If desired, garnish with oregano sprigs.
Serves 4, each serving contains: Calories 203, Fat 7g, Cholesterol 25mg, Carbohydrates 29g, Protein8g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 501mg.
