FOODFEATURE Tuesdays: Corn is Not So Corny

U.S.DA Photo by Keith Weller

     Hmmm. Corn is considered 'OK' for a gluten-free diet, but it's the source of a lot of problems. Think Frito-Lay Corn Chips. Corn syrup, for another. And yet, plain, organic, unsalted tortilla chips will fit nicely into a low-refined carb diet (not including Atkins, which prohibits corn initially, and then only in very small quantities later on). As well, corn meal is actually quite nutritious, and you could use it in a no-bake, low-refined carb pie crust, and get away with it. Why is that?

U.S.D.A. Photo by Bruce Fritz

Well, we need to distinguish plain old corn, such as kernels of corn that are carnned, or used for popping corn, versus the refined corn products that are loaded with sugar, such as cornbread, or various frosted corn flake breakfast products, or fat and salt, such as various brands of corn chips. According to the USDA, plain corn registers much lower in carbs than amaranth, wheat and rice. I have found that plain tortilla chips, corn on the cob and plain pop-corn are fine on my no-refined carbs diet, and do not impact my weight at all--with the obvious caveats being that you don't want to eat too much of anything, and you don't want to eat too late in the day.


It's best to research foods for yourself. The founder, and former head, of Health Valley foods, since sold off, offers up a corn page with his foundation website. A pretty comprehensive overview of corn's nutritional value is available at LiveStrong.com. Here's a nice-looking Mexican Corn Chili recipe that appears to be free of refined-carbs; you could omit the chicken bouillon, and just add more spices (i.e. salt), or some poultry seasoning to keep it natural.

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RECIPE #2: Quick Quirky Quesadillas

This is a tasty quasi-Mexican snack that can actually serve as dinner or lunch, if you make enough of them. A great party hors d'oeuvre, too. Low in refined carbs, the beans and cheese offer some protein. Joe V., from Northridge, California, at my New England university, made these often. Thanks, Joe--whereever you are.

Once again: Five steps, five ingredients, less than 25 minutes, less than five bucks.

1. You will need: refried beans, preferably fat-free; Monterey Jack cheese, enough eighth-inch thick slivers as big as the first joint of your thumb for each mini-quesadilla; your choice of salsa; tortilla chips, preferably salt-free and plain.


2. Place foil over a cookie sheet, and spread the chips evenly in rows on the sheet.


3. With a knife, spread a smear of refried bean on each chip. Take a teaspoon or even an iced-tea spoon, which works better, and take just a spoonful, a tiny dollop, of salsa, and place it on top of each bean-smeared chip.


4. Take the knife, and carve off small slivers/chunks of cheese - make sure they are petty flat, so they will sit nicely on top of the salsa-and-cheese mixture on each chip. Place a cheese sliver on each chip.


5. Pop the cookie sheet in the oven for about 7-12 minutes at 325 degrees--or whatever will take the chips to the point where the cheese melts nicely over the top of the salsa-and-bean mixture. Once cheese is melted, remove from oven, place the mini-quesadillas on a plate; they are very small and won't take more than a minute or two to cool down--they are best warm. Eat up!



 


NOTES: You can choose any version of refried beans (i.e. with or without Jalapenos, etc.), any version of salsa, from mild to hot and any type of cheese--although Monterey Jack is traditional, and may work best. If you want to get fancy you can place a tiny dollop of sour cream on top of each of the finished quesadillas. Experiment with different kinds of salsas and cheese to give this your own signature. These are very filling.