Fatfree Tip #2: Corn on the Cob
I love corn on the cob, but I avoided it for a long time after I gave up oils and margarine because I didn't know what to put on it. Then I discovered a combination that I actually like better than margarine: Lime juice and spicy seasoning.
The tanginess of lime juice is a perfect complement to the sweetness of fresh corn. And, as regular readers of this blog know, I love all things spicy. My favorite corn seasoning is Via Nueva Pico de Gallo, a combination of salt and mixed hot chili peppers. Other hot and spicy mixes, such as Creole Seasoning, are also tasty, as is chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper (for an extremely spicy kick with no added salt). I just squeeze the lime juice onto the corn and sprinkle on the seasoning. I never miss the margarine!
I'd love to have more (perhaps non-spicy) options for eating corn on the cob. What's your favorite low-fat corn topping?
For another great way to prepare corn, check out...
Roasted Corn on the Cob
Labels: eat to live
posted by SusanV at 2:57 PM
34 Comments:
Susan,
I love lots of Old Bay seasoning on my corn! Another great photo!
I like Old Bay as well, but my favorite is just a bit of sea salt and a little black pepper. It's simple, but it's good! :)
I like plain ol lemon juice. And black pepper.
That's a great suggestion! I love corn on the cob, but haven't been eating it on its own for ages for pretty much the same reason.
I hate to be boring, but why top it with anything? The sweetness of fresh corn on the cob all alone is pure heaven!
I second Freedom's notion! At peak season we grill loads of corn in their husks, then take off the cob and vacuum freeze ... the sweetness and wonderful roasted flavor are perfect au naturel.
i put a light coating of mixed seed butter and a squirt of braggs...slightly healthier than margarine but only just!
I'm afraid I can't break the marg. habit! But, when I used to live in little india they would sell roasted corn on the streets and it seemed very similar to what you made. I'm sure if I would have tried it I'd be off the marg. kick.
I like lemon juice and a little bit of fresh baby dill. But I bet I'll like this better. Plain is also very tasty to me, especially if it's the white kind of corn.
i just discovered the wonder of lime-juice covered corn on the cob, too! why did i ever use anything else?
i like cayenne pepper and garlic salt. mmmmm....
Another vote for lime juice here, accompanied by chili powder (Frontier "fiesta chili blend"). I sometimes cook it on the stove, then lay it on the grill a bit for the flavor.
Nee
I agree with Freedom and ostaraspring, I love it plain.
Have you ever tried Japanese umeboshi plum paste? It's delicious on corn on the cob. You can find it at any natural food store. A little goes a long way!
I like it sprinkled with a tiny bit of nutritional yeast.. (I'm staying away from spicy suggestions).. but plain is really good too.
Hey Susan - we cook it over coals (naked - no husks) until it starts getting very browned and the kernals are popping. Then you quickly dip it in a large bowl of very salty water. It cleans off the corn and makes it very flavorful!
I don't put anything on my corn. I love it just the way it is. My mom used to LAYER the butter on when I was a kid and it grossed me out so much : P
Teddy
In Mexico we eat corn that way. The most popular has mayonaise and "queso freso" sprinkled, plus the lemon and the chili. I just put lemon, some salt and chili. But tonight I found a recipe of vegan "feta" in http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/. and it has a variation for mexican "queso fresco".And why not try some homemade vegan mayonaise (I know about the fat but , just a little?)
By the way, I really like your blog, thanks for sharing.
My brother and sister-in-law introduced us to this way of eating corn on cob last summer, and it's been a favorite with my family ever since!
Plain would also get my vote.
I never liked corn with butter or margarine. I would try it with lemon or lime juice next time though.
yessss! i recently went to oaxaca, mexico and there were a million and one corn stands, and they ate it like this with mayo and fresh cheese, just like sol said. although, in oaxaca they used lime.... i didn't see anyone use lemon. here's a picture!
http://flickr.com/photos/franandzoe/162818332/
their corn in mexico was much better than in the states, i thought, it was firmer (i didn't get any corn stuck in my teeth) and it wasn't sweet. it was more substantial when you bit into it. soooooo good!!!
Wow, thank you all for the great suggestions! I envy those of you who like it plain, but I'm afraid I'm just not built that way. I love having a few new seasonings to try out.
I vote for plain, just a pinch of salt. In Turkey, you can see street sellers who either just boil the corn on the cob and sell them, or they roast them. I also love the roasted one, though then you have to pay attention to your hands and face which turn out to be a little black ;)
Awww...that photo makes me really want corn on the cob, dressed with anything. I saw two ears for £1.50 yesterday, which is almost $3. But that's far cheaper than the £1.99 two ears usually run around here.
If anyone comes to visit me from the states, please bring a bushel of corn.
In India, the traditional way to dress roasted corn is: mix up some salt and chilli powder (cayenne pepper). Dip a lemon wedge into this spice mixture and rub it on the roasted corn. Eat right away. Sooo good. Completely fat-free and bursting with flavor.
Like others have said, good corn is best on its own. However, I do love to grill corn (wrapped in foil). Then, I still do not put butter alternatives on it (they tend to mask the flavor of the corn) but I have found rubbing spice mixtures onto the corn before wrapping and grilling is a kick-ass way to eat it. If you've never made anything from Cooking Light magazines or cookbooks, you must give their corn rubs a try. The best is the Jamaican Jerk and the African spice (it's a little mellower, with cinnamon). My non-veg friends just love when we make corn this way! BTW- the recipes do call to rub the butter on to make the spice stick, but this isn't really necessary, and you could just use PAM or an alternative.
I am just now reading this, but I wanted to add that I spread some umeboshi plum on my corn. YUMMY!
Like a few other, I don't put anything on my corn now (maybe a bit of pepper, ocassionally a bit of liquid aminos) - once I stopped using anything, I find that the sweetness of the corn is better than with any topping. My family use margarine, olive oil, salt, pepper...etc. But the lime/lemon and spice suggestions sound good too, might try that. But the marg/oil is not for me anymore, too heavy and greasy. -Jen
I just found your site through Cafe Cyan. I love it. I love corn with Cilantro sprinkled on it. Off the cob I add cilantro and red pepper flakes.
I must say... I am not a blog follower and stumbled onto your site by mistake. However, I have been so intrigued that I have been looking through the recipes for hours. Thank you for all the time you take to put wonderful, healthy recipes out there for us to see and try. I just wanted to say that on corn I sprinkle Herbamare (a healthy, Swiss made vegetable salt that should be found in most health food stores)with a little Earth Balance vegan margarine. Yum, yum!!!
Ever try corn on the cob raw? Just unpeel and eat. It's crunchy, sweet, completely fat-free and very easy to prepare. ;o) My family and I love it this way.
Lemon pepper and tabasco sauce...yum-o.
i dont know if u quit margarine and oils because of the fat (i did) but if that is the reason, theres this kind of margarine that comes in a spray bottle that has zero calories and fat. theres also a generic version of this (somewhat) that comes in a green and white squeeze bottle and it has zero fat and only 5 calories. there actually very good, u might want to try them
I like to add tons of fresh cilantro as well as pepper & salt. The cilantro cooks down & becomes almost glaze like, it's amazing.
When I was in Peru I was hooked on choclo, the local type of corn that has really big kernals. People would be selling big baskets of steamed choclo at the bus and train stations. They would just sprinkle salt on it, but I also had it with salt and lime. When I got back to NA those were the only two seasonings I used on corn from then on.
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