Thick enough to eat with a spoon or fork, these creamy corn cakes with added vegetables are made in single-serving ramekins rather than traditional corn husks. This recipe is part of the 2018 Food & Nutrition cultural competency series, My Global Table.
SERVINGS: 12
SERVING SIZE: 1 ramekin (85 grams)
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vegetable oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, divided
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 5 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
Instructions
- Fill two 9-by-12-inch glass baking dishes with ½ inch water to create a water bath.
- Place six 3-ounce ramekins in each dish. Coat each ramekin with cooking spray.
- In a nonstick frying pan, heat oil over low heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cover and stir occasionally until onions are translucent and peppers soften, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat ¾ cup ricotta for about 30 seconds. Add milk and whip until creamy. Slowly add in cornstarch and continue to blend until incorporated.
- In a food processor, pulse corn until it becomes a coarse mixture.
- To ricotta mixture, add corn, salt and red pepper flakes and mix. Stir in onion and bell pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Scoop batter into ramekins using a 2-ounce disher. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until they begin to set.
- Remove from oven (they will continue to set, but not get too firm).
- Garnish each with 1 teaspoon ricotta and 1 teaspoon green onion.
Nutrition per serving: 119 calories, 4g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 118mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 1g sugar, 4g protein, 239mg potassium, 89mg phosphorus
Lauren O’Connor, MS, RDN, is a Los Angeles-based private practice dietitian, recipe developer and owner of Nutri Savvy Health, a program focusing on mindful eating and family nutrition. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.