Corn Arepas : A Tasty Corn Side Dishe

Corn is delicious and good for you. Corn is a good source for many nutrients. It is rich in magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium and phosphorus. Corn also contains Thiamin, pantothenic acid, folate, Vitamin C and fiber among other things. It is also a very important part of American history.

A new taste for the newcomers from overseas, the Europeans quickly learned about corn from the American Indians.  It was an important staple food for the early American diet and recipes for various versions cornbread are as many as the sand at the sea.

Corn is a summer garden favorite and tastes great fresh or cooked in dishes. It also freezes and dries well for long term storage. In our pantry you can usually find a can of corn and a box corn meal. Corn is one of those staple ingredients to have on hand. Use cornmeal to keep the pizza dough from sticking to the pan. Make cornbread to go with last night’s chili. Use fresh corn in a salad for dinner or as a butter side dish to your meat and potatoes.

It is with these thoughts that I sought to introduce various corn dishes to my families diet. Always game for a new taste treat I looked outside the North American diet for a new way to prepare a simple corn side dish.

The result?

Corn Arepas: Venezuela and Colombia corn cakes these delicious tidbits can add a nice change to your usual fare. Here are some various takes on the original recipes.

1. A more traditional recipe Corn Arepas

2. Whole Foods version. I personally like the addition of whole corn kernels

3. Epicurious Fried Corn cakes with cheese

4. Farmhouse Corn Cakes : I made these today. Quick easy and delicious! Since it’s not corn season I used canned corn.

5. Calico Corn Cakes from my favorite Taste of Home

Try the different styles and see if one doesn't strike your family's fancy.