At the end of the last century, corn was called the queen of the fields. Today it is grown, of course, not on such a scale, but, nevertheless, very actively, not only in our region, but almost all over the world. Many wonderful products are made from this culture - corn sticks and flakes, flour, starch, canned food, etc. One such product is corn grits. Despite the fact that it can be found in any store, it is very rarely included in the diet of most families, which, by the way, is completely in vain, because it can bring a lot of benefits to our body.

Why is corn grits healthy?

First of all, it is worth noting the very low calorie content of corn grits; there are only 328 kcal per hundred grams of dry product, and only 86 kcal per hundred grams of porridge prepared from it. That is why it can be eaten without fear by people who watch their figure and adhere to a healthy diet. At the same time, it saturates well and gives a feeling of fullness for a long time.

The benefits of corn grits, in addition to the fact that it is an excellent dietary product, also lies in the many valuable components included in its composition. This culture is rich in vitamins B, PP, A, H, essential amino acids - tryptophan and lysine, it contains such valuable microelements as magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus and many others. In addition, corn grits are also a hypoallergenic product, so dishes made from it can be given to even the smallest children without any problems, and it is also included in the diet of people prone to food allergies.

Corn porridge is also very beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract. Contained in it in considerable quantities from harmful deposits - fecal stones, waste, it removes radionuclides, toxins, pesticides from the body. This porridge eliminates putrefactive and fermentative processes in the intestines and relieves constipation. Its regular consumption will strengthen the immune system and help maintain youth and attractiveness.

The substances included in the cereal, for example, vitamins E, calcium and potassium, have a beneficial effect on the condition of nails, skin, hair, and the carotenoids it contains make the product very useful for, since they reduce the likelihood of developing lung cancer. Also, dishes made from it increase the elasticity of blood vessels, lower cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of blood clots, and therefore cardiovascular diseases.

Phosphorus present in corn is beneficial for the functioning of the nervous system, vitamins B5 and B1 help eliminate depression and are a good preventive measure for neuralgic diseases, and magnesium and vitamin B6 increase resistance to stress. Corn grits are recommended for people suffering from diabetes, blood diseases, gall bladder, stomach and liver.

In addition to all this, corn, and, accordingly, cereals made from it, has one unique property - it retains all the most beneficial properties even after heat treatment. There is also evidence that it helps eliminate fat from the body.

Is corn grits harmful?

Most products, often even the healthiest ones, have contraindications for use, and therefore cannot be consumed by everyone. The harm of corn grits is minimal - it is contraindicated only for ulcers in the acute stage (since the fiber contained in it can irritate the walls of the gastrointestinal tract) and high blood clotting. Also, it should not be abused by people who have low body weight and are trying to gain it. In this case, the harm of corn grits porridge lies in its low calorie content. Everyone else, and especially those who want to lose weight, can safely include it in their menu.

How to cook corn grits

Corn grits are divided into several types depending on the shape and size of the grains. It can be polished, fine or coarse. If you need to quickly prepare a dish from corn grits, you should choose the finest grind; it is most often used for children's cereals.

In general, different types of corn porridge are popular in many countries, and their taste, as well as the cooking time, depends directly on the quality of the raw materials. The best dishes come from fresh or properly stored grains.

Moldovans believe that bright yellow, almost orange, grains are the best; others, when choosing them, focus on the size of the grains and how uniform they are. Naturally, a high-quality product should not contain husks, foreign impurities or odors.

It is recommended to store cereals at low temperatures, ideally up to +5 degrees, in dark, dry places. At high humidity (more than 70%), insects quickly infest it, rancidity and mustiness appear; naturally, it will not be possible to cook a good dish with such a product.

At home, it is best to store corn grits in ceramic, metal or glass, or in extreme cases, plastic containers that can be tightly closed. They need to be placed in dark, cool places. Thus, cereals should be stored for no more than a month.

How to cook corn porridge

Despite its usefulness, corn porridge is quite tricky to prepare, as it tends to burn and clump together. Therefore, during the process, it must be stirred as often as possible. In addition, corn grits almost quadruple during cooking, so when preparing it, be sure to take this feature into account.

To prevent lumps from forming in the porridge, it is recommended to prepare it as follows:

• Method No. 1. First of all, it is worth mentioning that corn grits porridge can be prepared with both water and milk. To prepare it, you will need three or four times more water (milk) for one glass of cereal, i.e. three to four glasses, in this case the porridge will come out quite thick; if you like it thinner, you can increase the amount of liquid to 4.5 or more glasses. So, to prevent lumps from forming in a casserole or pan with a non-stick coating, pour half of the water (milk), in our recipe 1.5-2 cups. When it boils, add salt, the amount depends on whether you plan to make the dish sweet or salty, if it’s sweet, a pinch will be enough, but then add sugar. Next, slowly, stirring constantly, pour in the cereal. The result should be a thick mass; stir it well until it reaches a homogeneous consistency. Then slowly pour out the remaining liquid and cook the porridge until cooked in the oven or over very low heat, this usually takes at least half an hour (depending on the type of cereal, it may take more or less time). Do not forget at this time to periodically (preferably more often) stir the porridge.
• Method No. 2. To prepare porridge in this way, porridge and liquid can be taken in the same proportions as for the previous one. Pour water (milk) into a suitable container and heat thoroughly. Add salt (and sugar if necessary) to the hot (not yet boiled) liquid and pour in the cereal in a thin stream, stirring all the time. While stirring, wait until it boils, then reduce the heat as much as possible and continue cooking, stirring as often as possible, until cooked,

Recipes

Milk porridge

For children and adults who love sweets, corn grits are usually cooked in milk. It is better to make such porridge not too thick, so you should take four or even five times more liquid than the cereal itself. You can prepare it using one of the above methods. You can also use the following recipe.

Corn is a traditional agricultural crop, known since the times of the Mayan Indians. In Mexico and Brazil, some states of the USA and in South America, Romania, Moldova, and southern Ukraine, corn fields are as integral a part of the rural landscape as oat or rye crops in central Russia. Naturally, this crop is used not only as food for domestic animals, but has also found the widest application in national cuisines.

What is corn flour

Few people have not tried boiled or baked young corn on the cob. Soft, sweet, seasoned with salt and garlic, aromatic, it melts in your mouth, awakening a truly gigantic appetite and making you reach for the next portion. And we are happy to put canned grains in soups and borscht, and add them to salads. Or we just feast on it. However, in cooking, corn flour is often used to prepare various dishes. "What is this product?" - you ask. We answer: these are peeled and crushed grains of yellow corn - just as wheat is ground into flour. The product can be finely ground (premium grade, extra, first grade) or coarse. Both types are indispensable in many national dishes.

What do we cook from flour?

High-grade corn flour is used for home baking, mamalyga, banush, and porridge. Coarser varieties - cereals - are used for seasoning soups, stuffing cabbage rolls, for breading meat, fish, and dough products. Corn flour is a dietary product, as it is extremely rich in beneficial microelements. It is very easily absorbed by the body, improves digestive processes, is a high energy product, and actively restores strength and calories. Therefore, food that includes corn flour is recommended by nutritionists when creating menus for weakened patients. But as an everyday dish, corn dishes will perfectly diversify your table!

Her Majesty the hominy!

In Moldova, Romania and the border regions of Ukraine, for about 5 centuries, one of the most popular dishes is mamalyga. This is a thick, even thick porridge, yellow as the summer sun, with a slight sweetish aftertaste. They eat it with milk and sugar, with salted cheese and cracklings, fried meat and sauces. Previously, not a single ceremonial feast was complete without this dish. Now, of course, in cities it has become less common in home culinary delights. But in rural areas it is still not losing ground. The main ingredient of the delicacy is the same corn flour. Hominy recipes may differ slightly in the composition of the ingredients, but the cooking technology is always the same. Which one exactly - you will now find out.

Ingredients and proportions

As they say about pancakes, that the first one is lumpy, so hominy is rarely successful the first or second time. It takes a lot of skill and dexterity to cook it. Special requirements are placed on flour - it must be only the highest grade, carefully sifted and well dried in the oven. The dish is cooked in a cast iron pot: no enameled or thin-walled pans are suitable. And stir with a long wooden spoon or spatula, or a rolling pin. The ratio of ingredients is approximately 1 to 3. So, let's start preparing this dish from corn flour. Pour one and a half liters of water into the cast iron, add half a tablespoon of salt. When it boils, add the cereal in a thin stream, stirring all the time. Or add directly from the sieve. Another way is to first throw in a handful, and as soon as the water boils again - after a minute - pour in the rest of the portion at once. Turn the heat down to low and cook the dish, stirring it clockwise all the time along the walls of the cast iron. Cooking time is about 30 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer the porridge for another 15 minutes. It should be very thick, so much so that it does not stick to the stirrer.

Mamalyga: finishing cooking

Now the crucial moment: moisten an aluminum spoon in water and use it to separate the hominy from the walls of the dish. Let it bake for another 5 minutes on the stove to help it set better. And then it’s simple: shake the cast iron a couple of times and turn the contents onto a cutting board. If the hominy is successful, it will retain its shape and will not fall apart. Using a thin, harsh thread or fishing line, cut the food into slices, like a cake. And bring it to the table - surprise your loved ones and friends! Just don’t forget to serve it with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, green onions and garlic, dill and parsley. And definitely cheese! Believe me, you will have a real feast of the gods.

Flatbread, flatbread, flatbread!

But from this paragraph you will learn how to make tortillas from corn flour. In the Caucasus and Mexico, they often replace bread and are a complete dish or an important additional component for some dish. These flatbreads can be baked in the oven or fried in a frying pan with or without oil. The simplest recipe is: 2 cups of sifted flour, hot water or milk, salt to taste. Knead the ingredients into an elastic dough. It should not be brittle or liquid. Next, divide the dough into equal parts, roll out round cakes (about a centimeter thick) and bake in a frying pan in vegetable oil. If you wish, you can add feta cheese or grated cheese to the dough when kneading (then do not add salt!) Place the finished flatbreads on napkins so that they are not too greasy. You can eat it just like that, hot, or you can wrap pieces of meat in them, spread them with jam, etc. The main thing is that it will be very, very tasty!

Butter pastries

If you didn’t know, let’s clarify: corn flour is the same complete product as wheat flour. It does not make excellent baked goods and desserts. In addition, baked goods made from corn flour do not go stale for a long time and have a high-quality presentation. For example, these delicious cookies. You will need a glass of flour, 100 g of butter or baker's margarine, 150-200 g of sugar or powder, a dozen chicken eggs, a little vanilla and a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon. Separate the yolks from the whites, grind the first well with sugar and butter until white. And whip the whites into a strong foam. Then connect the components. Mix cinnamon, vanilla and flour and pour a little into the already prepared ingredients. Knead the mixture thoroughly and place it in a layer on a greased baking sheet. Place in a preheated oven and bake the cornmeal cookies over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then cut the still warm dough into squares and pour in the heated honey, pricking the surface with a fork. Let the dessert cool and serve with tea! Everything will be eaten very quickly!

Corn pie

Here’s another very nice recipe for a real cornmeal pie. More precisely, from flat cakes prepared on its basis. Take 200 g of kefir or sour milk; Fresh whey will also work. And also 250 grams of two types of flour - wheat and corn. 100 grams of semolina - for the airiness of the dough. Salt and sugar - to taste. Knead the dough, roll into a ball, let stand until the semolina swells. Then roll it into flat cakes of the same size, an even number. Place any filling you want on one (like shawarma, or even just pieces of meat, vegetables, even sausage), cover the other, etc. The edges need to be pinched. Place the product on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown (temperature 180 degrees). Cut the finished “pie” into slices and bring it to the table. You can serve it with ketchup or your favorite sauce. Bon appetit!

Cereals are an important part of a complete and balanced diet. From an early age, various cereals appear in children's diets, which provide growing children with a lot of energy and useful elements. And adults should not forget about cereals, because they are a source of complex carbohydrates, so they allow you to forget about the feeling of hunger for a long time and not gain extra pounds. One of the very healthy cereals is corn. But not everyone knows how to use corn grits and what can be cooked from it. So here are proven recipes.

Corn casserole with cottage cheese

To prepare this dish, you will need one and a half glasses of corn grits, two and a half glasses of water, three hundred grams of cottage cheese, half a glass of sour cream, three tablespoons of vegetable oil, a couple of yolks, a bunch of dill or parsley and a couple of teaspoons of salt.

First, rinse the cereal and drain the liquid from it. Fill a saucepan with water, bring it to a boil and add salt. Pour the prepared cereal into boiling water, pour in a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low. After fifteen to twenty minutes, you need to remove the pan from the heat and bring the porridge to readiness in the oven or in a water bath.

Separate the yolks from the whites. Mix one yolk with a small pinch of salt and sour cream. The second should be combined with cottage cheese and the same small pinch of salt.

Set the oven to preheat.

Grease a suitable baking dish with vegetable oil. Place half of the corn porridge into it and smooth it out with a spoon. Place a layer of cottage cheese on top, smooth it out and cover with the rest of the porridge. Also smooth the surface with a spoon.

Fill the contents of the mold with the prepared sour cream and place in the oven, preheated to one hundred and eighty degrees, for twenty minutes.

Chop the greens into smaller pieces and sprinkle the finished casserole with it.

You can make soup from corn grits.

Corn grits soup with mushrooms

Making such a tasty and interesting soup is not at all difficult. First boil the porridge from corn grits (use four liters of water for one kilogram of grits).

Prepare mushroom broth, strain it and bring to a boil. Place potatoes, chopped into slices, and prepared mushrooms, cut into strips, into a saucepan. After a quarter of an hour, add the prepared corn porridge to the pan.

Fry the frying: heat a frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil, fry finely chopped onion and grated carrots in it. Place the finished roast into the soup, salt and season, focusing on your taste preferences. After eight to ten minutes, sprinkle the finished soup with parsley and turn off the heat. Leave the soup covered for about five minutes, then serve with sour cream.

You can cook porridge.

Corn porridge with pumpkin

To prepare such a tasty, nutritious and very healthy dish, readers of Popular Health need to prepare a glass of corn grits, two hundred grams of pumpkin and three tablespoons of sugar. It is also worth using half a liter of milk, a little salt and one hundred milliliters of water.

First, wash the pumpkin, peel it and remove the seeds. Chop the vegetable into small pieces. Boil water in a saucepan and add the prepared pumpkin to it. Boil for five minutes.

During this time, rinse the corn grits and drain the water. Add milk to the saucepan with pumpkin, add cereal, as well as sugar and salt. Bring the future porridge to a boil and reduce the heat to minimum. Boil over low heat for half an hour. Stir the porridge as it cooks occasionally, as it can easily burn. Next, cover the pan with porridge well and leave for twenty minutes.

Banosh

To prepare such an interesting national Hutsul dish, you should stock up on one hundred grams of corn grits, half a liter of sour cream, two hundred grams of feta cheese, two hundred grams of pork pulp, a teaspoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt.

Take a thick-walled saucepan, pour sour cream into it and bring to a boil. Add salt and sugar. Then add corn grits into the container, stirring gradually. Reduce heat to low and cook until tender, stirring constantly. The finished banosh will begin to lag behind the surface of the walls and bottom of the pan, and oil droplets will appear on it.

Chop the pork into small pieces and fry in a frying pan until golden. Add salt to taste. Grind the cheese into arbitrary pieces.

Banosh must be served hot. It is cut into pieces, sprinkled with pork and pieces of cheese.

Today we’ll finish the recipes with corn grits with dessert.

Corn dessert

To prepare such a dish, you should prepare three hundred and fifty grams of corn grits, four tablespoons of corn flour, three hundred milliliters of water, two hundred milliliters of milk, a couple of bananas, one teaspoon of sugar and a couple of tablespoons of cream.

Combine water with milk. Boil corn grits in this mixture, adding flour. Cool the resulting mixture and place it on cling film, first greasing it with vegetable oil. Smooth the surface of the porridge.

Combine bananas with sugar and cream, stir until smooth. Place this mixture on top of the porridge and roll it up. Place it on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil. Cook at one hundred and sixty to one hundred and eighty degrees for twenty minutes. Sprinkle the finished dish with powdered sugar and slices of fruit.

Here are some dishes containing corn grits. We will definitely provide recipes for its use in future publications.

Healthy and very tasty porridge made from corn grits is a good start to the day for those who watch their figure and eat right! Porridge is quick and easy to prepare with water or milk, for a child or an adult.

Corn grits porridge is prepared shortly before consumption. Hot, freshly cooked cereal is soft and tasty.

• Corn grits – 150 g (or 1 cup)
• Water – 400 ml (or 2 glasses)
• Milk – 400 ml (or 2 glasses)
• Butter or vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons
• Salt, sugar - to taste

Rinse corn grits under warm running water.

Pour boiling water into the washed cereal, add salt, stirring, and cook over low heat until moisture is absorbed, without covering the pan.

Then pour boiling milk into the porridge, stir and continue to cook over low heat for another 15-20 minutes, stirring.

Remove the finished porridge from the heat, close the pan tightly with a lid and let stand for 5 minutes, then arrange on plates. The result is a medium thick porridge. Serve the porridge with butter and granulated sugar (to taste). Bon appetit.

Recipe 2: creamy corn porridge in a slow cooker

Milk corn porridge in a slow cooker according to a traditional recipe is usually prepared for breakfast. Instead of butter, I add kaymak to corn porridge - this is cream with a fat content of more than 40%.

• Corn grits - 100 g
• Kaymak (heavy cream) – 50 g
• Milk – 100 ml
• Sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
• Salt - to taste
• Water – 300 ml

Prepare ingredients for making corn porridge in a slow cooker. It is important to observe the specified proportions.

Turn on the multicooker in the “Grains” mode for 25 minutes. Mix corn grits with sugar in a multicooker bowl.

Fill with water and close the multicooker lid.

After 25 minutes, pour milk into the multicooker bowl and add kaymak, mix everything.

In order for the corn grits to boil better, turn on the “Multi-cook” mode for 20 minutes, setting the porridge simmering temperature to 90 degrees.

After 15 minutes, at the end of cooking, add salt to the porridge to taste. Creamy corn porridge in a slow cooker is ready.

Bon appetit!

Recipe 3, step by step: delicious corn grits porridge

How to cook corn porridge? It can be prepared with water or milk. My cooking option involves simultaneous cooking with water and milk (first the cereal is boiled in water, and then milk is added).

During the cooking process, I add a little salt, sugar to taste and always vanilla. The result is a very tasty corn porridge, you can eat two servings in a row - it’s so tasty!

• Corn grits 1 cup
• Water 3 glass
• Milk 2 cup
• Salt 1 pinch
• Sugar 2 tbsp. spoon
• Vanilla ½ bag
• Butter in portions

Pour the cereal into the cooking pan.

We fill it with water and see a picture like the one in the photo. Cereals always give off starch and all the garbage that somehow ends up in the bag. Rinse the cereal until clean water. I washed the corn ten times.

Pour clean cereal with filtered water. Place the pan on the fire, first bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a minimum and cook until the water is completely absorbed by the cereal.

This is how dense and thick the corn porridge turns out, but it’s not ready yet. It needs to be boiled by adding milk.

Pour cold, unboiled milk into the saucepan.

Stir the porridge, add a pinch of salt, a couple of tablespoons of sugar (depend on your taste) and vanilla. We put it on fire. Cook over the lowest heat until tender and stir occasionally (the porridge is capricious and burns to the bottom of the pan with pleasure).

That's all the tricks that answer the question of how to cook corn porridge. You can serve it immediately.

Recipe 4: corn grits porridge with water (step-by-step photos)

• Corn grits - 80 g (can be replaced with corn flour)
• Drinking water - 180 ml (milk can be used)
• Salt - a pinch
• Butter - for serving (any quantity can be used)

Place the cereal on a flat surface and remove any debris.

Transfer it to a fine iron sieve and rinse under running water.

Pour the cereal into the cooking pot. It is advisable that the dishes have a thick bottom, so the porridge will not burn.

Pour drinking water over the cereal and add a pinch of salt.

Place the pan on the stove, boil, reduce the heat to low and cook the porridge under a closed lid for about 20 minutes. Then remove the pan from the stove, cover with a warm towel and simmer the food for another 15 minutes.

Then put a piece of butter into the dish. For those losing weight, replace it with vegetable oil.

Stir the food.

Place corn porridge in a serving bowl and serve hot.

Recipe 5: how to cook sweet porridge from corn grits

• Boiling water – 200 ml;
• Milk – 200 ml;
• Corn grits - 80 g (4 tablespoons without top);
• Sugar and salt to taste;
• Butter – 5 g.

Pour boiling water over the cereal, adding a pinch of salt, and put on fire. The fire should be minimal, stir the cereal all the time, it absorbs water very quickly and can burn.

When the cereal begins to lag well behind the walls and bottom, you can fill it with milk with sugar dissolved in it (about 2 tablespoons).

In a separate bowl, heat the milk, but do not boil. Add it to the cereal in small portions, stirring well, rubbing the lumps until smooth.

How long to cook corn porridge with milk? Cook covered for 20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Add butter to the finished dish. Wrap a saucepan with porridge in a blanket for 15–20 minutes.

Serve sweet hot porridge with berries or fruits. You can add dried apricots, raisins, fresh bananas, apples or strawberries. It’s delicious to top the fruit with a spoonful of liquid flower honey.

Recipe 6: healthy corn grits porridge with milk

Your family will definitely like this bright and nutritious corn porridge with milk if you serve it for breakfast with melted butter and aromatic honey. Neither adults nor children will refuse such a dish, who, by the way, ask to add raisins or sliced ​​bananas to the porridge.

To prevent your dish from becoming too thick, remember that the proportion of cereal and liquid is 1:3, that is, for 100 g of cereal you will need to take 300 ml of liquid: water, milk, etc. If you like unsweetened cereals , then limit the amount of granulated sugar and honey.

• 100 g finely ground corn grits
• 100 ml water
• 200 ml milk
• 2 pinches of salt
• 2 tbsp. l. granulated sugar
• 2 pinches ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. l. melted butter
• 1 tsp. honey

Pour salt and granulated sugar into a saucepan or pan with a non-stick bottom.

Pour in water and milk of any fat content. To make the cereal swell faster, it is not recommended to cook it in milk - it is poorly absorbed, so some of it is replaced with water. If you don't have milk on hand, you can mix water and granulated condensed milk into a dish.

Place the container on the stove and bring its contents to a boil, adding ground cinnamon. As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to low.

We will add corn grits, immediately mixing it with a whisk with the liquid so that no lumps form. It will be much more difficult to do this with a fork. Let the porridge simmer in the container for about 1-2 minutes - during this time it will gurgle, so it is best to cover the container with a lid.

Place the finished porridge in a bowl or deep container, add melted butter and aromatic honey: may, linden, acacia, buckwheat. Let's serve the dish hot. If desired, you can add other sweet ingredients to corn porridge with milk: jam, jam, Nutella, nuts, etc. Since children love liquid porridge, it can be diluted in a plate with chilled milk and served warm to the children.

Recipe 7: Corn grits milk porridge on the stove

• Corn grits 100 g
• Milk 250 ml
• Water 250 ml
• Butter 30 g
• Sugar to taste
• Salt 1 pinch

Wash corn grits.

Pour the cereal into a saucepan.

Add salt, sugar.

Add butter.

Pour in water.

And milk. Cook over low heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring.

Recipe 8, simple: milk corn porridge (step by step)

• corn grits – 180 g,
• milk – 400 ml,
• granulated sugar – 35 g,
• butter – 30 g,
• salt – 1 teaspoon,

Pour the required amount of corn grits into a saucepan with a fairly thick bottom. Corn absorbs moisture very well, so you need to be careful when preparing the porridge so that you don’t regret the results later.

Pour about 2-3 glasses of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat.

Add sugar and salt.

Set the heat to low and cook until most of the water has been absorbed. At this stage, the corn grits should have increased in volume, but still remain firm inside.

Pour in 200 g of milk. Continue cooking at minimum power.

The cereal will begin to become soft and thick over time, so if necessary, add the remaining milk in small portions. Almost ready porridge should have a liquid appearance, since as it begins to cool it will acquire a denser consistency.

After adding butter, remove from heat. Cover with a lid and let rest for a couple of minutes. The porridge will be even tastier if served with ground nuts, jam or honey.

Recipe 9: how to cook corn porridge for a child

Corn porridge is a favorite delicacy not only for adults and children, but also an indispensable component of the diet of infants. It is the healthiest, tastiest and easiest to digest for babies. It contains a lot of vitamins that babies need for healthy development. These are phosphorus, thiamine, pyridoxine, iron, calcium, starch, riboflavin. An important factor is that it does not contain gluten, a known allergen. It can be added to the diet of infants from the age of eight months.

• Corn grits 100 grams
• Milk (it is better to take 2.6% fat) 200 ml (1 glass)
• Water 350 ml.
• Sugar 40 grams
• Fine salt one pinch
• Butter (high fat) 5 grams
• Optional (for decoration) berries (cranberries, lingonberries), nuts (walnuts, cashews), apples, bananas.

We thoroughly rinse our cereal with warm water until all the debris is gone, the husk is gone and the water is no longer cloudy. Soak in warm water for 15 minutes to swell.

Place the cereal in a thick-bottomed pan, preferably a cauldron.

Pour water into our saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir and crush the lumps.

Add sugar and salt after it thickens. Stir and pour in half the milk. Stir constantly and add the rest of the milk. Bring to a boil, add butter. The consistency should be liquid.

When it thickens, you can serve it, garnishing it with various additives to taste. Corn porridge with milk made from corn grits is ready. Cooking time 45 minutes.

Recipe 10: how to properly cook corn porridge

Corn porridge is useful not only for children, but also for adults. People who are on a diet or exercise should pay attention to this recipe. Corn porridge cooked with milk is satisfying and at the same time light. Rich in vitamins, it will give you a boost of energy for the whole day.

• Corn grits - ¼ tbsp
• Water - 2 tbsp
• Salt - ¼ tsp
• Milk (3.2%) - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Butter - 30 g

Take corn grits, pour it into a saucepan and fill it with cold water.

Place the pan with the cereal over medium heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, add salt and, stirring constantly, cook the cereal until tender.

When the water is completely absorbed into the cereal, pour in the milk in a thin stream and, continuing to stir, cook for another two or three minutes.

Turn off the gas, pour sugar into the porridge, add butter, mix.

Cover the pan with the porridge with a lid and wrap it in a kitchen towel for twenty to thirty minutes.

As a result, we get a tasty and rich corn porridge, which can be served for both breakfast and dinner. Bon appetit!

Once upon a time, corn was called the queen of the fields, but now it can only be called a regular at movie theaters. Flavored popcorn instead of natural corn porridge fully meets the “on-the-run” diet typical of many modern people. And yet, not everyone has replaced tasty and healthy food with fast food. Moreover: more and more young housewives are striving to feed their loved ones fresh dishes from quality products. And corn, or rather corn grits, can become one of the components of a balanced diet. You just need to learn how to properly prepare corn grits to make the menu varied, tasty and healthy. Want to try? Nothing could be easier!

• Polished corn grits. The grains are cleared of shells and crushed, and their edges are rounded. Such corn grits differ in particle size, depending on which they are numbered in categories from first to fifth.
  
• Large corn grits. The grains are cleaned and crushed, but not polished. Such particles of different shapes are used to make corn flakes, casseroles and some types of national dishes.
  
• Fine corn grits. The grains are cleaned, crushed and further ground to make them suitable for the production of confectionery, instant porridge and other semi-finished products.
  

However, people with high acidity, and especially gastritis or stomach ulcers, should cook and consume corn grits with caution. But it has a beneficial effect on the intestines, preventing putrefactive processes and stopping fermentation. Corn grits in any form should be included in the diet if blood vessels and heart muscle are weak. It also does not cause allergies, so it is included in baby food from the first months of life. Older kids, teenagers and adults can eat corn dishes every day, fortunately, their variety is great. Ideas for culinary experiments can be borrowed from national cuisines. For example, Romanians have thick mamalyga, Italians have nutritious polenta, and Georgians have aromatic gomi porridge. But first, you should learn how to cook classic corn porridge.

Recipes for dishes with corn grits
To cook delicious corn grits, you need to choose it correctly. Most often in our stores you can find fairly small corn grits, the particles of which are the same size and bright yellow in color. This type of grain is the most versatile: it makes good porridges, casseroles, soups, and baking fillings. But still, it’s better to start getting acquainted with corn grits with traditional porridge. Moreover, even she alone has several varieties, the recipes of which are enough for more than one tasty and satisfying lunch. We offer you the most successful, time-tested options:

1. Corn porridge on water. Take 1 cup of corn grits, 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of butter, a pinch of salt. Rinse the cereal in cool water. Pour 2 cups of water into a saucepan, add salt and bring to a boil. Place the washed cereal in boiling water and reduce the heat under the pan to below medium. Stir constantly to prevent the porridge from burning and cook for 25 minutes. Then cover with a lid, turn off the heat and leave the corn porridge on the stove for 10 minutes. After this time, add the oil and stir it. Serve the porridge hot with cheese, especially feta cheese), herbs, vegetables - the specified amount of ingredients yields approximately 6 servings of porridge. If you increase the volume of water, the porridge will turn out more liquid, which is not for everybody. You can also substitute vegetable oil for butter if you are trying to limit the amount of animal fat in your diet.
   
2. Corn porridge with milk. Take 1 cup of corn grits, 3 cups of milk, a handful of seedless raisins, 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt. Sort and rinse the cereal. Soak the raisins in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Pour milk into a saucepan, add salt and bring to a boil. Then add cereal and sugar to boiling milk, stir and cook over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Then add the oil, stir the porridge and close the pan tightly with a lid. Leave on the stove for 10 minutes, then serve. Raisins can be replaced or supplemented with other dried fruits, candied fruits or additives to suit your taste. Sweet corn porridge can be eaten not only hot, but also cooled with jam, condensed milk or honey.
   
3. Corn porridge with pumpkin in a slow cooker. Take 1 glass of corn grits, 1 glass of water and milk, 100 grams of pumpkin pulp, 2 tablespoons of butter (can be replaced with vegetable oil), 1 tablespoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt. Sort the grains and rinse, completely drain the cloudy water. Cut the pumpkin into small equal cubes. Place the cereal and pumpkin in a multicooker bowl, add salt, add sugar and add milk and water. Stir, close the lid and turn on the multicooker for half an hour in the “milk porridge” mode. Then add the butter, stir and set in the “warm” mode for another 10 minutes. Cow's milk can be replaced with goat's milk in this and other corn milk porridge recipes. Instead of or together with pumpkin, try adding an apple, pear, grated sweet carrot and/or dried fruits to the porridge.
   
4. Corn casserole. Take half a glass of corn grits, half a glass of canned corn, half a liter of milk, 5 chicken eggs, 100 ml of cream, 100 grams of ham and hard cheese, 2 tomatoes, 1 sweet pepper, a pinch of salt, ground black pepper and nutmeg, half a bunch of green onions and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Salt the milk and bring to a boil, add clean cereal and cook until the porridge is ready, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, separate the whites of two eggs and beat them until foamy. In the prepared, slightly cooled porridge, add two yolks, canned corn and mix. Then add the whipped whites and mix again until smooth. Peel the tomatoes and peppers and chop finely. Cut the ham into small pieces. Mix the remaining three eggs with cream and beat a little, add salt and spices. Grate the cheese and put half of it in the cream along with the ham and vegetables. Grease a heat-resistant baking dish with oil and place the porridge on the bottom. Place cream with additives on top, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cook the casserole on the middle rack for about 40 minutes, then let it cool in the oven. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped onion and cut crosswise into several pieces.
   
5. Polenta with cottage cheese and cheese. Take 1 glass of corn grits, 1 glass of milk, 2 glasses of water, 100 grams each of cottage cheese and Parmesan (it can be replaced with other hard mature cheese), 3 cloves of garlic, a little fresh basil and dill, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sort the cereal and rinse. Boil 2 cups of salted water, add the cereal and cook over medium heat, stirring. After 7 minutes, add milk to the pan, stir and reduce heat to low. Cook the corn grits until the porridge is ready, covered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, grate the cheese and add half of it to the finished porridge. Stir until smooth. Grease a glass baking dish with oil, place the porridge on its bottom in an even layer of about 1 cm, level it and leave to cool. The cooled porridge should harden. Finely chop the greens, crush the garlic with a press, mix with cottage cheese. Place the curd filling on the porridge and cover with the remaining cheese. Bake in the microwave for 5 minutes and leave for another 10 minutes after turning it off.