I was visited by the Munch Monster last night. It wanted me to make nachos. You know, corn chips with melted cheese on top. But I am going extra-low-carb for a little while, so the chips — even whole-grain ones — were out of the question. A bit of cheese is OK, especially the low-fat, organic cheese I keep handy. But what to use to sub for the chips?

Then I had an idea. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I had to try. I rinsed and dried a head of romaine lettuce, and laid the leaves out on a plate, sprinkled these LIGHTLY with shredded cheese. Then I microwaved them for 1 minute. The cheese was gently melted. I considered giving them another 30 seconds to melt it further, but I decided I didn’t want the lettuce to wilt, so I took them out and let them cool slightly.

Now it was time for the most important part of this event — the taste test. I rolled up one leaf, capturing the warm cheese in the center of the roll. I ate it slowly. They were not bad at all! I shared the rest with other members of the household. I think they would be even better sprinkled with hot pepper flakes or cayenne for extra kick, and an antioxidant boost. Or try Mexican chili powder to add heat and flavor.

Next time you get tempted to have something you know you shouldn’t, think of this successful experiment, and see what wonderful creative ideas you can come up with!