Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

BYO Salads

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BYO (Build Your Own)

A salad is a mix of various ingredients (cooked or raw) served cold. There are several ways to make a salad; thus, get creative with the following salad variety breakdowns:

Leafy Salad: raw greens (such as lettuce) often combined with other vegetables and toppings and served especially with dressing.

  • Elements of a leafy salad include lettuce, fruit and/or veggie, protein, crunch (nuts, bacon bits, croutons, etc.) with a dressing of your choice.

Fruit Salad: various mixed fruits with toppings and dressing.

  • Elements of a fruit salad include a mix of 3 or more various fruits with a dressing of your choice.
    • May squeeze lemon/lime juice when using bananas – this will help prevent browning.

Pasta Salad: small pieces (i.e., pasta, meat, fruit, or vegetables) usually mixed with a dressing.

  • Elements of a salad include pasta, fruit and/or veggie, diary with a dressing of your choice.

May pair a lean protein with any of your salads. Get inspired by our salad recipes and start building your (BYO) salad tonight!

A salad bar is an excellent way for everyone to join in and build their own (BYO) Salad. However, it’s essential to follow all food safety precautions before laying out your salad bar. Learn more below:

Clean and sanitize all surfaces, prep utensils, and containers before and after each service. Plus, wash all fresh produce.

Separate all ingredients into different containers, and each container should have its own serving utensil(s).

Cook eggs, meat (cook to correct temp), and pasta before chilling and serving in the salad bar.

Chill: Salad bar items must be kept at a temperature below 41 degrees Fahrenheit – may place ingredients over ice to help keep at the correct temperature.

Learn more about how to avoid cross-contamination.

 

 

References:

Gordon Food Service Contributors. (2018, August 21). Salad Bar Safety: The Cold Truth. Gordon Food Service. https://www.gfs.com/en-us/ideas/salad-bar-safety-cold-truth

Merriam – Webster. (1828). Salad – Definition. Merriam – Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salad

Partnership for Food Safety Education. (2021). The Core Four Practices. Fightbac.Org. https://www.fightbac.org/food-safety-basics/the-core-four-practices/

Team, B. V. T. (2020, March 11). Salad Bar Food Safety: 10 Critical Ways to Protect Customers. Hitchcock Farms. https://www.hitchcockfarms.com/blog/salad-bar-food-safety

 

Dinner Tonight Links:

https://dinnertonight.tamu.edu/wash-fresh-produce/

Avoid Cross Contamination

https://dinnertonight.tamu.edu/recipes/salad-recipes/

Food Safety – Keep Your Weekly Prepped Meals Fresh and Safe

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Whether you are meal prepping for yourself or meal prepping for you and your family, you have to know how to keep that food safe! Follow these few tips below to make sure you’re eating nutritious and safe food. Keep your weekly prepped meals fresh and safe with this simple guide to meal prep food safety.

  • Clean
    • Make sure your hands, prep surfaces, and utensils are all clean and sanitized before beginning your meal prep.
    • Make sure you rinse your fresh fruits and vegetables before you slice into them.
    • Be sure to rinse the tops of cans before using a can opener to open.
  • Separate
    • Keep fresh fruits and vegetables, uncooked starches (rice, quinoa, beans), and raw meat separate from each other until after cooking.
    • Keep separate in the grocery cart, grocery bags, refrigerator, and prep space.
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat and before touching any other surface, utensil, container, fresh or cooked foods.
  • Cook
    • When meal prepping it’s key to cook your food to the proper internal temperatures before combining it into your meal prep containers.
    • When you are ready to eat a prepped meal, be sure to reheat to the internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
  • Chill
    • When meal prepping it is critical to keep an eye on the clock. Food can only be in the temperature danger zone (40-140 degrees F), where bacteria multiplies fastest, for 2 hours.
    • Once food is cooked and assembled be sure to begin the chilling process immediately.
  • Storage
    • Store your prepped meals in shallow containers with airtight lids.
    • See the list below to see how long you can keep your prepped foods safely in the refrigerator.
      • Cooked Meat (poultry, beef, pork, fish, shrimp) – 3 to 4 days
      • Vegetables & Fruit combined with cooked Meat – 3-4 days
      • Starches (rice, quinoa, beans) combined with cooked Meat – 3-4 days

 

Source:

USDA Refrigeration and Food Safety

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Onions

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Onions are a staple in lots of recipes for their flavor adding abilities. They can be pureed, minced, diced, sliced, and are readily available at most any grocery stores. Learn more about these amazing flavorful & edible roots below.

Storage – 

Onions are fully mature when their tops have fallen over. After pulling from the ground allow the onion to dry, clip the roots and cut the tops back to one inch. The key to preserving onions and to prevent bruising is to keep them cool, dry, and separated. In the refrigerator, wrapped separately in foil, onions can be preserved for as long as a year. The best way to store onions is in a mesh bag or nylon stocking. Place an onion in the bag and tie a knot or put a plastic tie between the onions and continue until the stocking is full. Loop the stocking over a rafter or nail in a cool dry building and when an onion is desired, simply clip off the bottom onion with a pair of scissors or remove the plastic tie. Another suggestion is to spread the onions out on a screen which will allow adequate ventilation, but remember to keep them from touching each other. As a general rule, the sweeter the onion, the higher the water content, and therefore the less shelf life. A more pungent onion will store longer so eat the sweet varieties first and save the more pungent onions for storage.

Store chopped onions in the refrigerator in a sealed back with the air removed for up to 5 days.

Did you know?

Onions is Texas’s leading vegetable crop.

Onions are a good source of Vitamin C, folic acid, and dietary fiber.

Onions contain quercetin, a flavonoid, an antioxidant compound that reduces free radicals in the body.

Onions can have blood sugar-lowering effects in humans.

Cleaning your Grill

Using wire brushes to clean your grill can lead to parts of the metal particulate being left on the grill, transferred to the items being grilled, and then ingested. This causes serious health problems. Instead of a wire brush, you can use an onion! Slice the onion in half and rub the flat edge along the grill as it’s heating up or while it’s cooling down. The acidity levels in the onion breaks down leftover food to clean the grill. Be sure to use tongs, grilling gloves, or other specially made tools to keep your hands safe from the hot grill.

Sources:

Aggie Horticulture

AgriLife Today

Aggie Horticulture 

Onion Health Research – National Onion Association

Convert Recipes into Multifunction Cooker Recipes

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If you love using your multifunction cooker, brand name Instant Pot®, but have recipes that don’t have multifunction cooker directions don’t worry! Convert your regular recipes into multifunction cooker recipes with these simple tips.

Reduce your cooking time.

The whole point of a multifunction cooker is it’s reduced cooking time. The pressure cooker functionality does cook food quicker than traditional methods. If you’re trying to convert a recipe, first look for similar recipes using a multifunction cooker and use those as a guide. Or follow this rule of thumb: If you’re using a recipe that requires the oven, lower the cook times for meat by one to two thirds. Always check the meat’s minimum internal temperature to ensure it’s reached safe temperatures.

Use less liquid.

Because the lid on your multifunction cooker seals tightly, there is little to no evaporation while cooking. That means you won’t lose any liquid, so be light-handed with broths and other liquids to avoid a dish that is too watery or lacking flavor. But make sure you have at least one cup of liquid before turning it on—it’s necessary to create steam inside the bowl and to avoid burning. Always follow your manufacturers instructions.

Fill appropriately.

Your multifunction cooker needs room to build pressure (that’s how it cooks the food, after all) so don’t cram in your ingredients. Fill your pot two thirds to be safe and only half if you are making any type of grain, pasta, or legume, as they will grow in size while cooking. And whatever you do, do not add ingredients past the MAX fill line—it’s there for a reason!

Be wary of dairy.

Adding dairy products to your pressure cooker at the beginning can make them curdle because of the high temperatures. It’s best to wait until the end (preferably once you’ve removed whatever you’re cooking) to mix in any cheese, milk, or cream. The exception to this rule, of course, is when you’re making yogurt with the appliance’s specific yogurt function.

Pick the right release.

A multifunction cooker has two different options for releasing pressure: quick pressure release and natural release. The natural release can be used for most recipes (pasta, meat, oatmeal, etc.) but, if you’re dealing with something that you don’t want to overcook like vegetables, the quick pressure is a better choice as it lets the steam out very quickly. Always follow safety protocols for both release methods.

*Not all recipes can be converted to a multifunction cooker i.e. baked goods, other recipes may not retain certain qualities you are used to.

See our basic operating tips on a multifunction cooker here. 

Source:

Taste of Home. Here’s How to Make *Any* Recipe Work with your Instant Pot. Amanda Tarlton

Infused Water

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A Splash of Flavor – Infused Water Basics

How many times have you been told to drink water? We know it’s essential, but sometimes we need some flavor. Thus, infused water (flavored water) is a great sweet beverage substitute – plus, it’s cost-efficient and easy to make!

Infused water is a combination of fruits, herbs, and vegetables mixed into plain old water.  Whichever fruit or vegetable that use can either be sliced or mashed when adding it to the mix.  Below is the breakdown of how to make your own infused water:

  1. Pick your produce. You can use one item or a combination of fruit and vegetables.
  2. Decide if you want to add a garnish (fresh herbs).
  3. Get your water. You’ll need at least 4 cups to every ½ – 1 cup of fresh produce.
    • It depends on your taste! How sweet do you want it? You can add more or less produce to sweeten your water.
  1. Then infuse – Infusion takes about 2 hours, depending on the temperature.
    • Warm climates – 1 hour (left on the counter for example)
    • Cold climates – 2 hours (placed in the refrigerator)

Now, some things to consider when making it. Here are the following food safety tips:

  • Make sure to use a clean your container (glass) for your infused water.
  • Wash your fruits, vegetables, and herbs before making your recipe.
  • During the infusion process – decide hot (warm) or cold.
  • Whether you place the water in the refrigerator or leave the container on the counter, once infused (done), place in the refrigerator or add ice after to avoid spoilage.
  • Chill for later – If you are not going to drink the flavored water right away, put the container in the refrigerator.
  • Lastly, if you plan to keep your flavored water for more than a day, strain out the produce before storing it in the refrigerator.

Let’s get creative! Several different combos can be mixed. It just depends on your taste buds. Some combo ideas:

  • 4 Mix Combo: Veggie + Citrus + Berry + Herb
  • 3 Mix Combo: Citrus + Berry + Herb
  • 2 Mix Combo: Citrus + Melon

Honestly, mix what you like and get creative!  Other ways to splash flavor is to do the following:

  1. Squeeze fresh lime or lemon wedge in the water (classic)
  2. Add a splash (like a tablespoon or teaspoon) of juice to a glass of water.
  3. Make ice cubes using 100% juice – then add one or two cubes to a large glass/bottle of water.

For a full pdf handout version download the Infused-Water-Basics-Handout.pdf

Infused-Water-Basics-Handout.pdfReferences:

  • Rethink Your Drink BLT Walk N Talk Curriculum Lesson 3
  • https://www.allrecipes.com/article/fresh-ideas-for-making-infused-water/
  • Onufrak SJ et al., The relationship of perceptions of tap water safety with intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and plain water among US adults. Public Health Nutrition, 2012.
  • Onufrak SJ et al., Perceptions of Tap Water and School Water Foundations and Association with Intake of Plain Water and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages. Journal of School Health, 2013.

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