Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Chocolate

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Chocolate is made from cacao beans; the beans are crushed up and ground to make a powder.  The powder is formed into a smooth liquid paste called chocolate liqueur (despite name, does not contain alcohol) it contains about 53% cocoa butter.  Learn more about some of the most common types we use.

The shelf life of chocolate is shorter if it is not stored properly.  Chocolate has a “best before date” and not an expiration date.  Because of this distinction, you may safely use it even after the best before date has ended, but always remember to practice food safety and enjoy before their shelf life has expired.

 

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Canned Food Safety

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Guide to Canned Foods Safety

Canned goods are so convenient, with a wide variety of options and a long shelf life canned foods are always a good thing to have on hand. Are you selecting and storing your canned foods safely? Read below for our tips on what to look for when shopping for canned goods as well as how to make the most of them.

Selecting Canned Goods

  • Select items that are tightly sealed and do not have any leaks.
  • Do not select cans that are heavily rusted, swollen or extremely dented as this can be a possible sign of bacteria and a health hazard.
    • When rust is deep enough tiny holes open in the can or lid that may let spoilage agents in.
    • When cans are heavily dented, where the edges of the dent form a sharp point, there may be tiny holes that can let spoilage agents in.

Storing Canned Goods

  • Store in cool, dry place.
  • Temperatures ove
  • r 100 Degrees F are harmful to canned foods.
    • The risk of spoilage humps sharply as storage temperatures rise.
  • Do not store in places exposed to excessive moisture, such as above the stove or below the sink
    • This promotes the formation of rust.

Watch our video below as Jocelin explains the Do’s and Don’ts of storing your canned goods!

Canned goods get damaged often, but is it still safe to eat? Here are our tips on if a canned good is too damaged and should be thrown away, or if you can still eat it.

Is it safe to use rusted canned foods? Discard heavily rusted cans. Cans that are heavily rusted can have tiny holes in them, allowing bacteria to enter. Surface rust that you can remove by rubbing with your finger or a paper towel is not serious. You can keep these canned foods. If you open the cans and there is any rust inside, do not eat the food. Rust (oxidized iron) is not safe to eat. [Top of Page] Is it safe to use food from dented cans? If a can containing food has a small dent, but is otherwise in good shape, the food should be safe to eat. Discard deeply dented cans. A deep dent is one that you can lay your finger into. Deep dents often have sharp points. A sharp dent on either the top or side seam can damage the seam and allow bacteria to enter the can. Discard any can with a deep dent on any seam.Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Before using those canned goods you need to clean the tops of the cans so bacteria doesn’t contaminated food while opening! Jocelin talks a bit more about why and how to sanitize your cans before using the ingredients inside!

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All About Pasta

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Selecting the right shape of pasta in your dish has the ability to take your meal to a level beyond your imagination. The following information will help you to make the right decision in order to create a delicious meal! Choosing the right shape for your dish can be challenging but we want to make it easier for you! See the guide below:

Soups:

  • Farfalline, Pastina, Fideo, Fusilli, Tripolini, Ruote, Orzo

Salads:

  • Linguine, Fusilli, Tubini, Rotini, Ziti, Tripolini, Rocchetti, Penne, Vermicelli

Casseroles:

  • Figli, Lasagna, Orzo, Fusilli, Rocchetti, Rotini, Spaghetti, Radiatori

Stir-Fry:

  • Ziti, Linguine, Penne, Mostaccioli, Rotini, Spaghetti, Vermicelli, Tubini, Farfalline

Sauces:

  • Fettuccine, Tortellini, Linguine, Fusilli, Penne, Orzo, Gemelli, Vermicelli, Rigatoni

Baked Dishes

  • Tubini, Ziti, Farfalline, Manicotti

Stop the presses because pasta doesn’t last lifetime! Contrary to what you think, pasta does have a shelf life and it matters! The following information will definitely help you get your money’s worth.

Shelf life matters! Here are the shelf lives for dry noodles:

Egg Pasta Noodles & Vegetable:

  • 1-2 years depending on the best by date

Non-Egg:

  • 3 years depending on best by date

 

Are you making the most out of all the pasta you recently cooked? Follow these tips to ensure your food is safe to eat for you and the entire family!

Leftover Pasta 101: Keep in refrigerator for only 3 to 4 days Planning your meals will help you utilize your leftovers better. Keep food at peak quality by immediately portioning into smaller containers to avoid bacteria growth Reheat food to 165 F When in doubt, toss it out

Leftover safety 101!

  • Keep in refrigerator for only 3-4 days
  • Planning your meals will help you utilize your leftovers better.
  • Keep food as peak quality by immediately portioning into smaller containers to avoid bacteria growth.
  • Always reheat food to 165 Degrees F.
  • When in doubt, toss it out!

Which pasta should you pair which sauce?? Heres our guide from Escoffier. 

Long and round: (spaghetti, linguini, vermicelli, and angel hair)
Olive-oil-based sauces work best with these long noodles. They coat the thin surface and cling to it without having too much noodle to drown out the sauce.

Long and flat: (fettucine, tagliatelle, pappardelle, linguine)
Creamy sauces like ragu and bolognaise. They require bigger surfaces in order to stick to the noodles and not just fall to the bottom of the serving dish. Look for ones that are wide and flat, like pappardelle?, for rich, hearty sauces. Alfredo sauce is great on fettucine because it doesn’t require as much noodle to stick to. If you are working with a meaty or heavy sauce, also chose a wider, flat noodle like tagliatelle to hold up the thicker sauce.

Short pasta: (ziti, campanelle, penne, rigatoni)
Short pastas are super versatile. They have plenty of surface to hold creamy sauces but they also work well with chunky ones because meat and veggies get stuck inside them or on them. Pastas with the word “rigate” in them have ridges. This makes them excellent candidates for light sauces like pesto or creamy alfredo.

Large, wide noodles: (lasagna, manicotti, giant shells)

Lasagna noodles are perfect for baked pasta dishes. They layer well with sauce, meat and cheese and give the dish structure. Shells and manicotti can be stuffed with all your favorite ingredients and baked to perfection.

Spiral noodles: (rotini, fusilli, cavitappi)
Looking for a pasta that will hold thin sauces like alfredo but can also handle meaty, heavy varieties? Look for a spiraled noodle like rotini, cavitappi or fusilli. The texture of these types of pasta allows them to gather a lot of sauce and not let it slip off. Plus, they can be easier to eat (no slurping) and are a major favorite with kids. You can also use bigger ingredients with these noodles, like cheese chunks, chickpeas and diced tomatoes. These larger items would fall away from a spaghetti noodle but work well with shorter, more textured options.

Short shapes: (bowtie, wagon wheels, cavatelli)
Noodle shapes that are short and thick have a more dense bite. They work well in pasta salads and with larger ingredients. They have ridges, curls and ruffles that make them sturdier and work well with hearty, meaty sauces.

Here are some of our favorite pasta recipes to use all your new knowledge!

 

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