Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Thickening your Sauces

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Ever have trouble with your gravies or liquid based foods being too runny? Here are four methods for thickening your sauces:

  1. Reducing – reducing liquid to thicken it simply involves letting excess water boil out of the dish. Bring dish and liquid to a low to medium boil and watch carefully, stirring as needed to let excess liquid evaporate.
  2. Cornstarch – using cornstarch is an excellent way to thicken a sauce in a pinch. Mix together 1 part corn starch to 2 parts water, typically 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 2 tablespoons cool water will do the trick. Stir well then add to your dish, stir well and watch your sauce thicken quickly.
  3. Beurre Manie – this is a method for you, if you don’t mind adding butter to your dish. Mix equal parts butter and flour together until well combined. A good combination to start with would be 2 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter with 2 tablespoons flour, then add to your dish and cook until thickened. Keep in mind, adding butter to your healthy recipes will add fat and calories!
  4. Roux – making a roux is similar to a Beurre Manie, it involves combining equal parts butter (or other fat) and flour, but this time you begin cooking the mixture before you add in other liquids. In a sauce pan heat butter (or other fat) over medium heat, add in flour and mix well until thick and cooked, then add in other liquids. Keep in mind, this method also includes adding fat and calories to your meal as well!

 

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Make the Most of Lunchtime

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Is lunchtime the only break in your busy day? Make the most of your lunchtime by packing a healthy lunch and making time for exercise! Here are our tips for incorporating exercise into your day to compliment your healthy lunch choices.

Is lunchtime the only break in your busy day?

  • Schedule your lunchtime walk in your work calendar. Think of it as an important appointment.
  • Keep everything you need for walking at work. This way you won’t find yourself saying “I forgot my shoes. I can’t go.”
  • Recruit some coworkers to join you. You can keep each other on track.
  • Depending on your walking pace, the weather and how much you sweat, you may be able to wear your work clothes and just put on athletic shoes. Or you may prefer to change into a t-shirt.
  • In cooler weather, you might need a jacket, hat or gloves. If you’re walking briskly, you’ll heat up in about 10 minutes, so don’t overdress.
  • Bring your lunch or pick a route where you can grab a quick healthy meal at the end of your walk.

 

Read the full article from the American Heart Association here. 

 

Make small changes to your usual lunch options to find a healthy eating style that works for you. The #MyPlateMyWins at Lunch video features small changes you can make to improve your food choices at lunchtime. For example, cut down on saturated fat in an entrée salad by using a vinaigrette, rather than creamy dressing and choosing protein foods that are prepared in healthier ways, such as grilled or baked, instead of fried.

 

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Dry Ice

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Keep Your Cooler ColdDry ice keeps refrigerated and frozen items cooler longer. Whether you’re packing for a weekend camping trip, a week at the beach, a summertime picnic, and emergencies such as power outages, dry ice can enhance the way you pack your cooler.  Follow these steps when packing to keep your cooler cold.

 

-When keeping foods COOL place dry ice in the bottom of the cooler.  Cover dry ice with an insulating material such as newspaper or cardboard, then place food or cans on top.

-When keeping foods FROZEN place dry ice on top of items with an insulating material in between.  Do not allow direct contact, freezer burn damage may result.

-Avoid direct contact with skin by using gloves, tongs or a towel.  Dry ice can irritate skin if contact is made for more than 10 seconds.

-A standard cooler with 5-7 pounds of dry ice will last 18-24 hrs.

-When disposing of dry ice, allow adequate ventilation.  Dry ice naturally evaporates into carbon dioxide. Place outdoors in a paper bag for evaporation to occur, it will disappear in a short time.  Keep children and pets out of contact.

 

For more information on storing and using while in a power outage visit www.dryiceideas.com

 

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All About Beef

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We love beef here in Texas and here are Dinner Tonight we are dedicated to incorporate beef into a healthy lifestyle and meal plan. Below we talk about nutrition, purchasing tips, proper cooking temperatures for different cuts, share some great cooking tips and more! Check it out and learn a little bit more:

Cook it Right! Correct Beef Cooking Temperatures

Food is safely cooked when it reached a high enough internal temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.  The best way to check the internal temperature of food is using a food thermometer.  Follow these safe minimal internal temperatures:

Ground meats: ground meats should be cooked to a minimal internal temperature of 160°F.

Roasts: various cuts of roasts should be cooked to a minimal internal temperature of 145°F.

Steaks: steaks should be cooked to a minimal internal temperature of 145°F. Steaks cooked to a medium texture should reach 160°F, and if you like your steak well done cook it to 170°F.  Be sure to let the steak rest for three minutes after removing from the heat source.

Remember these key points about food safety:

  • Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness or safety.
  • Once you store cooked food you should always bring the food back to proper temperature.
  • Always clean your food thermometer after each use.

Never eat meat which has been under cooked or between the temperature danger zone of  40°F and 140°F.  Take these steps to keeping your food safe!  If you would like more information check out our Food Protection Management page at http://foodsafety.tamu.edu/ or http://www.fightbac.org/ .

Click here to print a chart on internal cooking temperatures

Beef Nutrition and Purchasing Tips

Lean beef contains various amounts of nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, zinc, iron, selenium, and phosphorus.  When choosing beef for recipes, choose lean cuts.  Lean cuts contains less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3 ounce serving.  Lean cuts of meat include the words “loin” or “round” in the name.  This may help in choosing lean cuts of beef at the butcher or grocery store.  Be sure to look through our recipes for a recipe you might like to try!

Learn more about Beef Nutrition from our partners at the Texas Beef Council

Tips for Cooking with Beef

How do you get a fine cooked ground beef texture? Use your potato masher!

3 Ways to Tenderize Meat

  1. Physically – Use a meat mallet or a similar food-grade tool to physically break up the muscles and fibers of the meat. Take care not to go overboard which can lead to torn cuts of meat.
  2. Cooking – Cooking tough cuts of meat using low and slow cooking methods can work to break down tough fibers to tenderize meat. Examples: slow cookers or barbecue.
  3. Chemically – Salts and citrus juices can both have a tenderizing effect on meat by breaking down the meat fibers. Salts can be applied directly to meat but are extremely effective as part of a marinade. Citrus juices contain acids that also break down meat fibers. Be cautious of the additional amounts of sodium from tenderizing!

 

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Pots and Pans

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If you want to learn how to keep your pots in tip, top shape, this information will help you in your efforts.   Caring for your pots and pans properly will help to prolong their livelihood, keep your foods safe, and will save you money!

 

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