What a fun classroom week it has been! My sophomore Foods and Nutrition class has successfully completed safety procedures, measuring basics, and knife skills which means it’s time for our first real lab! Even when I work with students who have some cooking knowledge, I always plan a few easy recipes at the beginning of the semester to help them get acclimated with their station and working as a group. The first cooking unit we cover is dairy. Students are educated on nutritional content, storage, and preparation of various dairy products. Earlier this week I demonstrated how to make a basic white sauce using a roux and milk. It’s such an easy technique and a great skill for my students to have. In order to practice working with dairy products, students each prepared their own mini pizza using just a tortilla shell, pizza sauce, and cheese. What a fun afternoon it was! This recipe is also a great way for my new students to practice pre-heating the oven, setting a timer, and using potholders :) Check our how great out little pizzas turned out! Want to make your own mini pizza? This super simple recipe is below!
Mini Pizzas -Pizza sauce -Toppings of your choice -Shredded mozzarella cheese -Mini soft shell tortillas 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Place tortilla shells on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes until slightly crispy. 3. Top with: sauce, toppings, and cheese. 4. Bake until edges are light brown and cheese is melted (approximately 10). 5. Remove with potholders; let cool for 5 minutes and serve. Mini pizzas can can be made with many different ingredients you already have at home. Biscuits, bagels, and and flatbreads work well as the crust. Barbeque, Alfredo, and hot sauce can be used in place of pizza sauce. Pie fillings or Nutella work great for dessert pizza!
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In my Nutrition and Culinary Arts course, our classroom adventures have led us to fruits and vegetables this week. Earlier in the week I demonstrated a couple yummy recipes which included Vegetable Parmesan Rissotto and Bananas Foster. Students have the opportunity to see the steps in preparation and sample these dishes in class. When discussing fruits and vegetables we focus on a few main items which include knife cuts, wilting and flavoring greens, caramelizing both fruit and veggies, and nutritional value. Students had the opportunity to practice their knife skills with the preparation of potato soup. The recipe was well executed and the students all gave it a big thumbs up! In in order to teach students how to wilt leafy greens, I use a simple pasta dish. This recipe makes for an easy side dish or a great entree if you add a protein source like chicken. Unlike most pasta dishes there is no heavy sauce. A lot of my students are apprehensive about this recipe because of the vegetable component but most end up really enjoying it. I always suggest adding various veggies, meats, and cheeses to this one to suit personal preference. Some of the groups added bacon to their dish today for added flavor and texture. Bacon is a classroom favorite and we use it regularly even just as a seasoning meat. Doesn't it look like we had a lot of fun today? Check out the recipe below! Spinach and Cheese Pasta 1⁄2 pound pasta of your choice (fusilli, macaroni, bow-ties work best) 3tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic 1⁄2 (9 ounce) bag of fresh spinach – roughly chopped 1⁄2 cup cherry tomatoes – cut in half 1 cup cheese of your choice (parmesan, asiago, etc) 1 teaspoon salt 3⁄4 teaspoon pepper 1. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain water reserving 1⁄2 cup cooking liquid. Set aside. 2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (approx. 2 min). Add spinach and tomatoes and cook until the spinach wilts (about 2 more minutes). 3. Add to the cooked pasta and toss. Add cheese, salt, pepper, and remaining cooking liquid. Stir to combine and enjoy! I don’t know about you but I feel like nothing compares to a big plate of freshly baked cookies. They smell just like heaven and are the perfect way to show some love. There are plenty of great pre-made dough options at the grocery store but if you’ve got a little bit of extra time, homemade cookies are so easy and so yummy!
One of my favorite cookie recipes is a classic chocolate chip cookie. I use this recipe in my classroom quite a bit because it makes a large amount of cookies with simple ingredients. I also love that the flavor of the cookie pairs well with other flavor pieces like m & m’s or any flavor of chip. Next time you feel like baking some love for your favorite people, try this recipe out. I promise it will get great reviews! Chocolate Chip Cookies 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda A pinch of salt 2 eggs 2 1/2 cups flour 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
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