 Most
of us have special foods from childhood that are still our favorites. These
foods give us comfort and bring back memories of family times. Comfort
foods are often combination main dishes or casseroles. Like stews, these
dishes contain a variety of ingredients to make a complete meal.
This lesson features casseroles and
another popular comfort food, pot roast. We will also continue to discuss
food safety by studying materials on how to store foods. In this lesson,
you will learn to:
-
Store foods safely.
-
Make easy casseroles.
-
Use leftovers creatively.
-
Make an easy pot roast dinner.
What’s Cooking?
Even seasoned cooks wonder how long
foods can be safely stored. Look over the publications in this lesson;
they will help you store foods safely.
Files are in this format
For some general information on food
storage, read
Storing Foods.
| Activity 1: Take Your Refrigerator’s
Temperature.
Check the temperature in your refrigerator
and freezer by placing a thermometer (an inexpensive model from a hardware
store) in the center of each compartment. The temperature should register
a maximum of 10ºF in your freezer and be lower than 40ºF in your
refrigerator. If the temperature in your refrigerator goes below 33ºF,
your fresh foods may freeze. |
Now read the publications on
Freezer Storage,
Refrigerator Storage, and
Cupboard
Storage and try the following
activity.
| Activity 2: Make a Freezer Inventory.
Do you know what is in your freezer
or how long that food has been in there? Remove all items from your freezer.
Make a list of the kinds and quantities of foods, and when you froze that
food. Keep this list in your kitchen to manage your freezer stash more
efficiently. You can tape the list to the door and cross off items as you
use them and add others that are new. |
Casseroles are a great way to use
leftovers. From a food safety standpoint, it is important to use leftovers
quickly, so try some of the recipes in the
Comfort Casseroles for You to
Try.
When planning meals, incorporate leftovers into that plan. A general rule
of thumb is to keep leftovers no more than 2 to 3 days.
| Activity 3: Incorporate Leftovers
into Your Meal Plan.
Use at least one leftover in a meal
tomorrow. Write your next week’s meal plan using leftovers as part of that
plan. |
Meal du Jour
This lesson’s recipe is a Midwest
favorite — pot roast. The great thing about this meal is that it can be
roasting while you are doing other things. Cleanup is very simple, because
all you are using is just one pan. What a deal! See the Meal du Jour Easy
Pot Roast recipe
Because your pot roast will take
1-1/2 to 2 hours to cook, this recipe is ideal for a Sunday dinner. And
you’ll have leftovers to use during the week.
| Activity 4: Make an Arranged
Salad.
Now that you have made a tossed salad
and a walking salad, let’s try an arranged salad. Line a salad plate with
washed and dried lettuce. Now place salad ingredients in a pleasing arrangement
on the lettuce and top with your favorite dressing. This is an arranged
salad. It’s another way to use leftovers. Try sliced fruit, olives, cooked
or raw vegetables, and cottage cheese. |
|
Easy Pot Roast
Arranged Salad
French Bread
Milk |
-
| Activity 5: Prepare an Easy Pot
Roast.
Follow the Easy Pot Roast recipe
in this lesson and serve it with an arranged salad. |
Tip
-
To reduce fat and calories, substitute
eye of round steak for chuck roast.
Meal du Jour Recipe
Easy Pot Roast
Serves 6
1-1/2 pound boneless chuck roast,
well trimmed
1 Tablespoon flour
salt
pepper
1 Tablespoon oil
1/4 cup liquid (water, beef broth,
or red wine)
8 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2"
pieces
4 medium onions, peeled and cut
into quarters
Trim all visible fat from meat. Mix
flour and a little salt and pepper together. Dip both sides of the meat
in the flour mixture. Heat a heavy pan (such as a skillet, or dutch oven,
or oven-safe casserole) on the range. Add oil and brown both sides of the
meat. Remove from heat and carefully add liquid. (You want to add enough
liquid so that the roast doesn’t burn; if you add too much, you are stewing,
not roasting.) Surround the meat with vegetables. Cover the pan with a
tight-fitting lid. Roast at 325ºF for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until the meat
and the veggies are tender when pierced with a fork. Serves 6.
Note: Additional seasoning can be
added with the liquid. Suggestions are thyme, oregano, basil, or other
family favorites.
Source: Barbara H. James, Professor
Emeritus, The Ohio State University. Used with permission.
Nutrients per Serving
Calories 510
Fat - Total 21 g
Protein 28 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Carbohydrates 53 g
Vitamin A 180%
Dietary Fiber 6 g
Vitamin C 70%
% Calories from Fat 37%
% Calories from Carbohydrates 42%
 What
to Buy for Your Next Lesson
You’ll be an empowered cook and ready
for the holidays with the next lesson! Remember to check the list of items
you will need to purchase so you can prepare a special holiday dish — and
maybe even roast the turkey!
In the last lesson, we will prepare
items for a holiday meal — a turkey and a sweet potato side dish. DON’T
PANIC!!! If you don’t feel like you want to attempt this right now,
that’s okay.
If you would like to give it a try,
please purchase these ingredients and send out the invitations to your
“guinea pigs” or guests.
Note than even some experienced cooks
will do a “dry run” before the holidays by cooking a complete, or nearly
complete, holiday meal one or two weeks before the actual event. This allows
them an opportunity to practice their cooking skills, to try a new recipe,
and to build confidence before the big event arrives.
What to Buy
-
A whole fresh or frozen turkey (plan
on about one pound per person)
-
Purchase a fresh turkey no more than
2 days before you plan to roast it. Purchase a frozen turkey five or more
days ahead of time. Instructions for thawing the turkey are included in
the next lesson. Make sure you read that lesson a week before your turkey
dinner.
-
1 pound of sweet potatoes or yams
What You Need on Hand
-
margarine/butter
-
a few walnuts or pecans (optional)
-
orange juice
-
honey or brown sugar
-
cornstarch
|
