FOOD PREPARATION

Students-Here is a great article on food preparation. Alice Henneman puts it straight and to the point!

Cook Once, Eat Twice

Alice Henneman, MS, RD, UNL Extension in Lancaster County

Do you sometimes feel like a juggler at the circus as you hurry to get dinner ready? Preparing a meal can be like keeping several balls in the air as you bustle back and forth from task to task: Wash! Chop! Mix! Cook! Stir! Boil!

To keep from "dropping the ball" at dinnertime, try a technique of "cook once, eat twice."

Give yourself a break. By planning ahead you can make some of the dinner tasks you're constantly juggling easier. Spend a few extra minutes planning complementary menus where you "cook once and eat twice." Here's how it works.

Plan meals based around key foods prepared in larger amounts for use in one recipe the first night and an entirely different recipe within the next night or two. This is different from making large batches and eating leftovers. Follow these general guidelines to assure your food remains safe and of high quality:

• Separate out and refrigerate the portion to be served for your next meal before you set the food on the table. This keeps your food quality higher by preventing "planned-overs" from becoming "picked-overs."
   


• Promptly refrigerate the food for the next meal to keep it safe. Perishable cooked foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products, shouldn't be at room temperature longer than TWO hours TOTAL -- that TOTAL is the total of the first and second use.
   


• Refrigerate the prepared-ahead food in shallow containers so it cools faster in the refrigerator. For thicker foods -- such as stews, hot puddings and layers of meat slices -- limit depth of food to 2 inches. Loosely cover food. This allows heat to escape and protects from accidental contamination from other foods during cooling. Stir food occasionally to help it cool; use a clean utensil each time. Cover tightly when cooled.
   


• As a general rule-of-thumb, use the extra refrigerated food you cooked within one to two days. Freeze for longer storage. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator when you're ready to use again -- never thaw at room temperature.

Examples of Two Day, Two Way Foods

Here are some quick and easy examples of "cook once, eat twice" to get you started. Adapt according to your family preferences and add your own ideas for the different food categories. Think of these as "ACT 1" and "ACT 2" at the circus with something different for each performance!

Chicken/Turkey

ACT 1: Cook extra chicken breasts or turkey cutlets. Cover and refrigerate half the chicken or turkey. Top the remaining half with your favorite seasonings or sauce for serving immediately.

ACT 2: The next night, slice the plain cooked chicken or turkey into strips and combine with lettuce and Caesar salad dressing for a main dish salad.

For More Poultry Recipe Ideas: Check the Web sites of the National Turkey Federation (www.turkeyfed.org) and the National Chicken Council (www.eatchicken.com).

Rice

ACT 1: Make a large batch of plain rice. The first night -- while the rice is cooking -- prepare a hearty sauce so your rice can be served as the main dish. For example: Add cooked ground beef to tomato sauce flavored with Italian seasoning.

ACT 2: On night two, make fried rice with your favorite veggies and a can of shrimp from your cupboard.

You also can save leftover rice from one night and chicken/turkey from another night and put them together in any number of dishes for night three. Possibilities include: rice-based casseroles, chicken or turkey rice soup and fried rice.

The USA Rice Council recommends that you reheat leftover rice thoroughly before serving. Unless you use the rice in a dish with added liquid, you may need to add a small amount of liquid to your reheated rice. For each cup of cooked rice, the Council advises adding 2 tablespoons liquid. Cover and heat on top of the range or in the oven until heated throughout. In a microwave oven, cover and cook on HIGH about 1 minute per cup.

Rice also freezes well. After cooked rice has cooled in the refrigerator, transfer it to plastic freezer bags in quantities needed for future meals. Label with the date and quantity.

For More Rice Recipe Ideas: Check the Rice Council's Web site (www.usarice.com).