S ALADS

Salad- a combination of raw and/or cooked ingredients, usually served cold with a dressing.

T YPES OF S ALADS Protein salad: small pieces of meat or egg-chef’s salad Pasta salad: cooked pasta, veggies, dressing, sometimes meat Vegetable salad: raw or cooked veggies-coleslaw Fruit salad: canned, frozen, or fresh fruits served on greens Gelatin salad: mix fruit and vegetable juices with gelatin.

P REPARING S ALAD I NGREDIENTS Most fruits and veggies used in salads are very perishable and will not last long. Discard outer leaves of salad greens. Wash all fresh fruits and veggies by running under water. Do not soak, or you will lose the nutrients into the water. Do not wash veggies too far in advance, or more nutrients will be lost. Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces-do not cut with a knife because it will cause bruising.

P REPARING S ALAD D RESSINGS Salad dressing is an example of an emulsion- which are combinations of two liquids that ordinarily will not stay mixed. There are three basic types of salad dressings: French mayonnaise, cooked. French dressing is a temporary emulsion because you must shake/stir it to mix it each time you use it. Mayonnaise is a permanent emulsion, because it will not separate. Mayonnaise contains egg yolk. Cooked dressing is thickened with cornstarch or flour.

A SSEMBLING A S ALAD Most salads have 3 parts: a base, a body, and a dressing. Base: leafy greens Body: main part of the salad, on top of the base. Dressing: sauce that adds flavor to a salad. Some salads have a 4 th part: the garnish. Grape tomatoes, toasted nuts, or orange slices are common garnishes.

C ASSEROLES

Casseroles- a combination of foods prepared in a single dish. Quick and easy to prepare Most freeze well-so you can made them ahead of time for a fast meal Great way to include plant foods because they often include a variety of vegetables and grains and sometimes a small amounts of meat

C ASSEROLE I NGREDIENTS Most casseroles are a combination of a protein food, a vegetable, a starch, and a sauce. Many are topped with crumbs, cheese, or nuts. This helps casserole from drying out, adds color, flavor, and texture. Casseroles can easily be made healthier by using reduced-fat mayonnaise or low-sodium condensed soup in place of traditional ingredients.

A SSEMBLING A C ASSEROLE Combine ingredients that complement each other. Cleanup is easier if you use a greased dish. Cooking time will depend on the size of the dish and starting temperature of casserole. Some casseroles can be prepared on top of the range. Placing a piece of aluminum foil over casserole will help keep it from getting too dark. Casseroles improve when they sit for a few minutes once taken out of oven because the flavors have a chance to blend.

M ICROWAVE C ASSEROLES Dinners can be ready in minutes when you assemble casseroles from leftovers and heat them in a microwave oven. The microwave is also great for reheating and defrosting casseroles. Make casseroles for the microwave with precooked ingredients. They can be prepared and served in the same dish which makes cleanup easier.

S TOCK S OUPS

Soups can be hot or cold, hearty or light. It can be an appetizers or a main dish. You can eat it alone or serve it with other foods. Stock soups: rich-flavored broth in which meat, poultry, or fish; vegetables; and seasonings have been cooked. Cream soups: Made with milk instead of broth

S TOCKS S OUPS Stocks obtain their flavor from the flavors of their ingredients. Meat and vegetables release their flavors slowly. To make stocks rich and flavorful, cook them over low heat for a long time. To make stock more flavorful, increase the amount of surface area exposed to the cooking area-cut the meat and vegetables into small pieces. Also, crack any large bones that are put into the stockpot. Brown stocks-meat must be browned before adding it to stockpot. Light stock-use poultry, fish, or unbrowned meat.

P REPARING S TOCKS Place all ingredients in a large pan w/ a tightly fitted lid. Cover w/ cold water, & simmer for several hours. The liquid should never boil. During the 1 st stage, foam will rise to the surface. Skim it from the top with a wooden spoon. During the final stages, fat will rise to the surface of the stock if you have used fatty meats. Skim it from top with a basting spoon when hot, or wait until it cools are hardens on the top. After cooking, strain the stock. This separates the broth from the solid materials. You can serve the meat separately or add it back to make soup. You can also add vegetables, rice, noodles, potatoes, etc.

P REPARING B OUILLON AND C ONSOMMÉ Bouillon: Clear broth made from stock Most commonly made from beef stock Consommé: A clear, rich-flavored soup made from stock. Both are low in calories. They make great appetizers and snacks. For both bouillon and consommé, you must first clarify the stock. You can clarify strained stock by adding a slightly beaten egg white and a few pieces of eggshell to the boiling broth. As the egg protein coagulates, it traps any solid materials. Strain the clarified stick to remove the egg, solid materials, and egg shell.

To prepare bouillon, reduce the strained and clarified stock in volume by further cooking. This additional cooking concentrates the stock, making it richer and more flavorful.

Reducing: To prepare bouillon, reduce the strained and clarified stock in volume by further cooking. This additional cooking concentrates the stock, making it richer and more flavorful. Prepare consommé by simmering the strained and clarified stock still longer. It has a richer flavor than bouillon.

M ICROWAVING S OUPS Stocks are best when prepared on a range top. Once stocks are made into soups, they can be heated in a microwave in a matter of minutes. Soups should be microwaved at a low power to allow the ingredients to simmer. Make sure the container is of ample size to avoid boil-overs. Over soups and stir them during the microwaving period to promote more even cooking.

C REAM S OUPS

Cream soups: Milk-based soups. Thickened cream soups : Made from a thick white sauce. They contain vegetables and meat that have been cut up into small pieces. Examples: Cream of mushroom and cream of tomato Bisques: rich, thickened cream soups. Contain shellfish that is cut into small pieces. Example: lobster bisque Chowders: made from unthickened milk. Contain vegetables and meat, often times potatoes. Example: Manhattan clam chowder, New England clam chowder

P REPARING T HICKENED C REAM S OUPS Cook the added ingredients-meat and vegetables, using only a small amount of liquid. This prevents the loss of water-soluable vitamins. Many cream soups require you to puree the vegetables and meat. Use a blender to puree foods as smooth as possible. Add the prepared ingredients to a thin white sauce. Season the soup to taste. Be sure to use low heat when reheating a cream soup to prevent scorching.

P REPARING U NTHICKENED C REAM S OUPS Usually pieces of vegetables and meat are fairly large, and they are cooked in a stock. When they are tender, add the milk to the stock and stir gently until blended. Add milk slowly and heat the soup at a low temperature to prevent curdling.