Fall 2008
Food and Nutrition Cooking Class Cookbook
Pelican Rapids High School
Pelican Rapids, MN
Cookbook Prepared by
Mrs. Coleen K. Guhl
FACS Teacher
Vegetable Unit
Thanks to Mrs. Guhl for bring in some vegetables from her garden!
SPICY SQUASH BAKE
(Many students were surprised at the taste; this dish was all gone by the end of class!)
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. banana or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (4 to 5 c.)
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. butter
2/3 c. taco sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
Place squash cubes in steamer basket. Place basket over boiling water. Steam squash cubes for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in saucepan cook onion and garlic in the butter until tender but not brown. Stir in taco sauce, salt and pepper. Gently stir in squash cubes.
Place half of the squash mixture in the bottom of a 1 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with remaining squash mixture, cover and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 or 20 minutes. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Return to oven; bake 5 minutes more or until cheese melts. Makes 4 or 5 servings.
CREAM OF WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP
2 c. chopped, peeled potatoes
1 1/2 c. chopped, peeled winter squash (use your favorite, butternut, acorn, banana or buttercup)
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. snipped parsley
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 c. light cream
In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, squash, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, dry mustard, lemon peel and pepper. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes until veggies are tender. Transfer mixture to food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to saucepan, stir in cream. Heat through. May serve with seasoned croutons. May prepare the night before and save last step for day of consumption. This would be great for Thanksgiving.
SQUASH AND APPLE BAKE
2 lbs. butternut squash or banana squash (cut and peeled)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 baking apples, cored and cut in 1/2 inch slices
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half, remove seeds and fiber, pare and cut in 1/2 inch slices. Stir other ingredients minus apple slices. Arrange squash in baking dish, 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. Top with apples. Sprinkle other ingredients over top. Cover with foil. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until tender.
Oven Roasted Vegetables
(Number one with the class.)
2 medium parsnips, peeled and quartered or 3 large parsnips,
Peeled and cut into quarters
2 medium carrots, peeled and quartered
8 small red potatoes, halved if large
2 small white turnips, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 white pearl onions, peeled
4 cloves garlic, trimmed but unpeeled
1 large Portobello mushroom, stemmed and cut into 8 wedges
8 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
8 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leafed parsley, leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the parsnips, carrots, potatoes and turnips, in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper, until coated. Arrange the vegetables cut-side down on a large baking sheet and roast on the bottom shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are beginning to brown. Turn the vegetables 2 or 3 times during cooking to prevent burning. In the same bowl, toss the pearl onions, garlic and Portobello mushroom with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper, until coated. Add this mixture to the baking sheet of vegetables and gently stir to combine. Continue roasting for 7 to10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of salted water to boil and blanch the Brussels sprouts for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly under cold running water. Set aside separately. In a small bowl, combine the shiitake mushrooms and the Brussels sprouts and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper, until coated. Add them to the baking sheet of vegetables, stirring to combine. Dot the butter over the vegetables and sprinkle with 1/4 cup wine. Roast for another 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven and gently mix them with the thyme and parsley before serving.
Pasta Pomodoro
Many students loved this recipe; remember it should be eaten right away and not like we did the next day because it tastes much better.
4 cloves garlic--chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 to 8 chopped (quartered) fresh tomatoes
(Or 2 to 3 cans of diced tomatoes if tomatoes are out of season)
1 fresh ball of mozzarella (cubed) 4 oz
8 fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips
½ t red pepper flakes
Mostaccioli pasta – 16 oz box
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Bring to boil a 4-quart pan of water--enough water to cook a box of pasta; we used Mostaccioli pasta. Remember the water must be a rolling boil and you need to add a tablespoon of salt to the water.
In the meantime; add the olive oil to your large skillet and sauté over medium heat the chopped garlic until it is tender but not browned.
Next you will add your chopped fresh tomatoes. Careful with this step as you need to add the tomatoes so that they do not splatter on you. Pour them in so that if they do splatter it is towards the back of the stove. Cook the tomatoes down for at least 15 minute. The last 5 minutes of cooking add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
Right before serving add the basil strips and bite size pieces of fresh mozzarella.
Quickly toss together and serve at once.
Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese. Serves 8-12 people
Buon Appetito!
Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. These are amazing on their own as a side dish or with pasta.
* 8 large tomatoes
* 4 tablespoons kosher salt
* 3 tablespoons fresh ground pepper
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 3 tablespoons dried thyme
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat oven to 250. Slice tomatoes thickly, to yield about three slices per tomato.
Place on a baking sheet. Mix spices and sugar. Brush tomatoes with olive oil, and sprinkle with a large pinch of seasoning mixture. Roast the tomatoes for 3 hours.
Homemade tomato sauce
Take about 10 pounds of Roma Tomatoes and wash them and put them in the sink with the stopper in the hole. Take the biggest soup pan you have and heat water up in it until it is boiling. Pour the hot water over the tomatoes and let them sit for 10 minutes or more. At this point you can start coring and peeling the tomatoes. Cut Roma tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. (We only want the meat of the tomato.) Once you have completed this process you can squish the tomatoes with your hands. Saute garlic, onions, green peppers in a sauce pan and add to the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add 1 t thyme, 1 t oregano, 1 T sugar, 3 bay leaves, 1 t parsley. Place in low stove (200 degrees) for 10 hours. Stirring every couple of hours. Do not cover the pot because you want the water to go out of the sauce. Remove bay leaves, tests sauce to see if you need to adjust seasonings.
Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box and top with tomato sauce.
Practice Your Cutting Skills Lab
Veggie Pizza
2 pkg crescent rolls
1 pkg cream cheese
¾ C mayo
½ pkg dry Ranch dressing mix
½ head cauliflower (finely sliced)
½ head broccoli (finely sliced)
5 green onions (use the tops as well)
2 to 3 finely chopped carrots
2 tomatoes (chopped)
1 cucumber (chopped)
Spread rolls flat onto a greased jellyroll pan being sure to pinch the seams together. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned and then cool. Once crush has cooled mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise and dry ranch dressing mix together. Cover with thinly sliced vegetables and then top with grated Cheddar cheese. Chill before serving.
Easy Potato Salad
5 lg potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lg green bell pepper, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1 to 2 t onion salt or to taste
½ t celery seed
pepper to taste
1/3 C cider vinegar
1 C mayonnaise
2 hard cooked eggs can be added as well.
In a large saucepan cook your potatoes in boiling salted water until just done. Drain and set aside to chill. Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients together and then combine with the potatoes. Cover and refrigerate before serving.
Gramma Lager’s Homemade Potato Soup
(We thought it needed more salt and pepper.)
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 med carrot, peeled and chopped
1 med rib of celery, chopped
1 (1/4) in slice of onion
¼ C butter or margarine
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk (about ½ can of the evaporated milk)
1 t salt
½ t garlic powder (optional)
dash of pepper
Place potatoes, carrots, celery and onion in a 2 quart heavy saucepan. Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally. The starch with think the soup. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and then eat.
Hot or Cold Potato Soup
4 C diced and peeled potatoes
½ C chopped onion
1 T chicken bouillon granules
2 C milk
8 oz sour cream
2 T chopped chives (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Place the potatoes in a large soup pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then cook slowly until almost done, about 15 minutes. DO NOT DRAIN. Add the chopped onion, chicken bouillon granules and one cup milk. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Stir in remaining one cup milk, sour cream and chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Yield 6 servings.
Fruit Unit
Pear Butter
(Thanks Mrs. Guhl for bringing in the pears from your pear tree!) Everyone loved this old time favorite.
16 C peeled, cored, and sliced winter pears
(approximately 8 lbs)
1 C pineapple juice
½ C lemon juice
½ C honey
3 sticks of cinnamon, 2 inches long
20 whole cloves, tied into a piece of cheesecloth
In a blender or food processor puree pears, in batches, adding some of the juices if needed to help puree them..
Our pear puree into a large stainless steel or enamel kettle. Add juices, honey, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Cook, partially covered, over low heat until thick, about three hours. Remove cinnamon sticks and bag of cloves and discard. Pour into hot, scalded half-pints jars, leaving ½ inch headspace, and seal. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Leave at room temperature to cool and check to be sure each is sealed before storing.
Homemade Applesauce
(There is nothing better than homemade applesauce and it is so easy to make. The class was really impressed with the taste of the applesauce.)
3 to 4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples.
(Make sure you use a good cooking apple.)
1 T lemon juice
3 inches of cinnamon stick
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
Up to 1/2 cup of white sugar
1 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes and remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick. Mash with potato masher.
Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated. It is delicious with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt. Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.
Breakfast!
Shari’s Sour Milk Pancakes
1 to 1 1/4 c. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 c. sour milk (1 c. sweet milk plus 1 tbsp. vinegar)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Preheat griddle to pancake setting (350 to 375 degrees). Sift together dry ingredients, using 1 cup flour. Combine egg, milk and oil and add to dry ingredients. Gradually add the 1/8 to 1/4 cup additional flour until batter is of medium consistency. Mix until just combined (overbeating toughens). Makes about 12 pancakes.
***We also sauted about three peeled, cored and sliced apples in a saucepan with a little butter. We then added about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. We topped our pancakes with our sauted apples. Almost everyone loved the sauted apples on their pancakes with the homemade syrup!
Homemade Maple Syrup
Instant Syrup – a lot cheaper then in the store
Pour 1 C boiling water over 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar. Add ½ t Mapleline imitation maple flavor and stir. This makes 2 ¼ cups of syrup.
For Thicker syrup
2 T water, ¼ C sugar, 1 ½ C corn syrup, ½ t Mapleline imitation maple flavor. Boil for two minutes. This will thicken as it cools. Makes one pint.
Cooking Terms: Lab
Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredient preparation prior to cooking:
1 C uncooked chicken Cubed – to cut into small even sided pieces
1 medium onion Diced – to cut into very small cubes