Transcript Soup Salad & Casseroles

Soups, Salads, & Casseroles
Soups
Base Liquids
 Broth: flavorful liquid made
by simmering meat, poultry,
fish, animal bones, or
vegetables in water
 Stock: similar to broth, but
is made with vegetables and
sometime with animal bones
but not meat
Tips for Preparing a Stock
 Rich and flavorful- cook low heat for long time
 Increase surface area by cutting pieces small
 Cracking the bones
 Brown stock – begin by browning meat (beef)
 Light stock – use un-browned meat (chicken)
 Cold water – cook slowly for several hours at a
simmer
Preparing Stock
 Cut meat and vegetables to be used
 Brown meat
 In a large pot place ingredients in and cover with water
 Cover with tightly fitted lid and simmer for several hours
 Skim off any foam
 Remove fat from surface
 Stain to separate the solid materials from the broth
 Clarify the stock
 Stock strained to remove an egg, solid materials, and
eggshell
 Reduce the volume by further cooking
Preparing bouillon and consommé
 Bouillon: beef or chicken
stock
 Consommé clear: richflavored soup made from stock
 Clarify – strained stock by
adding a slightly beaten egg
white and few pieces of egg
shell to boiling broth

Traps solid material into the egg
then strain stock
Thickening Methods
 Reduction: process of simmering an uncovered
mixture until some of the liquid evaporates
 Legumes and vegetables



Thicken in the same way that grains
Examples: beans, split peas
Less starch vegetables will add more color and flavor – mash
or puree them

Examples: broccoli, squash, and carrots
 Eggs
 Less effective than starch at thicken liquids, but they add
richness and flavor
Thickening Methods cont.
 Grains products

Prepared grain products
 Thicken
by absorbing water and releasing starch as they
cook
 Examples: rice, barley, and oats

Flour and cornstarch
 Flour
- all-purpose flour works best because it has more
starch than other types
 Cornstarch: white powder of pure starch made from the
endosperm of the corn kernel
 Twice the thickening power of flour
Thickening Methods cont.
 Grains products cont.

Flour and cornstarch cont.
 Avoid
lumps
Mix starch and cold water
• 1 part cornstarch and 2 parts water
• Called slurry
 Pour slowly and stir
 Simmer and stir
• Simmer for several minute to get rid of
the raw flour taste

 Gelatinization:
chemical process that
takes place as starch thickens liquid
Thickening Methods cont.
 Grains products cont.
 Making a Roux
 Roux:
mixture of equal amounts of flour and
fat
 Butter, margarine, or fat drippings
 Add flour until the mixture thickens
 Keep stirring until the fat coasts the starch
granule and a smooth paste forms
 Cook and stir the roux into the liquid that you
want to thicken
 Stirring constantly, continue to cook it over low
heat until the mixture is smooth and thick
Kinds of soups
 Soup: dish made by cooking solid foods
in liquid
 Clear soups


Rich-flavored broth in which meat, poultry,
fish, vegetables, and seasonings have been
cooked
Consommé: clarified broth, completely
strained of all particles and sediments
 Cream soup



Milk instead of stock
Bisque: is a rich cream soup that uses shellfish
as the base
Usually made with starchy foods
Kinds of soups cont.
 Chunky soups
 Chowder – made with fish, meat, or
vegetables and thickened with potatoes or
cream
 Minestrone – hearty Italian soups made
with vegetables, beans, and pasta and
topped with grated Parmesan cheese
 Fruit soups
 Fruits are pureed and flavored with spices
and grated peels
Microwaving soups
 Stock is best when cooked slow – not good for
microwaving
 Great for re-heating
 Cover container with lid to prevent spills
Salads
Salad
 Salad: mixture of raw or cooked vegetable and
other read-to-eat foods, usually served with a
dressing
Appetizers
 Entrees
 Side dishes
 Desserts

 Sweet or savory
 Something from all food groups
Kinds of salads
 Protein salad - small pieces of protein food
combined with a dressing
Protein needs to be main ingredient
 Examples – egg salad, chicken salad

Kinds of salads cont.
 Pasta salad - cooked pasta, vegetables, possibly a
protein food, and a dressing

Examples – macaroni salad, pizza salad
Kinds of salads cont.
 Vegetable salad - salad greens raw/cold/cooked
 Examples – coleslaw, potato salad, Caesar, & tossed salad
 Tossed
salad: when greens, chopped or sliced vegetables
and dressing are mixed together – mixing different kinds of
greens
Kinds of salads cont.
 Fruit salad - canned, frozen, or fresh fruit served
on a bed of greens or in a hallowed fruit shell

Examples – ambrosia, waldrof
Kinds of salad cont.
 Gelatin salad - commercial fruit-flavored gelatin
or mix fruit and vegetable juices with unflavored
gelatin

Molded
Kinds of salads cont.
 Combination salad – puts together several
different foods
Leftovers are great for this type
 Examples – chicken Cesar salad

Salad Greens
 Selecting greens
 Color is key to nutrition


Darker the green = more vitamin A
Avoid
Brown spotting called rust
 Spoilage

 Cleaning greens
 Most greens
Pull leaves away from brunch
 Rinse in cold water
 Restore: soak leaves for 10 minutes to rehydrate the cells
 Pat them dry


Iceberg - see notes under cooking tips at the end of the
packet
Salad Greens cont.
 Storing greens
 Thoroughly remove all liquids,
otherwise the leaves will wilt
faster
 Salad spinner
 Store in air tight container or
plastic bag
Preparing salad ingredients
 Preserve freshness
 Trim all bruises and inedible portions on fresh salad
ingredients
 Wash all fresh ingredients - avoid soaking


Lose water soluble vitamins
Cause wilting
 Pieces should be bite-size
 Leafy greens need to tear
 Apples, peaches, bananas with lemon juice
 Enzymatic browning
 Drain excess liquid
 Vary shapes and sized - will add interest
Preparing salad dressing
 Salad dressing: seasoned mixture,
often consisting of oil and vinegar, used to
flavor a salad

Acts as a binder, holding the salad together
 Emulsions - combination of 2 liquids that
ordinarily will not stay mixed - oil and
vinegar
 Temporary emulsion: must shake or
stir before every use
 Permanent emulsion: will not
separate
Kinds of salad dressings
 Vinaigrette: mixture of oil, vinegar, lemon juice,
and seasoning
Also called French dressing
 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar
 Whisk together

 Mayonnaise - vinegar/lemon juice, oil,
seasoning, and egg yolk
Emulsifying agent - egg yolk, surrounds the droplets of
oil and keep them suspended in the liquid
 Some recipes call for cooking or tempering the egg
mixture

Preparing salad dressing cont.
 Cooked salad dressing - looks like mayonnaise,
thicken it with a starch
Cooking fat and water with starch paste, which serves as
an emulsifier
 Commercially called salad dressing

 Dairy dressing: made with buttermilk, yogurt,
sour cream, or cottage cheese and seasoning

Ranch dressing
Assembling a salad
 Close to serving time
 Base - foundation on which
you place the main salad
ingredients
Contrast color
 Eye appealing
 Salad greens

 Body - main part, on top of
base
Assembling a salad cont.
 Dressing - sauce served on or
with a salad to add flavor
Pour over just before serving
 Avoid too much
 Some may need to be added several
hours before to combine and mellow
the flavors

 Garnish - add eye appeal, simple
 Croutons: small pieces of bread
made crisp by baking at a low temp
When assembly look out for over doing the dressing.
Styles of assembling a salad
 Tossed salad – mixture of
greens and dressing, often
mixed with other vegetables
 Arranged salad – salad
ingredients placed in an
attractive pattern
Styles of assembling a salad cont.
 Layered salad – similar to
arranged salad, except that
ingredients are place in layers
one on top of the other, rather
than in a flat pattern on the
plate
 Bound salad – held together
tightly by a thick usually
creamy dressing
Molding a Salad
 Dissolve the gelatin
 Add extra ingredients
 Fruit, vegetables, and nuts
 Pour into mold
 Lightly oil or rinse with cold water – help from sticking
 Chill
 Refrigerate until it is set – several hours
 Remove from the mold
 Dip mold into warm water (not hot) for 10 seconds
 Invert onto a plate for serving
Casseroles
Casseroles
 Casseroles: flavorful combination of precooked
or quick-cooking food sin one-dish meal
 Quick and easy to prepare
 Can make one dish to feed the whole family
Casserole ingredients
 Protein food - meat, cheese, egg
 Vegetables - Canned, frozen, or cooked vegetables
 Starch - potatoes, rice, and pasta, casserole filling
 Binder - condensed soup, cheese sauce, white
sauce

Binder: liquid that helps hold a mixture together
 Seasonings – help add flavor
 Toppings - crumbs, cheese, or chopped nuts
 Can help from drying out
Putting it together
 For starters- pick one item out of each group, little
seasonings
 Grease the bottom of the dish
 Aluminum foil can stop the top from browning too
quickly

But can also prevent it from fully cooking in the middle,
so read the recipe
 Can be made on the stove top – may have to be
stirred more often
Casserole Tips
 Watch for fat or sodium content
 Any precooking can help speed up the baking
process
 Cut meat into bite size pieces – cook faster
 Many casseroles and be prepared the day before
and made the following day

Many will freeze well
Microwaving casseroles
 Cooking, reheating, and defrosting
 Do not cook with the toppings on – it will just get soggy
 Precooked ingredients
Herbs & Spices
Herbs and Spices
 Herbs – leaves of plants usually grown in
temperate climates
Basil, bay leaf, mint
 Fresh or dried

 Spices – dried roots, stems, and seeds of plants
grown mainly in the tropics
Cinnamon, allspice, pepper
 Whole or ground form

 Blend – combination of ground herbs and spices
 Poultry seasoning
Herbs Pictures
Herbs used for Food Prep
Spices
Spices…Spices&Herbs
Using herbs and spices
 Fresh – great for garnishes
 Dried – concentrated flavor
 Use 1/3 of the fresh amount
 Always use dried unless recipe calls for fresh
 Ground spices release flavor immediately so add
them at the end
 Bouquet garni – cheese cloth bag with whole spices
and herbs in it, can be easily removed

Often used in soups
Storing herbs and spices
 Cool dry place away from light
 Buy in small amounts
 Will keep their flavor and aroma for about a year
when properly stored
 Whole spices will last longer
 Test – rub a small amount between your hands to
see if they smell strong or not
Gourmet cooking
 Gourmets – people who enjoy being able to
distinguish the complex combinations of flavors
that make up foods
 Gourmet food – food that is expertly seasoned
 Takes time to know what goes together
 When learning they start with small amounts

Eating just spices until they understand what parts of the
mouth is awakened by the flavor
Cooking Tips
Ground hamburger
 Thaw in the microwave using defrost button
 Do not put frozen hamburger into the pan to cook

You will burn parts while some is still frozen
 When the hamburger is all cooked you will need to drain
off all excess grease



Do not drain this down the sink – it will harden and clog the sink
You can use a colander/strainer over the top of a can and allow the
grease to harden and then place in the garbage - messy
You can use a paper towel to soak up the grease while it is still in the
pan



Tilt the pan to one side to allow all of the grease to run to one side then
place the paper towel in the pan to soak up the grease
Toss the paper towels into the garbage can
You can stir the paper towel around in the meat as well
Bacon
 Bacon can be difficult to cut with a knife so it is
easier to cut the bacon with scissors
 If the bacon needs to be in small pieces for the
recipe – it will be easier to cook it in small pieces to
begin with

Cut bacon into 1 inch strips and place it all into the big pot
and cook it all at one time
 Bacon grease needs to be placed into a can to cool
and harden before being placed into the garbage
can
 Cook on medium to high heat

Always have one person that is watching the bacon – it can
burn easy
Chicken
 Thaw in the microwave using defrost button
 Always cut chicken into bite size pieces before
cooking – this will speed up the cooking process

Chicken is easy to cut while it is somewhat frozen
 To check the chicken to see if it is done, cut open one
of the larger pieces and check to see if it is still pink

Usually people prefer the chick to have a small amount of
brownness to the outside of the chicken
Garlic
 There is a small piece of skin on the outside of the
garlic clove
 Easiest way to remove this is by laying the garlic on the
cutting board and placing a large knife on it side on top
of the garlic and hitting the knife with the heal of your
hand

This will break off the outside skins and you will be able to pick it off
in just a couple of pieces
 Always mince your garlic – no one wants to bite into a
large piece of garlic
Lettuce
 Cleaning a head of lettuce

Hit the bottom of the head of lettuce on
the counter top – this will loosen the stem
of the lettuce

With your hands pull out the stem
Run cold water into the whole in the
lettuce for about 30 seconds
 Hold the head of lettuce upside down
over the sink allowing all of the water to
run out


May need to squeeze the lettuce to help get all of
the water out
Lettuce cont.
 Cutting a head of lettuce
 Place on the cutting board and try and cut
the lettuce into about ½ inch strips
 Once all cut then cut in the opposite
direction into about ½ inch sections again
 Prevent enzymatic browning, tear green or
cut with plastic lettuce knife rather than
metal knife
 Place into the bowl, the lettuce might still be
wet


Use a salad spinner if available
If no salad spinner then you may want to use
paper towels to tray and soak up some of the
liquid so the salad is not runny or soggy
Cooked Pasta
 Run cold water over top of cooked pasta to stop the
cooking process and cool off the noodles
 Toss the noodles around in the cold water
 If you over cook the noodles they will be come mushy