Food - 1 Selection, preperation and Cooking

Important in selection:
What Are Calories?
Calories are a way to measure energy in foods. You may have learned in science class that a calorie is the amount of energy required to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Energy is required for every function of our body from walking and thinking to maintaining skin and fighting against disease. We get calories from digestion and absorption of the food we eat. As you can see, consuming enough calories is important. However, excess calories won’t make us more energetic. Excess calories will be converted and stored as fat in our body.



Carbohydrates and Fat
The main function of carbohydrates is to provide energy. Some parts of the body (i.e the brain, red blood cells) can only use carbohydrates as an energy source. That is why our body has developed a number of pathways to convert some elements of protein and fats into carbohydrate. Fat is another great source of energy, but there are some fats that we must get through our diet in order to grow and stay healthy. When we get enough of these essential fats in our diet, calories from carbohydrates and fat can be used interchangeably, allowing for a great deal of flexibility in the amount of carbohydrates and fat you consume. The flexibility allows you to create a diet that suits your own lifestyle and preferences. However, remember that fat provides almost twice as many calories as carbohydrates. Because of this high calorie density, people tend to over consume fat, which may lead to weight gain. Foods high in sugar also tend to be energy-dense and are often overconsumed.

Protein
Protein is the third macronutrient that can provide us with a source of energy. However, unlike carbohydrates and fat, protein consumption is less flexible because it has other essential roles in our diets. Protein provides the building blocks for our bodies. It is vital for growth, maintenance, structural support, and all the biological processes that occur. Studies suggest that when low protein foods are provided, we tend to consume more calories to meet protein requirement. For these reasons, we recommend you balance a meal by incorporating adequate amounts of protein in every meal, including snacks.


Foods Teaches how to prepare and cook Example of this this top 5 special recipes are:

"Bibingka Malagkit"

>Ingredients:

2 cups malagkit
4 cups coconut cream (thick and thin)
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 pieces pandan leaves
banana leaves

>Procedure:

Wash malagkit. Add coconut cream and pandan leaves. Cook in medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and half cooked. Add sugar. Important: do not add sugar in the first stage of cooking otherwise it would be hard to soften malagkit. Continue cooking and stirring for at least 10 minutes. Cover with banana leaves, lower heat and cook until done. Line greased pan with banana leaves. Grease leaves too. Then pour in cooked mixture, pack well. Spread topping and bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F until topping is firm. Then increase heat to 375 degrees F to make it brown. Topping Boil thick cream and brown sugar, then lower heat and simmer until thick (fudge like). I usually use 2 cups of coconut cream and a cup of brown sugar. You can add butter with the mixture for buttery flavor.

"BREADED CHICKEN BREASTS"



>Ingredients
4 med. chicken breasts
1 beaten egg
Salt
Fine dry bread crumbs
butter
Lemon wedges
Fresh parsley sprigs

>Procedure:
Remove bone from chicken breast and wash. Dry with absorbent paper. Place between two sheets of wax paper and pound until thin. In a shallow bowl beat egg and season with salt. Dip chicken in egg, then dredge in bread crumbs.

Heat butter in a large skillet and saute breasts until brown on both sides. Place on a warm platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and sprigs of fresh parsley.

"Baked Lasagna"


>Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tbsp. basil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 (1 lb.) can tomatoes (2 c.)
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
1 (10 oz.) pkg. lasagna noodles
Pint lg. curd cream style cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced very thin

>Procedure:
Brown meat slowly; spoon off excess fat. Add next 6 ingredients to meat. Simmer, uncovered, until thick, 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, rinse in cold water. Meanwhile, combine cottage cheese with next 5 ingredients.

Place half the noodles in 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish; spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over; add half of the mozzarella cheese and half the meat mixture. Repeat layers. Bake in moderate oven (about 375 degrees) for 30 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

"SWEET AND SOUR BEEF BALLS WITH
PINEAPPLE"


>Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
4 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
2 tbsp. chopped onion
Oil
1 c. pineapple juice
1 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. vinegar
6 tbsp. water
1/2 c. sugar
4 slices pineapple, cut up
3 lg. green peppers, cut in strips

>Procedure:
Combine ground beef, egg, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, salt, onion and pepper. Shape into 18 small balls, brown in oil, drain if greasy. Combine 1 tablespoon oil with pineapple juice. Cook over low heat for a few minutes. Combine remaining 3 tablespoon cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar. Add to pineapple juice mixture. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add meatballs, pineapple and green pepper. Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Serve over hot rice or cooked noodles.

"Chicken Fillet"

> Ingredients:
CHICKEN STIR FRY
1 1/2 lbs. of chicken fillet
3 tbsp. of vegetable oil
2 med. onions, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 pkg. of frozen snow peas
4 cubes of chicken bouillon dissolved in 4 cups water
1 can of mushroom pieces
1/2 c. cornstarch dissolved in water
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 tbsp. of soy sauce
1 (12 oz.) pkg. of egg noodles, cooked or cooked rice
Stir fry sliced onions, celery, and frozen snow peas in heated oil, in a wok or large skillet. Strain and set aside. Stir fry cubed chicken fillet until cooked on all sides. Add 4 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups of water and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain mushrooms and add. Thicken with cornstarch seasoned with salt and pepper. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and vegetables. Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles.