Week 24-One Dish Dinners - WebCookingClasses

Week 24-One Dish Dinners

"Having a busy day? Skillet dinners, casseroles and pot pies not only make great comfort food, but save time for the busy cook. Whether you're entertaining a crowd or bringing a dish to a potluck dinner, these one-dish meals

are easy to serve and make ahead, saving time in the kitchen, and time over the dish sink."

Characteristics of Food Proteins coagulate ? become firm when heated. They shrink, lose moisture. Coagulation occurs 160-185 degrees

Carbohydrates ? starches and sugars are both carbohydrates

? Carmelization ? browning of sugars ? 338 degrees

? Gelatinization ? starches absorb water and expand -- begins at 150 degrees

Fats ? Present in meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk products, nuts, grains. Fat can be liquid (oil) or solid and is an important cooking medium as in frying. When heated too much, they smoke, break down, deteriorate.

Water ? turns to steam at 212 degrees, evaporates

Steam is used to leaven baked goods, or make them puff up

Minerals ? are important for the nutrition of foods. Consider them vitamins. Minerals also offer pigment or color to foods. Over cooking destroys minerals and pigments, turning foods brown

Types of Heat Transfer Conductive - Single source direct heat Convective ? Heat is spread through the movement of air, steam, or liquid. Stirring is a form of convective cooking. In One Dish procedure we use Convective heat transfer, but the combination of various ingredients that need to be treated differently can make this seemingly simple type of food preparation more of a challenge than you might think.

Cooking Equipment The Oven is a "box" to cook food in. Hot air rises like a balloon, hits the top of the oven, cycles downward The Stove applies heat directly to the bottom of the pan. Heat flows from stove to pan, from pan to outside of food, from outside of food to inside of food

Important Aspects of the One Dish procedure

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All vegetables need to be cut consistently

?

Carrots are firmer than mushrooms--cut carrots

smaller

?

Consider the juices that meats may give off, poten-

tially making the dish watery

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Starches, beans, pastas, rice will absorb liquid

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Assure there is enough moisture to avoid dried

starches, generally 2:1- liquid:starch

To further simplify this method of cooking, often pre-cooked meats, vegetables and starches are used. (convenience foods help in prep time and consistency).

Food is done cooking when desired changes happen: Coagulation of proteins

caremelization or gelatinization of starches water to steam

Things that effect cook times

Type of heat transfer Size of product

Applied temperature Characteristics of food item

Type of Cooking Vessel

Copyright 2009 Todd Mohr Unauthorized Duplication Prohibited

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