Keeping Food Safe for a Healthy Holiday

         I know planning and preparing your holiday meal can be stressful, but one thing to keep in mind while cooking this holiday is  food safety and preventing foodborne illness! Foodborne illness can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea which only lasts for a day or two in healthy adults but can be more severe in older adults, pregnant women, young children and infants.  Even if you are healthy being sick for a couple days over the holidays is never fun!

Here are the four basic food safety measures to help you prevent foodborne illness this holiday!

                   Clean: The first and most important measure in food preparation.

·         Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.

·         Wash food-contact surfaces (cutting boards, utensils, dishes)

·         Rinse fruits and vegetables

·         DO NOT rinse raw meat. Rinsing meat can cause the spread of bacteria to unwanted areas like counter tops.


Separate: Avoid cross-contamination!

·         Keep raw meats, and eggs away from foods that won’t be cooked.

·         Use different cutting boards and utensils for raw foods and  foods that won’t be cooked like raw fruits and vegetables.

Cook: Heating food to the appropriate temperatures will kill any harmful bacteria.

·         Use a meat thermometer to make sure meat, poultry and fish are cooked to a safe temperature. When checking the temperature insert thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.

·         Cook eggs until yolk and whites are firm.

·         Don’t eat uncooked cookie dough, which may contain raw eggs or even unsafe raw flour.

Chill: Leaving foods in room temperature for too long can cause growth of bacteria.

·         Refrigerate leftovers within two hours.

·         Refrigerator should be set below 40°F and freezer at 0°F

·         When thawing frozen food:

o       Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave. Food thawed in cold running water or the microwave should be cooked immediately.

·         Leftovers should be eaten within three to four days.

·         Don’t eat anything that looks or smells questionable. As we dietitians always say..."When in doubt throw it out!"

Visit fightback.org for more information.


                                 Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy holiday!!!
                                                                                  

Butternut Squash: A Thanksgiving Must Have

          Did you know? This winter squash is fairly new to consumers; it wasn’t introduced commercially until 1944. Its flavor is similar to that of pumpkin making it a great substitute for any recipe that calls for pumpkin. Its taste is slightly sweet, soft, rich, buttery and light in flavor. When choosing butternut squash pick one that is heavy for its size. Squash will last for up to a month if stored in a cool, dark place.  Nutritionally butternut squash is fat free, cholesterol free, a good source of fiber, potassium and magnesium, and an excellent source of vitamins A and C!

            Butternut squash is one of my favorite winter produce. It is extremely versatile and is a great addition to any thanksgiving dinner! But, the question I'm sure you're asking is... how do I cook butternut squash? So here is your answer!!

            The tough skin on butternut squash makes it very difficult to peel. The easiest way to prepare squash is to first cut the squash in half vertically and remove all the seeds. Place the two halves cut side down in a 13X9 baking dish and add a half inch of water to the pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender- when you can pierce the squash easily with a fork. You can also cook the squash in the microwave on high for 10 to 15 minutes. Once fully cooked let cool then scoop out the flesh with a spoon, and mash the flesh with a potato masher.

            You can also peel and cut the squash before cooking, but make sure you have a good peeler! Again, start by cutting the squash vertically and remove all the seeds. Then peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, and cut the flesh into 1 inch cubes. At this point you can cook the flesh by boiling it in water for about 10 minutes or roasting it in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until tender. Once the squash is cooked remove from the oven or boiling water and mash with a potato masher.

            For a savory flavor add a tablespoon of margarine, and salt and pepper to taste. For a more sweet flavor try this recipe using apples and spices:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

serves 4

Ingredients:

·      3 cups of butternut squash - chopped

·      2 Granny Smith apples

·      1 teaspoon of cinnamon

·      1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

 

Directions

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2) Cut top part of the squash from the bulb end. Then peel it with a knife or a vegetable peeler. Cut the bulb end in half and remove (and discard) all the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. Chop the squash into one inch pieces.

3) With a vegetable peeler, peel two Granny Smith apples, removing the core with a small knife. Now slice the apple.

4) Put 1/2 of the squash into an 8 inch square baking dish. Layer one of the sliced apples on top. Add the rest of the squash. And now layer the second apple.

5) Sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg.

6) Cover the dish with tin foil and bake it in the oven for about 45-55 minutes.

7) When the squash and apples are tender, remove the dish from the oven.

8) With your potato masher start mashing.  Keep mashing until everything is smooth and well blended.

Serve hot and ENJOY!!!