By C. Stevens, teacher at AIT L’Ametlla

Why what you eat matters

Your health depends, in part, on what you eat. If you maintain food safety and a healthy diet, you can improve your health.

In contrast, unsafe food practices and unwholesome food lead to serious health problems, just as poor-quality fuel can lead to car problems. They may not appear immediately, but they will come.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that “every country in the world is affected by one or more forms of malnutrition”.

Four keys to food safety

1. Prepare food safely. Why? Dangerous germs in contaminated food and water can enter your body and make you sick.

Health experts recommend:
• Before you prepare food, wash your hands with soap and water.
• Use soap and water to wash cutting boards, dishes and anything else that will touch food.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables.

2. Separate raw and cooked foods. Why? Germs from raw food such as meat and its juices will contaminate other food.

Health experts recommend:
• Separate all raw foods -especially meats- from prepared foods when you carry them home from the market and store them.
• After cutting raw meat, thoroughly wash your hands, the knife, and the cutting board before cutting any other food.

3. Make sure food that needs to be cooked is cooked thoroughly. Why? Harmful germs are killed only if the food reaches a high enough temperature.

Health experts recommend:
• Cook food until it is very hot. Food including the innermost portion of meat. Must reach 70 degrees Celsius (160ºF) for at least 30 seconds.
• Bring soups and stews to a boil.
• To eat previously-cooked food, reheat it until it is hot and steaming.

4. Keep food at safe temperatures. Why? If food is stored at a temperature between 5 and 60 degrees Celsius for just 20 minutes, the number of bacteria in it can double.

Health experts recommend:
• Keep food hot or cold, not lukewarm, to slow or stop germs from multiplying.
• Never leave food sitting at room temperature for more than two hours, or for more than one hour if the room temperature is over 32 degrees Celsius.
• After it is cooked, keep food hot until just before serving.

Three keys to healthy eating

1. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day.
2. Eat only moderate amounts of fats and oils.
3. Limit your intake of salt and sugar.

QUESTIONS

1. In part, what does your health depend on?
2. What does the World Health Organization (WHO) states?
3. Why do we have to separate raw food from cooked food?
4. Is this stamen true? “We can keep food at a room temperature for more than five hours” Why or why not?
5. “It is safe to reheat food after has been cooked” Is this true?

En 2011, las empanadillas de Cornualles recibieron una Denominación de Origen Protegida. Conoce más acerca de esta receta tradicional.

         The Cornish pasty is known and loved throughout Great Britain and has long been part of its heritage.

It is believed the pasty originated with Cornish tin miners who, unable to return to the surface at lunchtime, could still enjoy a hearty meal. With their hands often dirty from a morning’s work, the pasty could be held easily by the thick pastry crust without contaminating the contents.

The traditional Cornish pasty recipe is perfect for a lunchbox, but also makes a great main course dish when served with fresh vegetables and must be considered one of the first-to-go foods. This recipe uses a short crust pastry made by hand or in a food processor, but if you are short of time, a ready-made pastry will do fine.

In 2011, Cornish pasties were given a Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. For producers to be able to place these designations on their food packaging, they must be prepared in accordance with strict parameters using authentic ingredients and traditional methods of cooking to preserve their integrity. 

Ingredients

• For the Pastry
• 1 cup flour
• Pinch salt
• 2 ounces butter (or half lard and half butter, cubed)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water (cold)
• For the Filling 
• 1/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup potato (cut into 1/4-inch dice)
• 1/2 cup swede (cut into 1/4-inch dice)
• 1/2 cup rump steak (cut into small cubes)
• Salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 large egg

ENJOY!!!

Recipe by Alicia Martínez (German and English Teacher at AIT Language School)

Hoy os traemos una receta fácil y rápida para hacer galletas de chocolate caseras. ¡Riquísimas!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening (might prove problematic in Barcelona, but I have successfully found other forms of hardened vegetable oil that have done the trick; when in doubt, just use more butter)
• 1.5 cups packed whole brown sugar
• 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour (if not feeling adventurous, use a mix of white and whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips.

Elaboration:

In a large bowl put cream together with butter and shortening. Gradually add sugars, Creaming thoroughly. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture.

Stir in chips. (at this point, chill dough for a few minutes to firm it up; cookies will retain their shape better). Drop butter by spoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Flatten slightly. Bake in 190°C oven for 8 to 9 minutes until golden brown but still slightly underbaked. Remove from oven and let stand on sheets for 5 minutes (they’ll continue to cook a bit), then remove to racks to cool completely.

It’s the time in oven you have to watch like a hawk because there does come a moment where all that sugar and butter crystallize.

By Alicia Martínez, German and English Teacher at AIT Language School

Practica tus habilidades de lectura (y de cocina) con el artículo de esta semana: ¡Una receta de galletas de avena!

You were on a diet and have lost the desired weight? CONGRATULATIONS! Now your aim is to maintain what you have reached but you cannot avoid eating some sweet? Here we have an easy and delicious recipe to enjoy a sweet without having remorse.

Ingredients:

• 3 tangerines or an orange (juice and grated)
• 100 gr whole wheat flour 
• 200 gr of fine oat flakes
• 100 gr of brown sugar
• 100 ml virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of chemical yeast
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of honey

Preparation

1. Grate the skin of the tangerines or orange and extract both their juice.
2. Put the grated rind, the flour, the oats, the brown sugar, the yeast and the salt in a bowl and mix everything well.
3. Make a hole in the center and add the egg, the oil, the juice of the tangerines or the orange and the honey and mix it again.
4. Wet the hands and make small balls that we will put in the oven tray previously covered with vegetable paper.
5. Flatten them lightly with your hands. – If we want them spongy or crispy depends on the thickness-.
6. Put them in the oven previously preheated to 200º (up and down) for 10 or 15 minutes until they are golden brown

As optional ingredients to vary the flavor you can add chocolate chips, nuts or raisins.

Enjoy it!

¡Las temperaturas bajan! Parece ser que estos días el invierno volverá con las pilas cargadas, así que hoy queremos compartir una receta de origen irlandés llamada Shepherd’s Pie.

Se trata de un pastel de carne muy fácil de preparar y es ideal para combatir el frío invernal.  Enjoy your meal!

Preparation time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 2 pounds red skinned (or russet) potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2)
• 6 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ‘A teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

For the meat filling:

• 2 pounds ground beef or ground Iamb
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium-large onion, chopped (about 11/4 cup)
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

How to cook Shepherd’s Pie

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You’ll need one 11×7″ baking dish or approximate.

Place diced potatoes in medium saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Decrease to a simmer and cook until tender. About 10-15 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Add cream (or ‘/z and 1/2), butter, salt and pepper. Cover with lid to let butter melt. Once butter has melted mash potatoes until smooth. Stir until combined. Add in beaten egg yolk and stir again until combined. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

While potatoes are cooking, brown hamburger meat in large skillet or sauté pan, drain, and remove from pan.

Add the canola oil to the skillet/sauté pan and heat over medium high until it shimmers. Add the onion, and carrots and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Next, add the browned beef, salt and pepper. Combine well and cook for about 3 minutes over medium. Sprinkle the meat mixture with flour and toss to coat. Cook for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, and thyme into the meat mixture. Combine well, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the sauce slightly thickens.

Finally, add the corn and peas to the meat mixture, and mix together.

Transfer beef mixture to an 11×7″ baking dish (or approximates). Smooth mashed potatoes across top, taking care to cover the whole top all the way to the edges. It helps to use a rubber spatula to create a seal. This prevents the mixture from bubbling out too much.

Place baking dish on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of 400°F oven for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes just begin to brown.

Cool a bit before serving.

Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenniferschaffer/yum-british-food?utm_term=.dbMdYy8zww#.ja7kXmPerr