TERM 3 HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Welcome to the second term of Holy Rosary's Building a Healthy Community Blog. As you can see, gone are the individual classroom pages, replaced with year level recipe pages. Contained on these pages will be all of the recipes which will be undertaken by students during their two years at those year levels.

Feel free to browse the recipes and the ingredients proposed, particularly if your child has an allergy. If in any situation your child can not eat a proposed ingredient, please inform the classroom teacher as soon as possible to help ensure appropriate modifications/alterations can be made to the recipe.

Salads with 3 different types of dressings

Last week we were back at the block. 3/4 WH and 5/6 SC students worked on our vegetable label stakes. Hopefully they will now be waterproof! 3/4 PN and 5/6 RR students worked on various jobs around the Block. Namely, moving the old chook house compost to the newly constructed compost boxes and digging holes for the orchard trees. The students were so excited to learn that we will soon be growing lemons, limes, nectarines, oranges, apples, plums, pears, apricots, mandarines, peaches, olives, cherries, brambleberries and raspberries. Yum!

This week, we're back in the kitchen making a salad with 3 different types of dressings. Students will be encouraged to think about how the dressings change the taste of the salad.

Students are also reminded to bring a container this week and next week to act as a plate for their Healthy Community session. As next week will be the last session of Healthy Community for Grade 3-6 students we will be having a sit down meal of baked potatoes. Therefore all classes will have their sessions on WEDNESDAY 23rd JUNE.

Below is the salad recipe:

Salads with 3 different types of dressings
(serves 30)

Equipment:
Knives
Chopping boards
Bowls
Food handling gloves
Mortar and pestle
Lemon juicer
Large bowls
Whisk

Classic Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
Salt
2 lemons
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
· Peel and chop the garlic.
· Place garlic in the mortar with a pinch of salt, then pound to a paste using the pestle.
· Juice the lemon and add the juice to the mortar, stir the lot with a table spoon and scrape it into a large bowl.
· Stir in the oil and add some pepper, then whisk the dressing lightly.


Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
· Whisk the balsamic vinegar and oil together in a bowl.
· Season to taste.


Caesar Dressing
Ingredients:
4 boiled eggs
2 cloves of garlic
2 lemons
4 tbs parmesan
2tbs Dijon mustard
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
· Place the garlic on a chopping board and flatten it by thumping with the side of a large knife.
· Juice the lemons.
· Grate the parmesan.
· Place the garlic, lemon juice, parmesan, mustard and eggs into the food processor.
· Process the ingredients until smooth.
· With the motor running, slowly dribble in the olive oil.
· Taste for salt and pepper.

Salad Ingredients:
12 cups of mixed salad leaves
6 cups of mixed small leaves and herbs (rocket leaves, beetroot leaves, baby spinach, parsley)
3 carrots, grated
4 tomatoes, diced
2 radishes, grated
2 beetroots, grated
2 capsicums, thinly sliced
100g feta cheese, diced

Salad Method:
1. Prepare the salads, adding ingredients that you have never tried before.
2. Divide the salads into thirds.
3. Place a small amount of each of the dressings onto your salads.
4. How does each dressing change the taste of each salad?

Mini Pizza!!

It's been a couple of weeks since the last post has been added. Due to the cross country, our arrangements for last week were changed a little bit. Students worked at the Rural Block, and doesn't it look fantastic!!! All of the garden beds have been planted out, the chooks are in their new home, paths have been weeded - ready for the fruit trees to be planted, and preparations have been started for netting to go over some of the garden beds. The students worked so well but of course it wouldn't have been possible without the hard work from Mr Kane! Thanks Kaney!!!

This week we're back in the kitchen making Smile Mini Pizzas. Yum. The recipe is as follows:

Smile Mini Pizzas
(serves 30)

Equipment:
Knives
Chopping boards
Baking paper
Baking tray
Platters
Napkins
Food handling gloves

Ingredients:
15 wholemeal pocket bread (that can be pulled in half)
300g tomato paste
2tbs dried oregano
500g grated low-fat cheese
2 small capsicums, diced
300g button mushrooms (sliced thinly)
2kg tomatoes, sliced
2 medium onions (or a bunch of spring onions), sliced into rings
400g tin pineapple pieces, drained
300g chopped ham

Method:
1. Preheat oven or grill.
2. Mix the oregano into the tomato paste.
3. Spread the pizza base (half of the pocket bread) with the tomato paste mixture.
4. Top your pizza with selected ingredients in the form of a smile (attempt to use all of the listed ingredients).
5. Top your pizza with a little bit of cheese.
6. Place under the grill until the cheese melts (about 5min) or in the oven for 10-15min.

The Muffin Man - Carrot muffins & Chocolate and Beetroot muffins

Sorry I wasn't available for the program last week. I hope you all had a chance to get up to The Block and get your hands dirty. If you didn't, don't despair, we'll be back up there soon enough.

This week we're back in the kitchen making yummy Carrot muffins and Chocolate and Beetroot muffins. Below are the recipes:

Carrot Muffins and Chocolate & Beetroot Muffins
(makes 12 muffins)

CARROT MUFFINS

Equipment:
Measuring spoons and cups
12 cupcake cases
1 x 12hole muffin tin
Peeler
Grater
Chopping board
Knives – 1 large, 1 small
Scales
Bowls – 1 small, 2 medium
Whisk
Table spoon
Fork
Baking paper
Wire rack

Ingredients:
1 medium carrot
15 stalks of parsley
60g cheddar cheese
220g self raising flour
1 egg
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil

Method:
· Preheat oven to 180˚.
· Drop a cupcake case into each hole of the muffin tin.
· Set out the grater, chopping board and knives.
· Peel and grate the carrot – you’ll need about ½ a cup.
· Rinse, dry and then chop parsley.
· Using the scales, weigh the cheese, then grate it.
· Mix the grated cheese, parsley and flour in a medium bowl, then add the carrot.
· In another medium bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk and oil.
· Make a well in the dry ingredients and tip in the liquid mixture. Mix lightly.
· Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases, filling them two-thirds full.
· Bake the muffins for 20-25min until browned on top.
· Once cooked, remove the muffins from the oven. Leave them in the tins for a couple of minutes before turning them out onto the wire rack to cool.


CHOCOLATE & BEETROOT MUFFINS

Equipment:
Scales
12 cupcake cases
1 x 12hole muffin tin
Peeler
Grater
Food processor
Bowls – 2 medium, 1 large
Measuring spoons and cups
Sifter
Whisk
Spoons
Wire rack

Ingredients:
1 large beetroot
175g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
80g butter
2tbs cocoa
1 large egg
¼ cup milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup castor sugar
½ cup well packed brown sugar
12 squares of dark chocolate (approx 100g)


Method:
· Preheat oven to 180˚.
· Drop a cupcake case into each hole of the muffin tin.
· Peel and grate the beetroot. (Your food processor may have a grating attachment, which will make this task much easier). You will need to use the scales to make sure you have 250g.
· Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a medium bowl, then sift again (this is called double sifting). Set the sifted ingredients aside.
· Rinse and dry the now empty bowl, and use it to lightly whisk together the egg and milk.
· In the clean bowl of the food processor, combine the softened butter, oil, and 2 kinds of sugar, and process until creamy. Gradually add the egg and milk mixture. Transfer the batter to the large mixing bowl.
· Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then stir in the grated beetroot. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
· Break the chocolate into 12 squares and poke a square of chocolate into the top of each muffin.
· Bake for 20-25min until the muffins are well-risen and feel springy.
· Once cooked, remove the muffins from the oven. Leave them in the tins for a couple of minutes before turning them out onto the wire rack to cool.

Reflection on first week in the kitchen and what's happening in Week 3

First of all, can I please say a bit thanks to all of the students for being so enthusiastic during our first session in the kitchen. Although on Wednesday the Hummus was a bit of a disaster, we tweaked the recipe for Thursday and it tasted much better (the trick, halve the garlic quantity).

Students have begun the process of safely using knives and hopefully the skills in this area will continue to improve. We enforce very strict rules when it comes to knives. Namely, not walking with knives, waving them in the air and also when they're not in use placing them against the wall of their workbench with the blade facing the wall. It is also essential that students learn the skills of tucking their fingers in when they chop and using the correct technique. As I've said more thank once with the students, "We have all started with 10 fingers, we want to finish with 10 fingers".

Next week we'll be working at the Rural Block. Planting, weeding, chooks, watering and general tasks will be the order of the day. It's already looking fantastic at the Block so I'm excited to see what two days of solid work will do.

Below are some photo's of 5/6RR in the kitchen.

See you all next week,

Mrs Carter

Reflection on first week in the kitchen and what

Week 2 ~ Preparing a healthy snack

Students responded really well to the Building a Healthy Community initial lesson. It will be very exciting to see how we all go once we're in the kitchen. This week students will be making three different kinds of dips with a variety of vegetables and some bread to go with them. The recipes are as follows:

Preparing a healthy snack ~ Dips with bread & veges

Equipment:
Food processor, Knives, Chopping boards, Platters, Napkins, Food handling gloves, Dip serving bowls, Peelers, Medium mixing bowls, Small mixing bowls, Frying pan, Wooden spoon, Mortar and pestle, Spatula, Lemon juicer, Tea spoons, Forks

Hummus Dip
Ingredients:
· 150g Pre-prepared chick peas
· 1/2 cup of water that the chick peas were cooked in
· 1tsp paprika
· 1tbs extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 tsp cumin seeds
· 4 parsley leaves
· 2 cloves garlic
· 2 lemons
· 2/3 cup tahini paste
· Salt
· Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Mix the paprika and oil in a small bowl and set aside.
• Heat the cumin seeds in the frying-pan over medium heat, stirring with the wooden spoon until they smell fragrant.
• Tip the seeds into the mortar and pestle and use the pestle to grind to a powder.
• Wash the parsley leaves and pat dry with a tea towel.
• Peel and chop the garlic.
• Juice the lemons.
• Place the chick peas, lemon juice, cumin and garlic in the food processor, along with half of the cooking water, and process to a smooth cream.
• Spoon in the tahini and blend again.
• Add more cooking water if the mixture is too thick.
• Taste for salt and pepper.
• Use a spatula to scoop the paste into the serving bowl. Mark a channel all around the paste with a teaspoon, then drizzle the paprika oil into this channel.
• Decorate the plate with the parsley leaves.
  

Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
· 1 packet of frozen chopped spinach
· 300ml sour cream
· 1 packet of spring vege soup mix.
· Boiling water for the spinach

Method:
· Prepare the spinach as per the instructions on the box.
· Pour the sour cream into a medium sized bowl.
· Add the drained spinach to the sour cream. Mix with a fork.
· Stir in the packet of spring vegetable soup mix.
· Refrigerate for 10-15min

Mrs Carter's Dip

Ingredients:
· 2 blocks of philli cheese
· 1 packet of cream of chicken soup
· 1 cup of water (or as much as required)

Method:
· Place the philli cheese blocks in a medium sized mixing bowl.
· Microwave the philli cheese for 1 minute.
· Using a fork, start mixing the philli cheese.
· Slowly add a little bit of the water. Continue stirring.
· Add a quarter of the soup mix and a bit more water. Continue stirring.
· Repeat the above step until all of the soup mix is gone and when your dip is of a good consistency (not too runny).
· Refrigerate for 10-15min.

Bread and Vegetables
Ingredients: 15 pieces of pita bread, 10 carrots, celery bunch, 5 cucumbers, 4 capsicums.
Method: Cut up the above ingredients and assemble on the platters.