WBRC Students Attend Healthy Teaching Kitchen Demo

Photo: WBRC Veterans interact at the Healthy Teaching Kitchen Demo

WBRC Students Attended a Healthy Teaching Kitchen (HTK)cooking demonstration today at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System Wednesday Farmer's Market.  The Healthy Teaching Kitchen is a program run through VAPAHCS by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Coordinator and provides live healthy cooking demonstration events.  The Healthy Teaching Kitchen provides demonstrations at the VAPAHCS Wednesday Farmer's Market on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.


During the demonstration the Veterans observed the preparation and cooking of a healthy recipe for 'Mediterranean Beef Burgers', asked questions, and tasted a sample of the completed recipe.  The HTK staff also educated participants about food safety when cooking outdoors.


They reported that the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 6 Americans get sick from contaminated foods and beverages and about 3,000 die each year. When foods are prepared on the grill or at picnics, it is even more important to practice good food safety.  HTK recommended the following tips for cooking outdoors:


Cook:
Cook foods at the right temperature.  Many people thing they cane tell when food is 'done' by checking it's color and texture.  But there is no way to tell if it is safe without using a food thermometer.  Cooking temperatures vary, for instance chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F and ground beef to 160 degrees F.  Visit www.foodsafety.gov for more information.


Clean
Wash hands and surfaces often, illness causing bacteria can survive in many places around your cooking area including hands, utensils, cutting boards, and countertops.  Make sure when you are preparing foods you have a working sink or wash station near by.


Chill
Refrigerate foods promptly.  Illness-causing bacteria can grow in many foods within two hours unless you refrigerate them.  During the summer heat, cut that time down to one hour.  Always keep cold items cold by covering them with ice and keeping them in the shade.


Separate
Separate raw meats from other foods.  Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread illness-causing bacteria to ready-to-eat foods - unless you keep them separate.  Use different cutting boards for meat and veggies to limit contamination.


Please see below for the Recipe:

Mediterranean Beef Burgers

Ingredients

1lb Ground Beef (90% Lean/10% Fat)

1 Large Green Onion (Scallion)

¾ cup of Baby Spinach

1/3 cup of crumbled Feta Cheese

1 ½ tsp Fresh Dill

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Black Pepper

2 cloves of garlic

First, chop green onions, spinach, dill and garlic and set to the immediate side. Next, wash your hands thoroughly, in a large bowl combine ground beef, chopped onions, spinach, dill, garlic, feta, salt and pepper.  Once all is in the bowl, using hands combine all of the items into a large well mixed ball. Separate burgers out into 4 equal sized patties.  Wash your hands again thoroughly.

Next heat a grill pan or frying pan on medium high heat, spray with cooking spray or 1 tsp olive oil and set burgers in pan.  Cook on each side for 6 minutes for medium doneness or until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Dress your burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomatoes and other condiments, or enjoy you burger cut up in to strips in a pita or on a bed of lettuce.   

Nutrition

Calories: 313 Cal

Carbs: 2g

Fat: 14g

Protein: 32g

Sodium: 415mg

Sugar: 0g