5 Fabulous Tips to Keep Your Family Food Save

Do you ever get a craving for some good homemade food, but feel a little intimidated by recipes that require more than a microwave?  Here are a few tips to help you make great meals at home while keeping yourself and your family safe from some common kitchen hazards.

1. Dress the Part

If you want to cook like a chef, start by dressing like one. Loose or baggy clothing can get in the way, spread pathogens, and can even be a fire hazard. Wear well-fitting clothing and remove loose jewelry as well. Wearing a clean apron can also protect your clothes from food and your food from clothes.

Besides killing your appetite, hair in food can also transfer harmful bacteria. If you have long hair, pull it back in a ponytail or bun. Wearing a hat is another way to keep your food safe, plus it looks great.

2. Defrosting Dinner

Meat, poultry, and fish can all harbor harmful bacteria. Keeping food below 40 ºF and above 140 ºF keeps bacteria from growing.  When defrosting your protein of choice for a meal it is important to keep it out of those in-between-temperatures as much as possible. Your three safest options are:

·       In the fridge, sealed, on the bottom self

·       Sealed, under cool running water

·       In the microwave oven

3. Keep it Clean

Nothing spreads germs as fast as hands. Wash your hands regularly with hot soapy water:

·       Before you begin
·       After touching raw meat, poultry, or fish

·       After using the restroom
·       After touching your face, hair, or just about anything else

4. Stay Sharp

Kitchen knives can be a great tool or a hazard. Keeping your edge sharp with sharpener and honing steel makes your job easier and lowers the risk of cutting yourself. When cutting vegetables hold them on the cutting board with fingers curved and place the flat of the blade against your knuckles. Then starting with the tip down slide knife forward and down, rocking the blade back and forth while inching fingers back on the vegetables.

5. Know Your Temp

Using a meat thermometer can take the guesswork out of food safety. Check the thickest part of the meat for accurate results.

·       Poultry -165 ºF

·       Beef, Pork, Lamb - 145 ºF

·       Ground meats - 160 ºF

·       Fish – 145 ºF

Try out these tips with this delicious Honey Coconut Cashew Chicken Stir Fry from the Carlsbad Cravings website.

INGREDIENTS

•  Stir Fry

•  1 pound chicken breasts, cut into ½ - 1-inch pieces

•  1/2 onion, chopped

•  1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips then havled

•  1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

•  3 cloves garlic, minced

•  1 heaping cup snow peas, ends trimmed

•   

•  Light Breading

•  1/2 cup cornstarch

•  1/2 teaspoon salt

•  1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

•  1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

•   

•  Honey Coconut Sauce

•  1/2 cup honey

•  1/2 cup quality coconut milk (I like Chakoah)

•  2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

•  2-3 tablespoons Asian Sweet Chili Sauce (3 for more heat)

•  3 tablespoons cider vinegar

•  1-2 teaspoons sriracha (optional)*

•  1/2 teaspoon salt

•  1/4 teaspoon pepper

•  2 teaspoons cornstarch

•   

•  Garnish

•  1 cup roasted, salted cashews

•  ¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes

•  green onions (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1  Whisk together all of the Honey Coconut sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl. Remove 1/4 cup Sauce and add it to a large freezer bag along with chicken. Let marinate while you prep vegetables OR up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Refrigerate remaining Honey Sauce separately.

2  Meanwhile, add 1/4 cup coconut flakes and 1 cup cashews to a large skillet and dry roast over medium heat, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes, or until coconut is golden. Set aside.

3  Whisk together Light Breading ingredients together in a large freezer bag. Remove chicken from marinade, pat off excess with paper towels and add to bag with Light Breading. Shake until evenly coated.

4  Heat 1 tablespoon olive/coconut oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and sauté for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned (chicken does not need to be cooked through). Remove to a plate. Wipe out skillet.

5  Add 1 tablespoon oil to the now empty skillet and heat over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add red bell peppers, ginger and garlic and saute 30 seconds. Stir sauce (to make sure cornstarch has not separated) and add to skillet along with chicken and snow peas; stir to combine. Simmer until sauce is thickened, vegetables are crisp tender, and chicken is cooked through, approximately 1-2 minutes.

6  Taste and add additional vinegar for more tang or sriracha for spicier (if too sweet) if desired.

Garnish individual servings with toasted coconut flakes and cashews.