 |
|
 |
COOKING WITH DAIRY 101
Cooking with dairy provides your family with meals and snacks that are both delicious and nutritious. We offer you cooking and storage tips for your dairy products, information about nutrition, and of course, mouth-watering recipes.
SPOTLIGHT ON SOUR CREAM
VARIETIES:
Sour cream or cultured sour cream is pasteurized cream that contains no less than 18% milkfat and the addition of bacteria allowed to grow and produce lactic acid.
Acidified sour cream is also pasteurized cream containing no less than 18% milkfat with the addition of acidifiers .
Sour half-and-half contains no less than 10.5% milkfat and the addition of bacteria producing lactic acid.
Acidified sour half-and-half contains no less than 10.5% milkfat and the addition of acidifiers.
IN THE DIET:
Sour cream contains only 25 calories per tablespoon. One tablespoon offers 14 milligrams of calcium, 95 International Units (IU) of vitamin A, and .018 mg. of riboflavin (B2).
SHOPPING POINTERS:
Sour cream is available solo or , as the label indicates, flavors of sweeteners added such as fruit, fruit juices, blue cheese, onion, horseradish, chives, bacon bits, seafood, or spices.
STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Refrigerate covered at 40 degrees F. Freezing is not recommended as it causes separation. Peak freshness lasts several days after purchase. Total keeping time is about 4 weeks.
Characteristics of high quality sour cream include a mild hint of acid flavor, thick, smooth body and absence of separation. If separation does occur, stir until liquid is reabsorbed.
Sour cream for dips should pass the potato chip test – thin enough not to break the chip but thick enough not to run or drip.
WAYS WITH SOUR CREAM:
A dip for chips of fresh vegetables.
A baked potato topper with bacon or chives.
A dollop on chilled tomato juice of borscht.
A dressing on a crisp garden salad.
Add to fish or gravies for extra tang.
A dab on pound cake, apple pie, or rice pudding.
Combine with brown sugar to top blueberries, seedless grapes, strawberries, etc.
RECIPES
WEEKLY RECIPE
Many more mouth-watering recipes can be found here:
Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5
Bran Brown Bread
- 1 cup whole bran cereal
- 1 cup BUTTERMILK
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 tbsp. molasses
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp. soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
Combine cereal, buttermilk, raisins, molasses, and sugar. Sift flour, soda, and salt together; add to bran mixture. Mix well. Place in greased loaf pan. Bake at 375º for 35 to 40 minutes.
BUTTERMILK
The tangy product we call buttermilk evolved from the process of making butter. Since butter making has been around 5,000 years, buttermilk also dates back that far. Early colonists utilized the fluid left over from butter making to use as a beverage and cooking ingredient.
Today’s buttermilk is made by fermentation. Bacteria of specially selected strains are grown or cultured under laboratory conditions then added to milk, converting some of the milk sugar lactose to lactic acid. Most often, lowfat or skim milk is used in this process. Salt is also added in small quantities to enhance flavor.
All the food nutrients essential for health and well being, can be found in a serving (8 oz.) of buttermilk. They are vitamin A, vitamin C, Thiamin (B1), Niacin, Iron, and the highest amounts being calcium, protein, and riboflavin (B2). If made with skim milk, the calorie value per 8 oz. glass is 90. Buttermilk made with 2% milkfat is 120 calories and , if made with whole milk, is 150 calories.
It is interesting to note that Europeans enjoy flavored buttermilk such as chocolate, cherry, pineapple, and strawberry. There is little or no demand for these products in the United States.
Buttermilk should be kept clean, cool, and covered. Due to the acidity in buttermilk, the growth of spoilage bacteria is retarded and will keep for as long as two weeks after purchase if stored properly. Peak flavor, however, is best when used within the first week after purchase. The longer the period of refrigeration, the greater the increase in acidity and consequent loss of flavor.
Freezing buttermilk is not advised as separation of the watery portion from the solids occurs and taste is altered. If buttermilk has been frozen, stir gently after thawing to recombine whey and solids.
Cooks use buttermilk as a cooking ingredient for light and tender cakes, biscuits, and pancakes. It is also used to tenderize meats and offsets the ‘gaminess’ of venison if marinated overnight in buttermilk.
NUTRITION
UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
It cannot be emphasized enough – milk is a nutrient dense food providing a high level of essential nutrients when compared to its calorie count. Each serving of milk provides 10% or more of the recommended daily intake for calcium, Vitamin D (if fortified), protein, potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B 12 , riboflavin, and phosphorus.
PROTEIN – Key to repairing muscles. Protein found in milk is high quality meaning it contains ALL essential amino acids, the so called building blocks of protein.
PHOSPHORUS – Key to strengthening bones.
VITAMIN D – Key to helping the body absorb calcium.
MAGNESIUM –Key to healthy bones and teeth.
POTASSIUM – Key to regulating the body’s fluid balance and maintaining normal blood pressure.
ZINC – Key to keeping skin, bones, and hair healthy.
VITAMIN A – Key to maintaining normal vision.
NIACIN – Key to maintaining the normal function of enzymes.
VITAMIN B 12 – Key to building red blood cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to working muscles.
RIBOFLAVIN (B2) – Key to converting food into energy. Also promotes both skin and eye health.
No wonder milk is considered to be the most complete single food there is! What is the key to good health? Make dairy products part of your daily meal plans – 3 EVERY DAY!