Burger Competition

Last week, Friday, we had a burger competition where we compete with other groups and have our own burger recipes. 

Evaluation: 

1. How does colour enhance the overall effects of our burgers? The colours are an important part of our burger because it determines the taste and flavour of our burger. Since colour is often the first element noticed in the appearance of a food product. For example, the colour of our burger; The bun is a brioche bun, it had a shiny appearance and golden brown colour. The pattie was made of chicken and other spices, it was crispy and have a golden appearance. The vegetables gave a pleasant colour, assuming it is fresh because it was all in shades of green. The sauces we used was Japanese mayonnaise and oyster sauce, of course, we can presume that it is a chicken katsu style burger. 

2. How does the texture affect the feel of the burger as you eat it? Texture plays an important role when it comes to food. This is because the texture dictates the quality of the food, as well as its nutrition and aroma. For our burger product, the texture of the buns was soft, it was very delicate. The pattie was crispy, tender, juicy and flavourful. The vegetables were fresh, crunchy and chewy. The sauces were creamy and slippery. 

3. What did the burger taste like? The burger was heavenly and scrumptious. I didn't expect it would taste that good, I thought it would be too spicy because we put chilli powder and flakes to it. The buns were chewy and doughy and warm. The pattie was leguminous and very original. 

Ingredients that enhanced the flavour of the patties were chilli flakes and chilli powder. If we were only to put salt and pepper, the pattie would taste plain but I am really glad that we used chilli powder and chilli flakes because it enhanced the flavour.

Home Economics For This Term

In our lesson in Home Economics, we have to make a blog post about all of the things we've cooked this term. The food we have cooked this far are hamburgers, cupcakes, 4-way wrap, chow mein, spaghetti with meatballs, taco bowl, potato salad, etc. 

We are focusing on the colour, texture and flavour of this term and how they are significant when cooking. 

Firstly, colour plays an important part in the food industry because it attracts consumers. There's a saying that "You Eat With Your Eyes First", the reason why this is true is that when food looks good in our eyes, we expect them to taste as good as they look. It helps the consumer to make a decision whether they should purchase the product or not. The way a certain food looks gives consumers an impression of its quality and taste. 

Secondly, texture is essential because it determines the quality of the food and its nutritional value.

Lastly, the flavour is probably the most important as all of them, flavours come in different varieties such as artificial and natural. Flavour determines the quality of the food as well as its nutrition. When food tastes good, it gives happiness to the consumers and fulfils their desires. 

For instance, in a burger, we added a lot of ingredients that combined well together. These ingredients have different nutritional values, rich in vitamins and proteins. When we see lettuce in a burger, we will think that it's juicy, crunchy and healthy. When we see meat, we expect it to be savour and chewy. Tomatoes, sweet and sour, soft and juicy. 

Therefore, we should always take note of the texture, colour and flavour of the food we eat, this will help us enhance our techniques and skills with cooking and knowledge. We should also observe and be mindful of the food we eat and cook; How we cook things and how we can be safe while we do so. This is so we can pass the knowledge on to other people. 

Importance Texture, Flavour and Colour - Home Economics

 In our lesson in Home Economics, we discussed the texture, colour and flavour of the dish we created that we have chosen. We also brainstormed the reason for the food to be in that state. I used "Spaghetti Meatballs" as an example. I listed down the characteristics the meatballs had. 

I used canvas to brainstorm my ideas. 

Why is texture, flavour and colour important to a dish? 

Colour is important because grabs the attention of the people, it is more enjoyable when it has a visual appeal. When something is colourful or vibrant we expect it to taste good so the saying of we eat with our eyes is true. 

The texture is important because it determines the quality of the food also to know if it's cooked or raw. 

Flavour is important because it enhances the taste of the food.

Home Economics Year 10 2021

Home Economics Year 10 

2021 Practical Revision

This slide showcases the comments we had based on the teamwork and dish. 

It also shows the "Health and Safety" we used during practical.

Each slide has different recipe, comments and health safety about them. 

Every time we are having our practical, I will be updating this slide.

Coconut Flakes Coated Chocolate Truffles - Home Economics

In our lesson in Home Economics, we made an extra recipe, but it's not just a recipe, it's special because it's "Christmas Edition". We made Christmas Truffles.

• Vanilla extract
• Butter
• Icing sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Coconut flakes
• Dried cranberries
• Marshmallow
• Crackers

1. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.

2. Add the vanilla extract, cocoa and few coconut flakes.

3. Crush the crackers in a food processor or with your hands, completely up to you.

4. Add in the crushed crackers as well as the dried cranberries and marshmallows in the mixture. 

5. Roll them into a ball shape up to 14 grams because you want it to be a bite-sized food.

6. Once you're done, cover the ball on the coconut flakes. 

This is what it should look like

Empanada - Home Economics

 Empanada 

What are you developing?    

We are making a healthy dish where there are a lot of nutrients you can get.

What healthy dishes have we made so far? 

• Stir fry 
• Smoothies 
• Frittata
• Mexican chicken
• Spring rolls
• Apple crumble
• Muffins
• Vegetarian nachos
• Open steak sandwich
• Mac n cheese 
• Nachos

Who is the product for? The people in our group

Why are you making this product? We are making this product to showcase the Mexican, Latin American, European and Filipino Culture. 

What flavours and colours go together? 

Beef + Potato + Carrots + Cheese + Seasonings (Cayenne Pepper, Salt, Pepper)

Capsicum + Mince Pork + Peas  + Corn +  Seasonings (Chilli Flakes)

Chicken + Potato + Raisins + Seasonings (Salt and Pepper)

Vegetarian: 

Potato + Capsicum + Peas + Seasonings (Salt and Pepper)

Corn + Carrots + Raisins + Potato + Seasonings (Salt and Pepper) 

How to make your healthy dish appealing and attractive?

We are going to make this dish healthy by filling it with proteins such as chicken, fish, beef. Vitamins and minerals from vegetables such as corn, potatoes, etc. 

We will make it look more attractive, by adding colourful vegetables, maybe adding meat depending on the people who like meat as it looks more appetizing. We want to make the dough wrapping look more interesting or pretty. By using a fork on the edge creating a nice ridge or rim. 

What are the pros (good) and cons (bad) of these recipes?

Pros: 

• It has a lot of nutrients and benefits such as providing energy if we were to use potatoes since it has starch in it. 
• Because of the ingredients, this can be food that lasts long, as it has complex foods in it and macronutrients. 

Cons: 

• A classic way of making it is by adding meat into it so maybe some people might be vegetarians. 
• Depending on the ingredients it may not be so healthy.

Modifications - do you need to modify (change) anything? Add a healthier filling by putting vegetables together

What macro and micronutrients are in your dish?

Macronutrients: 

• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Eggs  
• Peas
• Butchery NZ Premium Beef Mince
• Butchery NZ Pork Mince 
• Butchery NZ Chicken Tenderloins 
• Produced Red Capsicum 
• Value Whole Kernel Corn 
• Meadow Fresh Traditional Sour Cream
• Mainland Tasty Grated Cheese 

Micronutrients:

• Salt & Pepper & Cayenne Pepper
• Chilli Flakes 
• Value Raisins 
• Trident Sweet and Chilli Sauce 

Shopping List: 

Resource: Pak n Save

• Farmer Brown Size 7 Eggs - 12pk ($3.29) 
• Produce Carrots - 100g ($0.27)  = ($0.81)
• Value Potatoes - 3kg ($4.99)
• Value Garden Peas - 1kg ($2.09)
• Butchery NZ Premium Beef Mince - 100g ($1.40)
• Butchery NZ Pork Mince - 100g ($1.60)
• Butchery NZ Chicken Tenderloins - 100g ($1.80) 
• Produced Red Capsicum - ($0.95)
• Value Whole Kernel Corn - 410g ($0.95)
• Chilli Flakes - 20g ($2.09)
• Value Raisins - 400g ($3.09)
• Meadow Fresh Traditional Sour Cream - 250g ($2.79) for Dip-In-Sauce
• Trident Sweet and Chilli Sauce - 285g ($1.99) for Dip-In-Sauce
• Mainland Tasty Grated Cheese - 375g ($7.29)

Total: $35.45

Ingredients + Method: 

• 450 g sirloin steak
• olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 large onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 fresh red chilli
• ½ tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 20 g black olives (stone in)
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• ½ an organic beef stock cube
• 1 large free­-range egg
• 500 g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 150 g unsalted butter (cold)

Resource: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/beef-empanadas/

1. To make the pastry, combine the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of sea salt in a large bowl. Finely chop or coarsely grate the butter, then rub into the dry mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Mix in just enough cold water to bring it together, then wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop and add the sirloin with 1 tablespoon of oil to a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove to a plate.
4. Peel and finely chop the garlic and onion. Deseed and finely chop the pepper and chilli, then add to the frying pan over medium-low heat. Stir in the paprika and cumin, and fry for 10 minutes, or until softened.
5. Crush the olives with the flat side of your knife, pull out and discard the stones, then finely chop the flesh.
6. Add the purée to the pan and crumble in the stock cube. Fry for a further minute, then add the olives and 100ml of boiling water. Bring to the boil, season lightly with sea salt and black pepper.
7. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes over a medium heat, or until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Return the beef and any resting juices to the pan, stir well, then leave to cool completely.
8. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
9. Divide the pastry into 14 equal pieces, then roll each portion into 14cm circles and the thickness of a pound coin – use a biscuit cutter or saucer for an accurate round.
10. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the middle of each pastry round, brush the edges with a little beaten egg, then fold them over the filling to make a semi-circle. Press the edges together with a fork to seal, then place onto a large, lightly greased baking tray.
11. Brush the empanadas with the beaten egg and bake in the hot oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Leave to rest for a few minutes, then serve on a platter.

Evaluation 

5 Senses:

Sight: It doesn't look appealing because we ran out of time when we were filling the puff pastry because as soon as we got the filling out of the pan. We put it straight in the puff pastry and it melted it. There were small holes on the pastry because it melted so the filling was clearly visible. It was pale but had a brownish golden colour due to the egg. When you bite into it, you can see every ingredient that was used, it was very colourful.

Touch: The texture outside was crunchy because we used an egg to brush the dough. Inside, it was soft because of the potatoes and carrots and juicy due to the chicken and beef.

Smell: It smells really good, aromatic due to the combinations of different ingredients.

Taste: The fillings tasted good despite its appearance, it was cheesy and a bit spicy. Pleasant on the taste buds.

Hear: When you bite into it, you can hear the crunch. 

What are my thoughts? It was surprisingly good, although the shape was a fail, the fillings inside were good and it tasted better than I expected it to be. 

What needs to be worked on?

I think that we didn't have bad time management, it only seems like that's the reason but the real reason was we didn't have enough time to cook the fillings because there were a lot of ingredients. We had an hour to make it but it didn't feel like an hour. We ran out of time but managed to cook the empanadas although it needed a little bit more time to be cooked. 

I think what also needs to improve is knowing what to do and how to collaborate as part of the group. Some of the people in my group weren't working as fast as I wanted them to be. I did try to help as much as someone who has made and eaten empanada. Some also didn't know what to do, so that was my fault for not telling them before.

Expectations 

Reality

Crispy Mexican Chicken Wrap - Home Economics

In our lesson in Home Economics, we made "Crispy Mexican Chicken Wrap". 

Ingredients: 

• Capsicum 
• Carrots
• Cheese
• Lettuce 
• Chicken 
• Crispy Seasoning 
• Tortilla  
• Chives
• Sour Cream
• Salsa

Flavour: 

It was juicy and cheese. 

Texture: 

It was crispy and smooth due to the sour cream and salsa. 

Rate: 

5/5 

Comments: I really love anything that's savoury and has meat and vegetables. What I don't like is a dish with just vegetables. But the wrap has chicken has was coated with crumbs and seasonings. It went well with the lettuce and carrots which made that wrap juicy and crunchy. There were also toppings such as the salsa, cheese and sour cream that made it creamy and sour and salty. And I love it.

Smoothies - Home Economics

Today, in our lesson in Home Economics, we made smoothies, not just regular smoothies but healthy smoothies with different nutrients. The smoother recipes were divided into each group. We had to rate and give comments about each smoothie.  Each group require 4 people, my group's recipe was 'Chocolate Banana Smoothie'. 

We each had little cups where we pour and taste the smoothies on. 

The smoothies (I can remember) were...

• Chocolate Banana Smoothie 

Rate:  5/5

Texture: Smooth & Creamy

Comments: I like the combination of the chocolate and banana because the taste of banana, it's naturally sweet and the chocolate flavour complemented the sweetness of the banana, giving it a creamy texture.

Something I would change: Nothing

• Mango and Banana Smoothie

Rate:  4/5

Texture: Smooth, Silky and Creamy

Comments: The sour taste of the mango goes well with the sweetness of the banana.

Something I would change: Maybe add vanilla ice cream

• Frozen Fruit Yoghurt Smoothie 

Rate:  3/5

Texture: Rough bits 

Comments: The weetbix gave the texture roughness but it was overall smooth. It was a bit sour due to the berries that were used. 

Something I would change: sift it to get rid of the rough texture because I think it would be better to have a smooth and creamy texture.

• Banana Ice Cream Smoothie 

Rate:  4/5

Texture: Smooth 

Comments: There were chunky bits 

Something I would change: Add vanilla ice cream

• Peach Smoothie 

Rate:  2/5 

Texture: Smooth and Creamy and Shiny

Comments: The peach gave the smoothie a sour flavour 

Something I would change: Add vanilla ice cream and leave peach chunks 

Open Steak Sandwich & Rice Spring Rolls - Home Economics

Open Steak Sandwich 

Ingredients: 

• Flat Steak 
• Lettuce 
• Tomatoes
• Cheddar Cheese
• Buns

How is it made? 

1. Season the steak with minced garlic, oil, salt and pepper and marinate it.

2. Heat the pan, after the pan is heated, put in the marinated flat steak. Cook it for 2 minutes, make sure to not overcook it or it will be rubbery. 

3. Cut the tomatoes into circles. Cut the lettuce into strips. 

4. Prepare your buns, add the lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese, you can put any sauce you'd like.

Appearance

The steak was juicy and the texture was right. 

The bun was soft and fluffy. 

The lettuce gave the sandwich a crunch and it made it healthier. 

The tomatoes made the sandwich juicier and gave it a sweet and sour taste to it. 

Flavour

• Sweet
• Sour
• Cheesy

Rating: I would give this dish a 9 out of 10, not a 10 because there could be more ingredients added to it like spinach and capsicum. 

Rice Paper Spring Rolls

• Thin Rice Noodles
• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Rice Paper
• Carrot
• Bean sprouts

How is it made? 

1. Cut the cucumber, carrot into julienne. Cut the lettuce into thin strips. Cut the bean sprout into small pieces (the bean sprout we used were big and were not enough to distribute it to everyone in the group. 

2. Soak the rice paper in warm water, take the rice paper when it has become soft and is able to shape it. 

3. Place the rice paper on a plate or a workspace, put the vegetables you like on top of the rice paper, fold one of the two equivalent sides of the rice paper (the rice paper shape was circle). Then start rolling it on the end of the sides of the rice paper that is not folded.

Appearance 

It looks nice and presentable on the outside. 

It doesn't have any meat or any other seasoning to make it flavourful, just looking at the rice paper spring rolls, it looked bland. 

It looks wet. 

Flavour

• Bland
• Juicy (because of the cucumber's water

Rating: I would rate it a 1 out of 10 because I just didn't like it, the texture and flavour. 

Micronutrients and Macronutrients - Home Economics

Micronutrients and Macronutrients 

Macronutrients 

• Nutrients we need in large quantities
• Includes Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats

Micronutrients

• Nutrients needed in very small quantities
• Includes Vitamins and Minerals

Essential nutrients must be obtained through the diet

The body can’t make in big enough quantities or at all

Minerals 

• Inorganic elements that come from the soil and water
• They are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals
• Some minerals eg. Calcium is needed in larger amounts to grow and stay healthy, bone growth
• Fluid balance

Vitamins

• Organic substances made by plants or animals
• The body needs very small amounts of these
• Needed for energy production, immune functions, blood clotting

Vitamin D

Food Source - Fish and Dairy products such as...

• Salmon 
• Trout
• Swordfish
• Fish oil 
• Fish liver
• Whitefish
• Mackerel
• Mushroom
• Tuna
• Rosh Fish
• Whole milk
• Yoghurt
• Soy milk 
• Egg 

Function 

We need Vitamin D for our bones and hormones to be able to function properly, it’s also important because it strengthens our muscles and overall health. It is responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium and phosphate. 

Lack of Vitamin D effects 

A lack of Vitamin D will lead to a loss of bone density, it can cause fractures on the bone. It can also lead to other diseases; it can cause rickets (a disease in which the bones become soft and bend) for children. gastrointestinal disorders, renal diseases, and liver diseases might also be obtained if there’s a lack of vitamin D consumption. 

Vitamins	Food Source	Function	Effects of not getting enough
Vitamin A	Dairy Products Fish Carrots Broccoli Cantaloupe Squash	Vitamin A helps to maintain healthy and clean teeth. It also keeps our skeletal and soft tissue, mucus membrane and skin healthy.   Vitamin A promotes wgood eyesight, especially in low light.	It can cause blindness on the person. It can also increase the risk of having infections. It can also cause dry skin.
Vitamin B	Whole grains Meat Dairy products Legumes Seeds  Nuts Fruits	Vitamin B improves, gives, and helps your energy levels, brain function and cell metabolism. It helps prevent and fight infection, provides support and growth to the blood cells.	Lack of vitamin b may lead to a reduction in the healthy red blood cells, called anaemia. The symptoms include fatigue, poor balance, numbness, troubles with memory, and difficulty in breathing.
Vitamin C	Citrus fruits Tomatoes  Tomato juice Potatoes Red peppers Green peppers Kiwi fruit Broccoli Strawberries Brussel sprouts	Vitamin cis needed for growth, it also repares the tissues in all parts of your body. It heals wounds and forms scar tissue on the skin. It helps protect cells and keeps them healthy. It provides protection against immune system deficiencies.	Bruises will start to appear on the person who lacks intake of vitamin C. Bleeding gums, weakness/loss of balance, fatigues and rashes.
Vitamin D	Salmon  Trout Swordfish Fish oil  Fish liver White fish Mackerel Mushroom Tuna Rosh Fish Whole milk Yoghurt Soy milk  Egg	We need Vitamin D for our bones and hormones to be able to function properly, it’s also important because it strengthens our muscles and overall health. It is responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium and phosphate.	A lack of will lead to a loss of bone density, it can cause fractures on the bone. It can also lead to other diseases; it can cause rickets (a disease in which the bones become soft and bend) for children. gastrointestinal disorders, renal diseases, and liver diseases might also be obtained if there’s a lack of vitamin D consumption.
Vitamin E	Wheat germ oil Sunflower Almonds Peanuts Beet greens Red bell pepper Pumpkin Asparagus Mango Avocado	Vitamin E helps the brain healthy by reducing stress. It helps protect cells from getting damaged.	Loss of body control and movement, muscle weakness and vision problems.
Vitamin K	Green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, collards, etc)  Fish Liver  Meat Eggs Cereals	It provides protection when the body needs clothing and helps wounds to be healthy. It also keeps the bone healthy and strong.	Excessive bleeding and bruises will start to appear on the skin.

Minerals	Food Sources	Function	Effects of not getting enough
Calcium	Dairy food  Green leafy vegetables Soya and almond drinks  Bread (or anything made with fortified flour) Fish  Tofu Orange juice	Consumption of calcium in foods helps maintain strong bones and teeth. The body needs calcium for the muscles to be able to move and for nerves to carry messages between the brain and every parts of the body.	You will lose bone mass if you don’t get enough calcium. This puts you at risk of developing bone disease osteoporosis.
Chloride	Seaweed Lettuce Rye Tomatoes  Celery Olives  Meat  Milk Eggs	It helps keep the amount of fluid inside and outside of the cells in your body. It helps maintain proper blood volume and pressure.	It will cause heart failure  and lung disease. You will be at risk of having addison disease which is a condition where your adrenal glands don’t produce enough certain types of hormones. And also hypochloremia.
Magnesium	Green leafy vegetables  Nuts  Seeds  Bananas  Fish	The body needs magnesium to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. It is important because it helps the muscles and nerves to regulate in order to function. It also helps the blood sugar levels and blood pressure.	Weakness and fatigues can occur when you are low in magnesium. Muscles cramps, digestive problems, heart palpitations, muscles aches and stiffness, tingling and numbness, breathing difficulties , seizures, and abnormal heart rhythm.
Phosphorus	Milk products Meat Beans Lentils Nuts Whole grains Vegetables fruits	Phosphorus is important because it helps with the formation of the teeth and bones. The body needs phosphorus because it builds protein for the growth of our bodies. It repairs cells and tissues.	Bones disease such as rickets (for children) and osteomalacie (for adults). Muscle weakness, stupor, coma and death.
Sodium	Smoked fish and meat Beets  Celery Carrots  Meat Spinach Chard Canned entrees	Sodium is important because it helps control the blood pressure and blood volume of our bodies. The body needs it so that our muscles and nerves are able to function and work properly.	Hyponatremia could occur when sodium levels in the blood are too low.
Potassium	Bananas Orange Cantaloupe Honeydew Cooked spinach Cooked broccoli Potatoes Sweet potatoes Mushroom Peas cucumbers	It helps our muscles to contract and it helps our heartbeat to beat at a regular speed. It regulates water balance.
Sulfur	Meat and poultry Organ meats Fish  Prawns  Scallops Mussels Soybeans Blacbeans  Kidney beans Split peas White beans	It helps make protein, it keeps the gene expression to regulate, it builds and repairs DNA. it also helps our bodies to metabolize food.	Increase blood pressure, deplete calcium in the bones, and increase kidney stones. Prolonged diarrhea or vomiting.