Food Science Cooking Club - Class #1

Today's lesson topics included:

1) How to read a recipe, how to follow a recipe

2) Yeast = that crazy single celled organism and why it makes bread so AWESOME!

3) Ch-Ch-Ch- Chia seeds as a hydrophilic gel (what?!)

4) How to separate a solid from a liquid - shake it up!

SPEEDY YEASTY DILLY rolls

These easy speedy rolls are sure to become a family favorite made by your personal food science chef!

Food Science Tip:

Bread tastes sooooo good, we love it! But how does bread get so fluffy and yummy? The ingredient yeast makes the bread fluff up and create a yummy flavor. This single cell organism eats the simple sugars and breaks them down into flavor molecules and carbon dioxide gas. Yes, that’s right, the yeast produces gas to make the bread taste so good!

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour + 1 cup whole wheat all purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup fat free Greek Yogurt plain (or cottage cheese)

1 Tbs brown sugar (or white sugar)

1 tsp dill

1 Tbs earth balance (or other butter or margarine)

1 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup wheat germ

Instructions:

1) preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2) In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup mixed flour and yeast, set aside.

3) In a medium saucepan combine and heat water, yogurt, sugar, earth balance, and salt until warm and earth balance almost melts (Not hot. About 120-130 degrees F if you have a thermometer).

4) Add the warm mixture to the dry mixture and combine. Stir in the egg.

5) Mix it up with a spoon for 3 minutes. Then stir in the wheat germ and the dill. (batter will be stiff)

6) Divide the dough ball into 5-6 servings. Place on a greased pan and cover in a warm area to rise 30-45 minutes.

7) Bake in the oven 20-27 minutes until golden. Immediately remove from pan to let cool. Or enjoy warm!

STRAWBERRY CHIA JAM

Packed full of vitamin C, brain healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber, this jam is a pleasure to offer your little ones with a sweet tooth. It tastes great on sandwiches, crackers, or just with a spoon!

Food Science Tip:

Chia seeds are known for their high water absorption ability, up to 27 times its weight! Chia seeds are HYDRO - PHILIC = “water loving”, so in water they absorb it and form a gel like substance (mucilage) which is great for making jam.

For more information on structure and nutrition information of the chia seeds, try this link:

https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1692-2016.pdf

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen strawberries (or 2 cups de-stemmed fresh if in season)

1/8 cup sugar + 1/8 cup honey (or all honey, or all maple syrup, or try your favorite combinations)

2 Tbs Chia seeds

Instructions:

1) Put all ingredients in a blender and mix on medium until combined. You may need to add 1 Tbs of water at a time if the consistency is too thick.

2) Transfer over to a small saucepan on the stove and heat on low 5-10 minutes until the consistency thickens to be jam like. Eat warm or store in the refrigerator. Use within 1 week.

HOMEMADE BUTTER

If you wonder where your butter comes from, try making your very own. The bonus in following this recipe is your science student might burn off some extra energy in the process of making it!

Food Science Tip:

Cream has fat globules floating in a liquid. The fat globules are held together by the hydrophilic (water loving) side of the molecules pulling together on the inside of the globule while keeping their hydrophobic (water hating) side on the outside. You can make whipped cream or butter by agitating (shaking) up the globules. Try it!

For more on this topic and images read the scientific explanation for what’s happening to your cream here.

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream (35% whipping cream)

1 Mason/Ball jar (thick heat tempered glass) with a lid

Instructions:

1) pour 1 cup heavy cream into your clean jar and screw on the lid.

2) Shake it! Shake it! Don’t hold back!

You will hear the sound of the liquid changing as it thickens, that’s a good sign. Try peeking in, if you see a soft fluffy liquid - try it with your spoon - you made whipped cream! This is great if you had fresh strawberries on hand. But for us on a butter mission, keep shaking! And shaking! Until you hear a solid form sloshing around in liquid. Make sure to stop when you have a solid clump in the liquid buttermilk.

Pour off the buttermilk and use for baking later on.

Take your solid clump of butter and run it under cold water while massaging it (kneeding it) to get the air and water out.

Ta-da! Butter - now spread that on some fresh bread with some jam and you are in business! Use within 1 week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Try it at home:

You will never look at the good ol’ bread, butter and jam sandwich the same way ever again! Cook on food science adventurers!