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Carrots Are a Great Side For Your Easter Meal
CARLA HALEY-HADLEY
TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS
When you think of Easter, you think of Easter Eggs, rabbits, springtime and probably the Easter meal. Carrots are a great side dish to accompany that ham or lamb that will grace your table.
Carrots are naturally sweet and are healthy additions you can make to your diet. An excellent source of vitamin A, one carrot provides more than 200 percent of your daily requirement. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that may reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, as well as maintain eye health.
Carrots also provide potassium, vitamin K and fiber. Potassium helps maintain healthy blood pressure; vitamin K helps build and maintain strong bones; and fiber helps control cholesterol and keeps you regular. Carrots also are loaded with beta-carotene, a compound naturally converted to vitamin A in the liver when consumed. The deeper orange the carrot, the more beta-carotene you are getting.
Carrots are high in water content, ranging from 86-94 percent and they contain very little fat or protein. They are a relatively good source of fiber, with one medium sized carrot providing 2 grams. Carrots may be a useful addition to an effective weight loss diet. One medium, raw carrot contains 25 calories which also makes them a great snack.
Choose carrots with a deep orange color that are firm and without splits. Select carrots that still have greens attached, as these tend to keep better and taste fresher. The leaves should be fresh and bright green. Select young, slim carrots for the most sweetness.
Although baby carrots may be more convenient, they are not as sweet as the slimmer young carrots. Avoid choosing carrots with blemishes or cracks, wilting greens, flabby, rubbery or soft texture or “sunburned” green area at the top.
Store carrots in the refrigerator in a plastic bag, where they will keep up to 2 weeks. If the carrots have tops, cut them off. Do not store carrots near apples, bananas or melons; the gasses in these fruits tend to increase the bitter compounds present in carrots.
If your carrots are older and larger, peel them. They are usually more fibrous and have a less desirable peel for eating. Scrub carrots with a vegetable brush under running water. Cut off the top end of the carrot.
Carrots are great cut into match stick cuts and added to a stir-fry, or grated and added to slaw, salads, muffins, cakes, cookies, meatballs, meat loaf and even spaghetti sauce. The uses are almost endless.
For more information, contact the Miller County Extension Office, 870-779-3609 or visit us in room 215 at the Miller County Courthouse.
We're online at chadley@uada.edu, on Facebook at UAEXMillerCountyFCS/ CarlaHaleyHadley, on Twitter @MillerCountyFCS or on the web at uaex.uada.edu/Miller.
Let Glazed Carrots be a side dish at your Easter meal. These are so easy and quick to make. They may become a favorite and be added to more than just your Easter dinner.
Glazed Carrots
1 pound carrots, baby or sliced 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Cook carrots in a large pot of boiling water until tender. Drain off all liquid. To the carrots, add butter or margarine and brown sugar.
Simmer until the butter or margarine melts. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and lightly toss to coat. Turn to low and continue to simmer on low to allow flavors to blend about 10 minutes.
This recipe makes 4 servings. Per Serving: 185 calories; 11.4 g fat;
21.2 g carbohydrates; 0.9 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 222 mg
sodium ∆
CARLA HALEY-HADLEY: University of Arkansas
Corned Beef And Cabbage Have Become Synonymous With St. Patrick's Day
CARLA DUE
TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS
Corned Beef and Cabbage seem to be synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day.
As St. Patrick’s Day evolved into a celebration of Irish heritage and nationality for Irish-Americans, corned beef and cabbage became a holiday tradition for consumers across the nation.
In the 18th century, when large numbers of Irish immigrants came to the U.S., they found salted beef brisket was cheap in the States, and were quick to adapt from corned pork to corned beef and nutrient-dense cabbage, which was readily available and affordable. Combining the two became a staple for working classes across the country.
Corned beef, created as a form of curing; has nothing to do with corn.
The meat was dry-cured in coarse "corns" of salt. Pellets of salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it.
Today brining, the use of salt water, has replaced the dry salt cure, but the name "corned beef" is still used, rather than "brined" or "pickled" beef. Commonly used spices that give corned beef its distinctive flavor are peppercorns and bay leaf.
Although corned beef is cured in a brine, food safety must still be followed. When buying uncooked corned beef in a pouch with pickling juices which has a "sell-by" date or no date, store it for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator, unopened. If you buy products with a "use-by" date, you may store it unopened in the refrigerator until that date.
If purchasing to use later, an uncooked corned beef brisket may be frozen for 1 month for best quality if you drain and re-wrap it, due to the salt that encourages rancidity and texture changes. The flavor and texture will diminish with prolonged freezing, but the product is still safe. After cooking, corned beef may be refrigerated for about 3 to 4 days and frozen for about 2 to 3 months for best quality.
Corned beef is made from less tender cuts of beef like the brisket, rump or round and requires long, moist cooking. There are various methods for cooking corned beef.
OVEN: Set the oven for 350 °F or no lower than 325 °F. Place cur of beef fat-side up. Barely cover the meat with water, about 1 inch, and keep the container covered throughout the cooking time. Allow about 1 hour per pound.
OVEN COOKING BAG: Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Add 1 tablespoon of flour to the bag plus one half cup water. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for closing the bag. For a 2 to 3-pound corned beef brisket, cook for 2 and one half to 3 hours. For a 3 to 5-pound corned beef brisket, cook for 3 to 3 and one half hours.
STOVE: Place brisket fat-side up in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer, allowing about 1 hour per pound. Vegetables may be added during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking. Cook vegetables to desired tenderness.
SLOW COOKER: If using root vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, put them in the bottom of slow cooker. Place brisket on top of vegetables (if using) or in bottom of cooker. Add about one and one half cups of water or enough to cover meat. Cover and cook on high setting for the first hour of cooking. Then cook for 10 to 12 hours on the low setting or 5 to 6 hours on high. Cabbage wedges may be added on top of the brisket during the last 3 hours of cooking.
If your corned beef is still pink in color after cooking, it does not mean it is not done. It is due to the nitrite used in the curing process. This fixes pigment in the meat and affects the color. It is safe to eat, just use a food thermometer to assure the corned beef reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 145 °F or above.
Regardless of cooking method you choose, allow the brisket to stand for about 20 minutes after removing from the heat. This will make it easier to slice. It is best sliced diagonally across the grain of the meat.
Leftover corned beef should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and can be eaten safely for up to 4 days. To reheat leftover corned beef, the meat should be brought up to 165 degrees before eating.
For more information, contact the Miller County Extension Office, 870-779-3609 or visit us in room 215 at the Miller County Courthouse.
We're online at cdue@uada.edu, on Facebook at UAEXMillerCountyFCS/ CarlaDue, on Twitter @MillerCountyFCS or on the web at uaex.uada.edu/ Miller. ∆
CARLA DUE: University of Arkansas