Challenge Five

The Government recommends that we follow the guidelines of The Eatwell Guide. Design and make a mince based composite dish which includes an ingredient/s from the four main food groups of TheEatwell Guide, i.e. Fruit and vegetables; potatoes, Bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates; Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins; Dairy and alternatives; Oils and spreads.

Teaching Aims

Pupils will develop their repertoire of food preparation and cooking techniques.
Pupils will develop their knowledge of food science and functions of ingredients particularly gelatinisation.
Pupils will develop and build on their knowledge of where food comes from.
Pupils will develop their knowledge of consumer food choices.
Pupils will be able to apply their knowledge to make informed choices
Pupils will apply their knowledge of food hygiene to make a safe product.

Objectives:

To discuss and explain current healthy eating guidelines.
To use primary research to understand consumer food choices and use this information to inform future decisions.
To recognise the term ‘composite dishes’ and be able to give examples.
To experience and learn from using a variety of thickening agents for savoury sauces and discuss their suitability.
To identify and use the principles of food safety and hygiene with particular reference to raw meat.
To make a mince based dish that contains an ingredient/s from the four main food groups.
To evaluate and test ideas and their own/other products.

In order to complete the challenge, the pupils could:

In groups, research one food group from The Eatwell Guide and produce a learning resource for the rest of the class to use, e.g. a PowerPoint presentation; a video or sketch; a quiz or questionnaire; a word search, game or mind map.
Carry out existing product analysis looking at composite dishes already available, e.g. pizza, meat pies, pasta dishes such as spaghetti bolognaise, potato topped dishes such as cottage or shepherd’s pie.
Conduct a survey to gather other people’s opinions about composite dishes and the ingredients used to make them. Use the results to inform recipes to be made and ingredients used.
Make a white sauce using the roux method, all in one, blended using cornflour and an instant sauce using modified starch. Assess the results and the suitability of each sauce using a viscosity chart.
Make homemade pasta using a variety of flavours, colours and textures.
Research and source mince based recipes and make two, e.g. chilli con carne, spaghetti bolognaise, keema curry, minced lamb tagine, lasagne, minced beef cobbler.
Trial a variety of starchy carbohydrates to accompany the most popular mince dish.
Make a homemade pizza base and trial different ways to use it, e.g. thin crust, thick, crust, calzone (folded), rolled into pinwheels etc.
Make, evaluate and photograph a mince based dish which includes an ingredient/s from the four main food groups of The eatwell plate.

Suggestions for products to make:

pizza – calzone, pinwheels etc.
spaghetti bolognaise
chilli con carne
keema curry
macaroni cheese with mince
lasagne
moussaka
cottage pie/shepherd’s pie
minced beef cobbler
minced lamb tagine
meatballs with noodles or spaghetti
mince and potato hotpot

Useful recipes

A variety of useful beef, lamb and pork mince recipes can be found at:

Resources

Cheese sauce experiment worksheet –trial four different methods to make cheese sauce. Compare the methods and complete a sensory analysis to decide on which method produces the best results.

Viscosity chart –a simple test to measure the thickness of a liquid.

Mince fact sheet –background information about buying and cooking beef, lamb and pork mince.

Mix and match – cut out the food cards and arrange them into interesting combinations to create imaginative ideas for a beef, lamb or pork mince dish.

Recipe development – getting ideas – select a beef, lamb or pork mince recipe and suggest different ways it could be modified.

Initial ideas chart – use the chart to identify main ingredients, cooking information and any special recipe points.

Healthy eating – list the main ingredients used in three dishes that use mince and state which Eatwell Guide food groups are covered.

Healthier cooking – select a beef, lamb or pork mince recipe and give it a makeover. Explain why you have made the changes.

Know your red meat poster

Red meat is an important food commodity and is used extensively in a wide range of dishes. It is important to understand the source, characteristics and seasonality of red meat when following and creating recipes.

Food skills and cooking techniques poster

There are a number of food skills and cooking techniques which are required to prepare, cook and serve a range of dishes.

Considerations for cooking savoury meals poster

What factors influence what you cook and eat? Being able to cook a range of savoury dishes means we are able to feed ourselves and others a healthy varied diet. There are many factors which influence what recipes you choose to cook

Applying nutrition principles poster

When creating and making a meal or planning a menu, it is important to take into consideration healthyeating recommendations to ensure that the meal/menu can be consumed as part of a varied, balanced diet.

Marketing: Market research

An experienced food consultant explains the two different areas of market research, consumer attitudes and consumer behaviour.

New production development

This short video explains some of the different factors which are often taken into consideration during New Product Development.Suitable for KS3 and KS4.

Meat and the consumer

A resource with PowerPoint presentations, interactive Whiteboard activities and worksheets giving insight into the key considerations made by consumers when buying red meat.

The making of mince

This poster highlights key facts about mince and how it is made.Students can use the card activity to rank recipes into order according to a nutrient, learn healthy cooking tips or create their own recipecards.Suitable for KS3 and KS4 students.

Explore Food

An on-line nutritional analysis tool available free from the Food - a fact of life website.