Use the recipes and food safety tips below to eat healthy and safe while enjoying your holiday meals.
Prime Rib – It’s what’s for Christmas Dinner!
Nothing quite says Merry Christmas in Texas like a prime rib served as the main dish of your Christmas meal! When it comes time to prepare your prime rib this holiday season, be sure to reference Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Path to the Plate’s tips and tricks to ensure that the meat is cooked thoroughly and properly.
Click to view infographic
After purchasing, prime rib must be thawed and stored at a temperature below 40 °F to minimize the growth of bacteria. When cooking, it is traditionally prepared with a mixture of seasonings, then roasted under dry heat for 2-3 hours, depending on its size. When using a conventional oven to prepare your prime rib, follow these instructions:
- Preheat oven to 300 °F
- Season the outside of the roast as desired
- Cook, fat side up, to an internal temperature of 145 °F for medium doneness, which may take 20-25 minutes per pound. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature
- Let stand 15-20 minutes before carving
When determining how many mouths your prime rib will feed this Christmas, keep in mind that a full prime rib is seven ribs, meaning that it weighs anywhere from 15 to 18 pounds. A prime rib this size can feed a family of 16 or more people, depending on the size of their appetite’s. Smaller prime rib options are available, including those that weigh five pounds which can serve up to six to eight people.
Smart Starch Food Safety
Potatoes are among some of the most common left over food items, especially during the holiday season. Be sure you’re storing and reheating all of your leftovers safely before reserving them to friends and family. For more information on why potatoes pose a food safety concern and how to properly handle them, visit:
https://dinnertonight.tamu.edu/potatoes/
Homemade vs. Store Bought Cranberry Sauce
Buying cranberry sauce at the grocery store can come with extra unnecessary ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup. Thankfully, buying cranberry sauce at the store is not the only option. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Program has the perfect Simple Cranberry Sauce recipe to make for the upcoming holidays!
Basic recipe alterations can make for more healthful holiday meals
Holiday meals can be healthier and taste just as good by using some basic recipe substitutions or alterations. Reducing sugar, salt and fat content are the most effective means of making holiday meals healthier. If a recipe calls for a cup of sugar, use two-thirds of a cup. If it calls for a half-cup of oil, shortening or other fat, use one-third cup.
Need the perfect gift?
Buy your special someone a copy of the Dinner Tonight cookbook or the meal planning and menu pad.
Strawberry and Banana Candy Canes
Enjoy this fun and healthy holiday treat that your family will love!
- Wash your hands and clean your cooking area.
- Slice the banana approx. 1/2 inch thick.
- Slice the top of the strawberry off and then slice the widest part of the strawberry approx. 1/2 inch thick.
- Place the strawberries and bananas together to represent a candy cane.
- On the bend you may wish to slice the strawberry / banana at an angle.
- Use the end of the banana for the bottom of the cane curve.
- Enjoy!
Guiltless Apple Pie
This homemade pie has fewer calories, total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars compared to a similar slice of a store-bought pie.
Don’t like apple pie? How about a slice of pumpkin or pecan pie?
Get Active for the Holidays and Walk Across Texas!
Need a reason to get moving? Create a Walk Across Texas team with family members and compete against each other to see who can walk across the state of Texas first!
Walk Across Texas is an eight-week program designed to help Texans establish the habit of regular physical activity using a fun and motivating team approach. Each team may include up to 8 team members, all working together towards the goal of 832 miles!
Ready to take on the challenge?
Go to: https://walkacrosstexas.org