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YOU MATTER Cooking

Cooking nutritious food is a life skill that helps you grow into a healthy adult. Along with learning how to cook though, it’s also important to understand why nutrition matters. There’s a big difference between feeding and fueling your body. You feed your body to survive, but when you fuel your body with healthy, nutritious food, you thrive. You perform better, you feel good and you look your very best.

Because you matter, this recipe is filled with nutritious ingredients that will help you thrive. It’s also easy and delicious! Have fun learning some interesting food facts and new cooking skills as you make this recipe. And don’t forget to share photos of your cooking experience using #MATTERnation!

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During the making of this recipe, you will learn and practice how to:

• Read and follow a recipe
• Boil, mix, drain, rinse, strain (Optional: chop, dice)
• Determine accurate measurements
• Make healthy food choices
• Taste new ingredients

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List of Ingredients

Ingredients from MATTERbox: 
Whole wheat penne pasta
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

Shopping List:
I cup diced Queso Fresco, or other mild cheese

Optional Ingredients:
3 tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 limes or lime juice
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, chopped

Other:
½ tsp. salt

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Questions about Ingredients

If you’re doing this in a group, allow everyone the opportunity to share their answers.

Are there any ingredients you’re not familiar with?

What is your favorite ingredient in this recipe? Your least favorite? Why?

Will you be willing to taste this recipe even if you don’t like a particular ingredient?

Which of these ingredients seem healthy to you and why?

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Fun Food Facts!

Because you matter, these ingredients were chosen specifically to help your body perform at its very best. The pasta was chosen for the nutritional value of whole grains. Which of the following health benefits are true about eating whole grains? Grab a pencil and paper and see how you do!

                                                        TRUE  OR  FALSE?

1. May reduce risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes                 __________

2. Helps you feel full with fewer calories                                                            __________

3. May help with constipation                                                                               __________

4. Helps with your immune system to keep you from getting sick                 __________

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Answers

How did you do with these nutrition facts?

All are true! Whole grain foods are an important part of a healthy diet, and have even more nutritional benefits than listed here. Whenever possible, choose whole grains over refined grains. Look for “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” on packaging.

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Congratulations!

You increased your knowledge of nutrition!

Are you ready to cook?

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Don’t forget!

• Wash hands before cooking
• Respect one another in the kitchen; work together as a team
• Knives must be signed out and signed back in on sign-out sheet
• Wash and dry dishes afterward
• Return your kitchen space to as clean as you found it

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Getting Ready to Cook

After you’ve washed your hands, you can being prepping:

1. Open your MATTERbox and set out all contents

2. Gather your shopping items

3. Collect your cooking tools:

• Can opener
• Large saucepan
• Mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Strainer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Knife
• Cutting board

4. Wash all fresh ingredients

5. Open all cans, being careful with the lid

6. Drain the corn and beans, and rinse the beans

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Recipe Directions

It’s important to read through all the directions before you begin. Step-by-step directions will follow.

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring 5 cups water to boil, add whole wheat penne to boiling water, and cook until tender (about 8 min).
2. While pasta is cooking, combine black beans (rinsed and drained), tomatoes, corn (drained), and cheese in large mixing bowl.
3. Once pasta is cooked, strain noodles and set aside to cool. Add the cooled pasta to the black beans, tomatoes, corn and cheese mixture.
4. Add your choice of optional ingredients. Add salt to taste. Enjoy!

Terms to know:
Tsp = Teaspoon

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Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1:

Step 1: Bring 5 cups water to boil, add whole wheat penne pasta to boiling, and cook until tender (about 8 min).

Before you begin, ask yourself (or those in your group) these questions:

What temperature do I set the burner to boil the water?

How do I know when the water is boiling and ready to add the pasta?

Click Continue to see the answers.

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What temperature do I set the burner to boil water?

Answer: Set at high.

How do I know when the water is boiling and ready to add the pasta? 

Answer: When the water is bubbling vigorously (it’s called a “rolling boil”), it is ready for the pasta. Once the pasta is in, give it a stir and then turn down the burner to medium-high to keep the water boiling but not spilling over!

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When the pasta is in the boiling water, move to steps 2:

Step 2:

While pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the salad. combine the black beans (drained and rinsed), the tomatoes, the corn (drained), and 1 cup of cheese.

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Step 3:

Once pasta is cooked, strain and set aside to cool.

Question to ask yourself or your group: How do I strain the noodles?

Click Continue for answer.

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How do I strain the noodles?

Answer: Put the strainer in the sink and carefully pour the pot of noodles into the strainer. You may need oven mitts to hold the handle of the pot if it’s too hot.

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Step 3, continued:

Add the cooled pasta to the black beans, tomatoes, corn and cheese mixture.

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Skills: Dicing an onion,

chopping a bell pepper and cilantro 

Before moving to step 4, prepare the optional ingredients you are using in your recipe.

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Now you dice an onion!

Read the directions carefully before you attempt to cut the onion on your own. If you’re unsure, ask an adult to help you.

1. Keep fingertips away from the knife at all times!

2. Cut off the stem. Be sure not to cut the root (hairy) end.

3. Set the onion cut side down so it’s stable and not wobbling around. Cut it lengthwise through the root (hairy) end. The root is what holds the onion together, so you want to make sure you have cut the onion so both pieces have the root at the ends.

4. Peel the outer papery layers.

5. Lay one piece flat side down and make cuts lengthwise into it, cutting to the root. Since we are dicing for this recipe, the strips being cut into the onion should be close together.

6. Turn the onion half and carefully cut widthwise, working from the front to the root. Watch as the onion falls apart into perfectly chopped pieces!

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Now you chop a bell pepper!

Read the directions carefully before you attempt to cut the pepper on your own. If you’re unsure, ask an adult to help you.

1. Hold the pepper firmly, but keep your fingers away from the knife at all times!

2.Lay the pepper on its side and cut off the top (the stem end).

3. Set the pepper on the cut end and cut in half.

4. For both halves, carefully cut out away the white ribs and seeds from the inside and discard.

5. Cut each half in lengthwise strips.

6. Gather the strips and cut them into pieces to the size you desire.

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Now you cut cilantro!

1. A half cup of chopped cilantro is about half of a bunch. Keeping the half bunch together on the cutting board, cut the stems off with a knife and discard.

2. Fold the pile of cilantro leaves in half as best as you can, and chop them up.

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 Congratulations!

You’ve mastered the skills portion of this recipe!

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Step 4:

Add the cooled pasta to the beans, tomatoes, corn and cheese. Add the optional ingredients. Add salt, to taste. Stir to combine.

Dish up & enjoy!

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So…what do you think?

While eating your Black Bean & Corn Pasta Salad, ask yourself the following questions. If you’re doing this in a group, go around and have everyone answer the questions to compare your answers.

What was most challenging in making this recipe?

 Did the taste of any of these ingredients surprise you?

Would you make this for your family or friends? Why or why not?

What other ingredients would you add to make it more to your liking?

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When you’re done, clean up your area. Wash all dishes and cooking utensils and put everything back where you found it.

Leftovers can be put into a container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

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Congratulations!

You mastered the Black Bean & Corn Pasta Salad!

Share the photos of your cooking experience using #MATTERnation!

Click Continue for one more step before you’re done…