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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, Drain, Dice and Chop
• Determine accurate measurements
• Make healthy food choices
• Taste new ingredients

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

• Read and follow a recipe
• Boil, Drain, Dice and Chop
• Determine accurate measurements
• Make healthy food choices
• Taste new ingredients

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List of Ingredients

In Your MATTERbox:

1 (16 oz) box whole wheat penne pasta
1 (15 oz) can no salt sweet peas
1 (5 oz) can tuna in water
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Shopping List:

3 Tbsp fresh dill or 2 tsp dried dill weed
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1-5.3 oz plain low fat greek yogurt

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Questions about Ingredients

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. Can you match the ingredient with the nutrients it provides? (There is more than one nutrient per ingredient.) Grab a pencil and paper and see how you do! Click continue for the answers.

1. Whole wheat pasta                                              A. Vitamins & Minerals

2. Sweet peas                                                            B. Fiber

3. Tuna                                                                       C. Protein

4. Celery                                                                     D. Calcium

5. Red onion

6. Low fat Greek yogurt

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Answers

How did you do?

1. A, B & C: Whole wheat provides an array of important nutrition for your body, including:

Vitamins & Minerals, Fiber and even Protein!

2. A & B: Sweet peas are full of important Vitamins & Minerals ad well as Fiber.

3. A & C: Tuna gives you Vitamins & Minerals and Protein

4. A & B: Celery provides Vitamins & Minerals and Fiber

5. A & B: Red onion provides Vitamins & Minerals and Fiber

6. C & D: Low fat Greek yogurt is high in Protein and Calcium

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Congratulations!

You increased your knowledge of nutrition!

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 pot
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Strainer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large mixing bowl
• Large mixing spoon

4. Wash all fresh ingredients.

5. Open all cans, being careful with the lids.

6. Drain the tuna and peas.

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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. In a large pot cook pasta to directions on the box. Drain and rise with cold water,
set aside to cool.
2. While pasta cools, diced onion and chop celery and dill.
3. In a large bowl mix pasta, tuna, Italian seasoning, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, diced
onion, and 2 tbsp fresh dill or 1½ tsp dried dill until combined.
4. Gently stir in sweet peas.
5. Sprinkle with remaining dill and serve.

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Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1

In a large pot, cook pasta according to directions on the box. Drain and rise with cold water, set aside to cool.

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Skills: Dicing an onion and

chopping celery and fresh dill

Step 2

While pasta cools, dice the small red onion, chop the 4 stalks of celery and the 3 tbsp. of fresh dill.

Let’s start with dicing the onion. Before you begin, watch the video, then click Continue for written instructions.

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Now you try!

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

2. Set the onion cut side down so it’s stable and not wobbling around. Cut it length-wise 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.

3. Peel off the outer papery layers.

4. Lay one piece flat side down and make cuts lengthwise into it, cutting to the root. Since we are dicing the onion, the cuts should be close together.

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

Click Continue for next skill.

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Next, chop the celery.

Watch the video to see how you chop the 4 stalks of celery. Then, follow the instructions below and give it a try!

1. First cut the leaves off the top at the “joint” in the stalk. If there are no leaves, trim off about ½ inch off the top.

2. Keeping your fingers away from the knife, cut stalk widthwise into thin pieces that look like half moons, about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.

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Lastly, chop the dill.

Watch the video and then follow the instructions.

1. Pull the small feathery leaves off the main stem.

2. Gather several leaves together in a pile and carefully chop them with your knife, keeping your fingers away from the knife at all times.

3. Chop enough for 3 tbsp.

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Congratulations!

You mastered the skills for this recipe!

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Step 3

In a large bowl, mix the pasta, tuna (drained), 2 tbsp. of Italian seasoning, Greek yogurt, lemon juice from small lemon, the diced onion, and 2 tbsp fresh dill or 1½ tsp dried dill. Combine.

Step 4

Gently stir in can of sweet peas, drained.

Step 5

Sprinkle with remaining dill and serve.

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So…What do you think?

While eating your delicious Lemon Dill 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 Lemon Dill Pasta Salad!

Share the photos of your cooking experience using #MATTERnation!

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