Article
June 26, 2014

SUMMER FOOD SAFETY

Light up the grill – summer is officially here!   During these months of grilling fun, MANNA wants to help keep your family and friends safe from foodborne illnesses with these simple food safety practices.  Remember! Food safety is a TOP priority at MANNA because many of our clients have compromised immune systems.

  1. Practice good hygiene and wash your hands before eating, preparing food, or between foods that would cross contaminate such as red meat and fresh vegetables. Always wash hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
  2. Marinate your food in the refrigerator to prevent bacteria from growing.   Always reserve a portion of unused marinade to brush on food while it is cooking. Never re-use marinade that was used to flavor raw meat, poultry or fish.
  3. Preheat your grill approximately 20-30 minutes before grilling. For charcoal grills, the coals should be just coated with ash.
  4. Use a food thermometer to ensure that food is cooked to the proper temperatures.
  5. Food should never sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Use chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays to keep hot food hot. Keep cold foods cold by nesting them in bowls of ice or rotating items into the refrigerator/freezer.

Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

kebabs

Ingredients:

  • 10 (12-inch) wooden skewers
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 chopped fresh basil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 red onion cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 yellow bell pepper cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
  • 1 pound Chinese or baby eggplant cut into ¾-inch slices
  • 3 small zucchini, cut into ¾-inch slices
  • 20 grape or cherry tomatoes

Directions:

-Soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes.

-Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.

-Thread vegetables onto skewers.

-Brush vegetables generously with marinade.

-Grill, covered with lid over medium-high heat. Turn occasionally. Cook 10-12 minutes or until tender.