Hand Washing Vital For Safe Food Handling

The recent headlines about hepatitis A and E. coli in this area have grabbed our attention and put most of us on the alert as to what goes on in our own kitchens.

I checked in with Raeann Ducar, who teaches the certified food sanitation course at North Idaho College’s Workforce Training Center in Post Falls, for her thoughts on food safety.

“Handwashing is the single most important thing to do in preventing the spread of hepatitis A and E. coli from person to person,” says Ducar, a registered dietitian who’s taught the National Restaurant Association-sponsored course for six years.

Ducar says that good handwashing means soap, warm water and 20 seconds of rubbing your hands together. It can feel like an eternity to her students.

“Most of us don’t do 20 seconds of scrubbing, but we need to work towards that goal,” says Ducar, who also recommends using a fingernail brush since fingernails harbor bacteria.

Here’s Ducar’s “Recipe For Safe Food”:

Start with clean hands, clean utensils and clean countertops.

Separate raw foods from cooked or ready-to-eat foods.

Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and countertops as you go.

Cook foods to the proper temperature (use a thermometer; cook ground beef and pork to 160 degrees, chicken and turkey to 180 degrees whole, or 170 degrees for breasts.)

Eat and enjoy.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Count those 20 seconds while washing your hands before preparing this delicous and quick vegetarian recipe.

Mashed Potatoes With Mexican Chili Cheese Topping

From “Betty Crocker Easy Meatless Dishes” (General Mills, March 1998).

Potatoes:

2-2/3 cups water

2/3 cup nonfat milk

1/4 cup margarine or butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-2/3 cups instant mashed potatoes

Topping:

1 (15-ounce) can chili beans in sauce, undrained

1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

2 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

Heat water, milk, margarine and salt to boiling in 3-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in potatoes just until moistened. Let stand about 30 seconds or until liquid is absorbed. Whip with fork until desired consistency.

Cook beans and tomatoes in a saucepan over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot; spoon over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and onion.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 346 calories, 10.6 grams fat (28 percent fat calories), 52 grams carbohydrate, 14 grams protein, 14 milligrams cholesterol, 10 grams dietary fiber, 946 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes MEMO: The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

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