Today in Food Styling, the class helped Chef Mary Helen prep for a Lunch and Learn!

I was really hoping to go over some more Food Styling techniques like we did last week with the fake ice cream. Hopefully, we will get to do some more of that soon because that is what I am really interested in learning!

This was the entree for the luncheon today! Several of my other classmates worked on the components of this dish.

I was assigned to salads, so I cut several extremely tiny heads of lettuce into small wedges for the wedge salad that is going to be served. The lettuce was so small to begin with and not very crispy, and I had to cut them into such small wedges that some of them ended up falling apart. However, there was enough to get through the luncheon that looked cute!

Another girl in the class made ranch dressing with greek yogurt to go on the salads.

Baby Wedge Salad with Ranch Dressing:

Ingredients:

• Iceberg lettuce cut into 8 wedges and chilled
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp Greek seasoning, or TT
• 1 tsp Onion Powder, or TT
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder, or TT
• 1/2 to 1 tsp black pepper
• Skim milk as needed to thin
• Turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• Chives

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for lettuce wedges, bacon, and chives, and mix well.
2. Add skim milk to thin dressing.
3. Chill until ready to serve over wedges.
4. Pour dressing over wedges and garnish with bacon and chives.
   Yield: 1 1/4 cups

The ranch dressing was very yummy for having a base of Greek yogurt!

I also made croutons to go with the salad. This is my own, simple and easy crouton recipe.

Croutons:

Ingredients:

• 4 dinner rolls (or really any type of bread)
• Salt TT
• Pepper TT
• Garlic Powder TT
• Onion Powder TT
• Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut bread into crouton sized cubes.
3. Place bread cubes in a bowl and toss with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
4. Drizzle with olive oil until lightly coated.
5. Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden brown all over. About 15 minutes. Toss croutons frequently to ensure even cooking and no burning.

Chef Mary Helen said that she really liked my croutons once I was all finished, and honestly, who wouldn’t like crispy, salty, carbs to go on top of a healthy salad?

While I was working on the salad, Holly was making Greek yogurt cheesecake. Greek yogurt seems to be a common theme here. I have made this cheesecake recipe before for another event, and it is so yummy for being only 104 calories per serving so I will share it!

Mini Cheesecakes

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tbsp salted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 (8 oz) Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream or plain yogurt
• 3 tbsp evaporated skim milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs and butter until evenly moistened. Divide mixture among 12 paper lined muffin cups, adding about 1 1/2 tbsp to each cup. Use PAPER liners, no foil liners, and press mixture into an even layer in the bottom of cups.
3. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
5. Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and pour sugar on top. Blend mixture with a paddle attachment on low speed until just smooth.
6. Stir in eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. Blend in sour cream and skim milk until just combined. Stir in vanilla extract.
7. Tap mixing bowl on counter to release air bubbles, about 30 times. Divide mixture into muffin liners. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until center only jiggle slightly. Allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour then refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
   Drizzle with chocolate sauce and top with a raspberry if desired.

After completing the salad ingredients and storing them for the luncheon later today, I helped decorate with the strawberry roses that a few other girls in class had been making. I pierced each rose through the bottom with a skewer, and stuck it into a little shooter glass filled with sugar. These are going to be set on the tables as edible decorations!

I think they are all very cute! I have made several strawberry roses in the past, and the girls today did a really good job!

The room was very cute all set up, and Holly sent me some photos that she took of the finished products so that I could share them!

Next week, we won’t be having a food styling class, so I am a little disappointed. But I cannot wait for the week after next when we will be taking a class field trip to Walmart and our midterm assignment will be revealed!

ABC.