Rechauffe (Leftover Cookery): Meaning, Examples, Reasons. Food And Nutrition Lesson Note.

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Lesson Note

Subject: Food And Nutrition

Topic: Rechauffe (Left Over Cookery)

Entry Behaviour: Most Learners are aware of the fact that we do have leftovers from our meals but not familiar with the term “rechauffe”. Teachers can then test their previous knowledge using these questions “so how many of us finished our lunch yesterday? Wait for response! Okay, for those of us who didn’t finish ours, what did we do with them?” Definitely some would say they have them thrown away. Proceed to question two. When your mom prepares soup and didn’t get finished that day, what does she do to the remaining soup the next day if there is no means to preserve it in the refrigerator? At this point, wait for their responses. The ones who show interest in kitchen activities would say “Mom will warm it”. These responses then justify the fact that most learners do not know how to put left over foods into use. Hence, the need for this topic. Do you think educationists were foolish when they included this topic into the scheme of work despite the fact that Rechauffe is one of the kitchen routine? No! Now let’s head over to the lesson objectives.

Lesson Objectives: by the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:

Define the term “Rechauffe”;
Give reasons for reheating food;
State the guidelines or rules to follow when reheating food;
Give examples of foods we commonly left unfinished and ways to put them to use;
Reheat left over foods properly;
Adopt the right methods of reheating food.

Teacher’s Activities: Lead the learners on discussions of the lesson objectives; guide them to carry out practicals regarding Rechauffe.

Learner’s Activities: Follow the leading of the teacher to participate in the discussion of the lesson by listening, asking questions and responding to questions ask by the teacher in the course of the lesson.

Methods of teaching: discussion, planned repetition, demonstration or experimental etc.

Instructional Materials: scheme, lesson plan, note, leftover food (rice preferably since its a common meal).

Note: Teachers are to teach this topic in the morning as first period. You can swap with another teacher for the first period if it isn’t your time. Reason being that left over foods are likely to get spoiled if not reheated on time. This will also make impact on the learners.

Lesson Summary

Meaning of Rechauffe
The word ‘rechauffe’ means re-heated or warmed leftover food. The term is applied to cooked food left from a previous meal. Since left-over foods had been cooked initially, heating them again can destroy the nutrients and therefore reduce or impair the nutritive quality of the food. For example, the protein in the food may be hardened by further heating, thereby toughening the fibres and hardening the proteins, hence reducing their digestibility. In the case of carbohydrate food, a lot of browning can result while fats and oils can be decomposed. As a result of these effects, left over food should only be reheated and not recooked. Also Lett over food should not be reheated for more than once. This is because, apart from the decreased nutritive quality, the tendency of the food becoming contaminated with germs is greatly increased. Improve the nutritive and taste quality of reheated foods they should be slightly flavoured, and be supplemented with fresh foods.

Reasons for Reheating Food

It prevents wastages
It provides variety
lt is economical
It makes the food more appetizing due to its attractive appearance and temperature.
It makes the food more easily digested than when it is cold.

Rules for Reheating Food

Reheat, but do not recook the food so as not to render it indigestible.
When reheating, always add extra seasoning and flavouring to regain in the lost flavour.
Serve with suitable accomplishments to improve the nutritive quality.
Since a short time is required for reheating, any new ingredients to be added should be precooked.
Divide food finely when possible so that the seasoning and heat will penetrate quickly. This helps to prevent hardening of the protein and fibres.
Consider how much food has been previously cooked and also the size of the pieces before deciding on the method of reheating
Always remove skin, bone, gristle and any unnecessary fat.

8. As foods lose moisture when reheated, moisten them well but do not make them soggy.

9. Coat food where necessary to protect from direct heat, e.g.

Use starchy root vegetables for shepherd’s pie, fish pie.
Use egg and crumbs for fish cakes, yam cake.

10. Use quick method of cooking eg. frying.

11. Always garnish to make food attractive.

12. Serve daintily when hot.

Examples on How to Use Leftover Foods.

(a) Left over boiled rice and meat stew

Put the rice in a saucepan and heat gently thoroughly. Cover saucepan and continue heating. Serve hot with freshly cooked green vegetables. Add the stew and mix hot.

(b) Left over stews and soups
Remove meat and add some sliced onion, pepper, tomatoes and water to gravy. Bring to the boil. Add rice, season with pepper and cook. When rice is almost done, add meat. A little curry powder may be added to give extra flavour.

(c) Left over boiled yams

These can be fried into dundu’ the next day or roasted and consumed with stew or even ordinary palm oil.

(d) Left over fish
Cooked left over fish can be turned into savouries if freed from skin and bone, and finely minced or pounded with anchovy essence and a little butter, then used as a spread on toast’. Apart from this method, left over fish can be used in preparing fish
pie, fish cake, fish salad and fish cutlets.

(e) Meat

Left over cooked meats such as bacon, ham, tongue, kidney or liver may be minced and used to give extra flavour to croquettes. They can also be used in meat-pies. Left-over poultry, such
as chicken, if cut into joints can be reheated carefully in a curry sauce. The skin and bone are removed, the poultry can be used for salad, cutlery and mayonnaise. Minced and used to give extra flavour to croquettes. They can also be used in meat-pies. Left-over poultry, such as chicken, if cut into joints can be reheated carefully in a curry sauce. The skin and bone are removed the poultry can be used for salad, cutlets and mayonnaise.

(f) Vegetables
Left over cooked vegetables can be used for salads. For example vegetables like peas and potatoes may be mixed with mayonnaise and used for salads. Similarly cold potatoes can be mashed and used for fish cakes or potato cakes.

Before lesson Evaluation, it is important you perform one or two practical activities for the lesson with the learners. This will enhance their understanding of the lesson and retention of memory especially for Kinesthetic learners who learn more by doing.

Practical Activities for the Lesson

Materials needed: left over rice, saucepan, stew, fresh green vegetable.

Preparation: Put the rice in a saucepan and heat gently thoroughly. Cover saucepan and continue heating. Serve hot with freshly cooked green vegetables. Add the stew and mix and serve hot.

And that’s it! You can give them project assignment on this.

Project: Help your mom to save cost by reducing food wastage. How? Make a Rechauffe from left over yam stating the procedure and method used.

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