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There's no doubt that traditional comfort foods will always have their place in college cafeterias. However, you may be facing new challenges as you create meals for a generation that was often handed a menu in answer to the question "what's for dinner?"
Today's college students are looking for more variety and sophistication in their food choices. They love ethnic cuisine, have tried everything from Thai to Italian, and are used to restaurant quality food. They also are savvy about nutrition, with many opting for low-fat foods, vegetarian dishes and other healthy choices.
Here you will find recipes from the Northarvest Bean Growers Association that were designed to help you satisfy the varied tastes and nutritional preferences of today's students. Beans add great flavor, texture and nutrition to many dishes and they are a staple in many ethnic foods and vegetarian dishes that your students desire. In addition, beans are an economical choice that can help you balance food costs at a time when more upscale, expensive ingredients are being added to standard cafeteria fare.
Bean Basics
Starting with dry beans? Try the following tips to produce beans that are consistently tasty and visually appealing:
- Advance preparation - Soaking the beans slowly overnight will give you the best looking end product.
- Watch the temperature - Try not to actually boil the beans. Boiling the beans loosens and weakens the outer skin. Whole beans are achieved by keeping the heat at a high simmer.
- Mind the water level - Make sure to use plenty of water to cook the beans so they don't accidentally cook uncovered. The sudden exposure to the air will cause the skins to flake.
- Minimize stirring - Stirring can damage the appearance of the beans.
- Add liquid as needed - To moisten a finished bean dish, stir in additional salad dressing, milk or water.
Have Leftover Beans?
- Mash beans with a pastry blender and season with garlic, herbs and butter or margarine; heat and serve in place of mashed potatoes.
- For a salad dressing, puree beans in a food processor, season with herbs, thin with milk or water. Or, heat and use as a sauce with pasta and vegetables.
- Use mashed or pureed beans to thicken soups or stews.
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