Nature's power punch

Operators seeking tasty, economical, highly nutritious, heart-healthy and easy-to-prepare dishes need look no farther than the multitude of those featuring beans. What's more, beans are an extremely popular component of innumerable ethnic dishes, whether highly or subtly seasoned.

To suit the tastes of the very international population served at Oracle Corp.'s conference center in Redwood Shores, CA, chef Daniel Long aims to make bean dishes vegetarian unless the recipe requires meat. "We don't use pork in beans or chicken stock in rice pilaf, substituting vegetable stock and wine instead. In most cases, we use dry beans or fresh, but when using dry, soaking and rinsing them in clear water eliminates the gassiness," he says.

Indian Buffet appeal: Long often prepares channa masala for an Indian Buffet in both catering and in one of the cafes at this Bon Appetit account, utilizing garbanzo beans flavored with spices, tamarind, tomatoes and onions. A curried potato and lentil dish is equally popular and is prepared with roasted diced potatoes tossed with curry powder, salt, pepper, ginger, garlic and whole mustard seeds. The roasted potatoes—cooked up with lots of ginger, garlic and onions—are done separately from the lentils which are seasoned with dal masala, a spice mixture, then combined prior to serving.

"I find adding beans to various dishes is very cost-effective and increases the bottom line. Plus, they're well-received since they're very recognizable. They also make most dishes very heart-healthy, very filling and they're not terribly expensive. Fava beans, however, can be costly and we don't use them because of the labor involved in cleaning them," Long explains.

In line with the unit's dedication to scratch-prep, refried beans are made from pinto beans, soaked overnight, then boiled with lots of onions and garlic.

The 'slower' the better: "They're loaded with flavor. We add onions right away and also caramelize some to be added later for sweetness. For black beans, we generally use spices such as cumin and chili powder, but it depends on the dish. Our Hispanic population prefers refried beans and pinto beans, while black beans are traditionally more Cuban and Caribbean. But, as with any beans, the slower and longer you cook them, the more flavor they'll have," he says.

Beans have long been a meat replacement for vegetarians and for those trying to eat healthy by choosing a vegetarian option at lunch. At the Univ. of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), "leading a healthier, happier life through diet and exercise is the craze," and Kathy Fields, nutrition specialist with Aramark/UNCG Dining Svcs., has been facilitating the desire by creating a marketing strategy and tools to promote the healthy trends.

"Spartan Smart Choice" is the operation's concept for marketing vegan and vegetarian meals to students. Complete labeling and nutritional information is available at the point of purchase, detailed on a Spartan Smart Card. During the recently-run Vegetarian Marketplace promotion contest sponsored by The Idaho Bean Commission in coordination with NACUFS, UNCG chefs created several recipes (within Spartan Smart Card parameters), including Seven Layer Bean Tortilla Casserole, the student favorite.

"We serve about 2,500 on board plans for lunch each day in the caf, plus an additional 200 other transactions, then about 2,000 for dinner. We use canned and frozen beans, but mostly dry that we soak overnight. Red kidney beans are most popular with the students, so we have them on the salad bar, in chili, in New Orleans Red Beans and Rice, etc.," Fields points out.

The nutritious punch: However, black beans (also known as turtle beans or frijoles negros in Latin America) may be even more nutritious, she notes, since they're one of the best sources of soluble fiber—boasting 6.5 gms in one-half cup of cooked black beans.

"In Pangeos (exhibition station), food is sauteed in front of the customer and they can read the history of beans while they're waiting. Our students like flavor and seasoning; they love beans and they like to try unusual kinds," Fields reports.

"The state of Louisiana is known for beans," notes Rodney Williams, exec. chef at 213-bed North Shore Regional Medical Ctr. in Slidell, LA. Therefore, he prepares them often and in varied ways for his cafeteria, doctor's lounge and catering customers as well as for patients at this Morrison Mgmt. Svcs. account.

Red Beans 'n Rice: "Every other Monday, we do Red (kidney) Beans and Rice since it's so popular. It's prepared with onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, a little Tabasco and bay leaf. We cook it down to a cream sauce texture, then add to the rice. For traditional baked beans with barbecued ribs, we cook down pinto beans plus brown sugar, onions, bell pepper, a pinch of mustard and a touch of honey," he says.

Williams typically takes "the long way" to cook beans and describes them as "delicate" when cooked down to the proper consistency.