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Amazing Grains

Jan 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Tara Fitzpatrick

Rice and whole-grain Pasta are sturdy staples for the menu.

Donald Miller

Donald Miller CEC, CCE, AAC
Executive Chef
Notre Dame Food Services
South Bend, IN

“We serve Penne Pasta with Grilled Vegetables (see recipe) in Legends. That's an Irish pub and ale house that's on campus right next to the stadium. It has a full-service menu: sandwiches, entrees, Irish fare and pastas. The check average is about $15, and it seats about 140 on the restaurant side. It's a very popular place.

“The penne pasta dish came about when we were developing a new healthy fare section of the menu. We wanted authentic food that had good nutritional value. The fresh vegetables in this dish give it incredible flavor, especially since they are roasted. We make our own pesto, too. The olive oil is the only fat used here to expand the flavor.

“Using whole-grain pasta adds some nutritional value, and it doesn't cook any differently than regular pasta. We drain it and toss it with olive oil and keep it in the refrigerator. This dish is done to order at Legends, but it would serve well if batch cooked. It's a big seller with great margins. So, financially it's very good, in addition to being good for you.”

Mike Flory
Executive Director of Dining Services
Hendrix College
Conway, AR

RICE TYPES. Clockwise from the top: Long Grain Brown, Long Grain White, U.S. Aromatic Red, Short Grain White, Parboiled, Brown & Wild Rice Blend, U.S. Jasmine, Medium Grain Brown, U.S. Arborio, U.S. Black Japonica, U.S. Basmati, Medium Grain White

Photo: USA Rice Federation

“Rice bowls are a great success in the mid-afternoon daypart. There are so many things you can do with rice. I grew up in the north, but I notice in the south, especially Arkansas, they eat rice all day long. So when it comes to foodservice, rice is not a hard sell. It's really such a huge hit all around the world.

“So it makes sense that rice is the basis for a lot of dishes in our World's Fair station. We have a new facility opening this month, and we're going to be featuring an Asian Bowl, combining it with the wok station with chicken and vegetables, plus some sauces. A lot of this will be build-your-own, and we'll post suggestions on how to best put the rice bowls together.

“We'll also have Mexican rice bowls, depending on the day. A French rice bowl is similar to that classic dish, Chicken a la King. College kids are always looking for something different. Rice bowls combine something they know they like in a different way. It will be great for in-between meals.”