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Here we are, back again for another semester at Lincoln Land Community College’s Bistro Verde restaurant! We change the menu for every class to keep things interesting and to show a variety of foods and methods. This first menu is for the first quarter of the semester and will feature more fast-casual comfort foods, all packaged to-go. Guests are welcome to stay in the dining room to enjoy their meals. The packaging gives students a chance to think about how the food travels and is consumed by the guests to maintain an ideal outcome. 

The first section of the menu covers handhelds. We are making an open-faced pizza sandwich. It will have red pepper, onion, mushroom and grilled zucchini on ciabatta bread with marinara sauce, fresh basil and mozzarella cooked to a golden brown. This gives practice cutting assorted vegetables and assembling a thoughtful presentation, which should be delicious but not messy. We are making a pork torta, a Mexican sandwich with roasted and sliced pork loin, braised and shredded pork shoulder, cabbage, avocado, melted cheese and homemade salsa all on a hoagie bun. This sandwich offers several cooking methods that come together in a tasty combination. I like to have fun with grilled cheese, and this time it is a version of apple crisp. It will be an apple “burger” breaded with a crisp crumble, with a honey vanilla brie spread, a little melted mozzarella for a cheese pull and served on toasted buttery brioche. We are making a version of buffalo chicken with a carrot and celery slaw on a bun with a side of homemade ranch. Our last sandwich option is steak and cheddar. It will have tender sliced beef, melted sharp cheddar, caramelized onions and dijonnaise all on ciabatta. 

We always have some type of sushi on the menu, and this time we are making a Korean version known as kimbap. The rice is seasoned a little differently, but it is still rolled in seaweed. It will be filled with beef bulgogi, carrot, cucumber, spinach, pickled radish and egg. It is served with kimchi, rice and a sauce called ssamjang, which is complex and one of my favorite things. 

The parlor-style chili has been on the menu forever; we have a couple customers who look forward to this every time. Hungarian goulash is our second soup option, with tender beef, bacon, onions, potatoes and carrots, with paprika being the forward spice. This is another opportunity for students to practice slowly cooking several ingredients without making them too soft. We will also be making creamy shrimp and white bean soup. This is me having a little fun with the “marry me sauce” that I have seen all over social media. The idea is to show the students how to take an idea and translate it into a different interpretation and presentation. 

For the salad on this menu, we are making teriyaki chicken. It will have broccoli, roasted red pepper, carrot, cucumber, tomato, mixed greens, crispy wontons and homemade ginger dressing often enjoyed at Japanese restaurants. 

Sausage and broccoli rigatoni is our pasta dish. It will have an herb cream sauce and topped with burrata. The final dish on the menu is always a regionally inspired platter. This one in from the Philippines and includes barbeque chicken, braised pork belly, pancit noodles, garlic fried rice, tomato salad, homemade lumpia and fresh pineapple. 

We will be offering this menu Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., from Jan. 27 until Feb. 26. We hope to see as many of you as possible to give our students a great opportunity to experience running a restaurant. 

Creamy shrimp and white bean soup 

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 springs fresh thyme
• 1/4 spring fresh rosemary
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
• 1 quart fresh baby spinach
• 2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 pound shrimp
• Fresh basil, for garnish 

Directions

1. Sauté onion, carrot and pepper in oil and butter until tender.
2. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add everything except for the parmesan, and bring just to a simmer.
4. Cook gently until shrimp are cooked.
5. Stir in parmesan cheese.
6. Pour into a bowl and top with a little fresh basil. Enjoy!

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Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through 69���� Community Education.

Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.