Here we are again — a new class of students and a new menu for them to prepare for all of you. Just a quick recap for any new readers: I teach at Lincoln Land Community College, and two of the classes I teach operate the public restaurant Bistro Verde. 

We offer two versions of the restaurant experience. The first, which I’ll be sharing today, is a fast-casual, comfort-food concept where everything is packaged to go. If you want to sit down and enjoy the packaged meal in our dining room, you’re very welcome to do so. The other version — which I’ll share in the second half of the semester — features plated foods with a little more elegance but still very fun and approachable. This menu can also be enjoyed to go for those needing that option. 

The first section of the menu has handheld options, all served with homemade potato chips. We make a black bean and mushroom burger topped with roasted red pepper, avocado, lettuce, tomato and onion, finished with lime and herb mayo on a brioche bun. The focus with this item is to learn how to take vegetables and make a meat substitute with desirable texture and taste from scratch. 

Pork schnitzel is next, which lets students practice using a fryer correctly, in addition to making sweet-pickled cabbage and a grainy mustard hollandaise — also served on a brioche bun. This is a fun variation of a pork tenderloin, and if you're a little nervous about the cabbage and hollandaise, we’ll gladly prepare one without them. 

We always have grilled cheese on the menu because getting a beautiful, golden-brown toast on the bread while completely melting the cheese is more challenging than people may realize — especially when cooking several at a time. Our grilled cheese will be flavored with blueberry jam, goat cheese, Parmesan and thyme on a slice of brioche. 

We’re also offering a wrap. It is straightforward — chicken, bacon and ranch with a little lettuce and cheddar cheese. Italian beef is on the menu to practice making a slow-cooked meat that is juicy and tender but not overcooked. It’s topped with melted provolone on a hoagie with a side of homemade giardiniera. 

The next section of the menu has soups. We always have loaded parlor chili. If you're from this area, you know what it is. If not, come try a bowl! Yakamein is the second soup available. It is a soup from New Orleans that is made using tender sliced beef cooked in a Cajun-spiced broth, served with ramen noodles, a boiled egg and scallions on top. The eggs will have a jammy yolk, like you’d find in ramen. The last soup is chicken and corn chowder. I try to always include a chowder on the menu because it’s a useful method for making soups that can be interpreted into many different and delicious ideas. 

Cold plates are next. The salad is a version of green goddess — one of my favorite classics. It includes crispy chicken, avocado, asparagus, boiled egg, spinach, romaine, Parmesan and green goddess dressing. 

We always offer some version of sushi, and it’s often a student favorite to make. For fun, we’re offering a Mexican-themed sushi: crispy shrimp with chipotle sauce, carne asada with avocado and roasted pepper, and grilled portabella and roasted sweet potato with a cilantro cream sauce.

The final section of the menu has hot lunch plates. First up is seafood macaroni and cheese — shrimp and crab in a traditional cheese sauce tossed with cavatappi pasta, then topped with buttered and toasted breadcrumbs. This will be students’ first chance to take components and put them together in a pan to order. On that note, we don’t hold anything hot, so everything is cooked to order. 

The final menu item is a Cuban platter. It includes roasted and shredded pork shoulder served with black beans and rice, sweet plantains, yuca fries, a fried egg and a side of creamy cilantro sauce. For those who know, the pork preparation is called pernil, which features garlic, lime, orange, cumin and oregano as the major flavors. It’s one of my favorite dishes, and a friend who was visiting recently made it for me. 

Bistro Verde’s first day of service will be Sept. 9. We’re open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This menu will be available until Oct. 9. We’ll then reopen again on Oct. 28 with a new menu of plated dishes, which I’ll discuss in a later article. We hope to see you soon — and often! 

Seafood mac 'n' cheese 

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1 can evaporated milk 
• 2 slices American cheese 
• 1/2-pound sharp cheddar, shredded by hand 
• 1/4-pound mild cheddar, shredded by hand 
• 1/4-pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded by hand 
• 2 ounces shredded parmesan 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper 
• Tiniest pinch of cayenne, or omit 
• 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay 
• Lump crab 
• Shrimp 
• Cavatappi, or your preferred pasta 
• 1 cup panko 
• 2 tablespoons of butter 
• Salt and pepper 

Instructions

1. Place ingredients from heavy cream to Old Bay into a bowl. 
2. Place bowl over simmering water, and gently whisk just until cheese melts. Add a little more cream if the sauce is too thick for your preference. The American cheese is present to avoid a clumpy sauce; it helps the other cheeses stay smooth. Do not use shredded bagged cheese for a cheese sauce. 
3. Set aside until needed. 
4. Place the shrimp in salted simmering water just until it is barely cooked. 
5. Remove, and place it in ice bath to quickly cool. Set aside. 
6. Cook the pasta to 1 minute less than “al dente” according to box instructions in boiling, salted water. 
7. Drain, rinse with cold water, lightly toss in olive oil and set aside. 
8. Melt butter in a pan with panko over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden brown. 
9. Remove from the pan to cool. 

To serve

1. Place a desirable amount of the sauce in a pan over medium heat, stirring frequently. 
2. When the sauce is warm but not boiling, add the pasta, crab and shrimp. Stir gently until it’s hot. Do not overcook. The shrimp will get tough, the pasta mushy and the sauce will break. 
3. Carefully pour onto a plate, and sprinkle with toasted buttery breadcrumbs. If you would like, adding a little chopped parsley wouldn’t hurt. Enjoy!

About

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

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