Bon Appétit Management Company

A month or two ago, the Shepherd’s Grain farmers were just finishing their harvest, climbing off their combines after a long season. This year in the Pacific Northwest, we may have had a disappointing late spring and mild summer for beach-goers, but it was just cool and rainy enough to pamper the wheat fields. And a high yielding season is not only great for the farmers, but also for all of us. Our relationship is not bran deep. Bon Appétit Management Company throughout the Pacific Northwest partners with Shepherd’s Grain to create our from-scratch pizza dough, bread, and pastries. Bon Appétit at Seattle University, for example, goes through 1,550 pounds of Shepherd’s Grain flour a week to feed lunch-going students, faculty, and staff!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, so is that day when the feast is over and the guests have gone home – and you have a giant dish full of leftover turkey sitting in the refrigerator. Sure, you could make turkey sandwiches — the classic way to use up leftovers — but the Bon Appétit team at Cisco-San Jose in San Jose, CA, has some more creative ideas. Since guests often ask for recipes from the chefs, this holiday season the team proactively provided customers with ideas of how to get the most out of their Thanksgiving meal.

By Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RD For this month’s Well Being Challenge, we encourage you to replace an unhealthy saturated fat or refined carbohydrate with a healthy unsaturated fat source once a day for one week. Demonstrate your commitment to embracing healthy fats in your diet by posting photos or comments about your healthy fat substitutions on our Facebook page wall. Here’s a recipe to get you started.  Walnut-Sage Pesto Makes 1 cup

By Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RD For this month’s Well Being Challenge, we encourage you to replace an unhealthy saturated fat or refined carbohydrate with a healthy unsaturated fat source once a day for one week. Demonstrate your commitment to embracing healthy fats in your diet by posting photos or comments about your healthy fat substitutions on our Facebook page wall. Here’s a recipe to get you started.  Cod with Braised Celery and Tomato

By Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RD For this month’s well being challenge, we encourage you to replace an unhealthy saturated fat or refined carbohydrate with a healthy  unsaturated fat source once a day for one week. Demonstrate your commitment toembracing healthy fats in your diet by posting photos or comments about your healthy fat substitutions on our Facebook page wall. Here’s a recipe to get you started.  Chocolate and Avocado Brownies Makes one 9×13’’ pan Ingredients 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup mashed avocado 3/4 cup lowfat cow’s milk or soymilk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil, plus more for greasing baking dish 1 teaspoon vanilla extract To Prepare 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish with oil. 2. Mix together the flour, […]

By Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RD For this month’s Well Being Challenge, we encourage you to provide your body with more nutrients and fiber and decrease your carbon footprint by enjoying more plant- based proteins. Demonstrate your commitment to increasing vegetable proteins in your diet by posting photos or comments about your plant-based protein meals and experiences on our Facebook page wall. Here’s a recipe to get you started.  Linguine with Kale and Walnuts

By Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RD For this month’s well being challenge, we encourage you to provide your body with more nutrients and fiber and decrease your carbon footprint by enjoying more plant- based proteins. Demonstrate your commitment to increasing vegetable proteins in your diet by posting photos or comments about your plant-based protein meals and experiences on our Facebook page wall. Here’s a delicious, unique recipe for you to try. Black Bean and Beet Burgers

The Eat Local Challenge has become one of my favorite celebrations each year. While many of our usual holidays come with prescribed dishes, such as turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving, brisket and matzoh ball soup for Passover, and cookies topped with red and green sprinkles for Christmas, the Eat Local Challenge menu is always different — year to year, chef to chef, and region by region. The challenge is to create an whole menu where every ingredient (except for salt) comes from within 150 miles. While this is no easy task, I also find the challenge to be encouraging. Whether a chef or an eater, it encourages everyone to explore unusual flavors – found on our local farm and range lands and in our forests, lakes, and oceans, to learn about new producers, and tap into our inner creative spirit.

By Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RD For this month’s well being challenge, we encourage you to provide your body with more nutrients and fiber and decrease your carbon footprint by enjoying more plant- based proteins. Demonstrate your commitment to increasing vegetable proteins in your diet by posting photos or comments about your plant-based protein meals and experiences on our Facebook page wall. This white bean hummus recipe s a great way to get started.  White Bean Hummus with Oregano 1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed* 3-4 tablespoons tahini 1-2 tablespoons olive oil Juice from 1/2 lemon 1/2 -1 teaspoon salt 3 sprigs fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano *In Bon Appétit kitchens, menu items containing beans are made with cooked dry beans. You can substitute cooked dry beans for canned beans in your home as well. They may take longer to prepare, but have fresher […]

By Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RD For this month’s well being challenge, we encourage you to get to know your food – and where it comes from – by making meals with seasonalingredients from local producers.  Demonstrate your commitment to the local food community by posting pictures or comments about your local and seasonal food experiences on our Facebook page wall. Here’s a recipe to get you started.  Baked Apple & Sweet Potato Latkes Makes about twelve 2 – 3 inch latkes