International Flavors and Culinary Creativity Top Campus Dining Menus for 2012

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- College students returning to campus from winter break won't have to go far to find their favorite home cooked meals served with a side of culinary creativity.  Hundreds of colleges and universities across the country will offer new menus from ARAMARK featuring international flavors and more seafood, vegan and vegetarian entrees. 

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As a result of student focus groups and feedback from DiningStyles™, ARAMARK's proprietary research, the company's team of professional and certified chefs has cooked up unique and exciting meals that turn everyday favorites into culinary attractions, as well as integrated healthy choices with flavors and influences from around the world.  The spring menus feature more than 100 new entrees and side dishes, including Moroccan Vegetable Stew, Chicken Honey Lettuce Wraps, Szechuan Tofu and Baked Fish Bruschetta, all prepared and presented in creative ways.

"We are excited to introduce new international flavors and creative twists on traditional student favorites, as well as more seafood, vegan and vegetarian options," said Randy Bain, National Culinary Director, ARAMARK Higher Education.  "Based on research with students from around the country, our chefs created fun, tasty menus that also allow students to customize their culinary experience."

Highlights of the new menus include:   

• Moroccan Vegetable Stew: This hot stew features a medley of delicious vegetables topped with shredded carrots and served alongside a healthy heaping of couscous.
• Chicken Honey Lettuce Wrap: A twist on a traditional favorite, lettuce leaves serve as the "wrap" to hold the chicken and tortilla strips, which are drizzled with honey mustard.
• Falafel on Pita: The recipe features falafel served atop a warm pita with a choice of vegetables, assembled as students watch.
• Shrimply Divine: Cavatappi pasta and shrimp are blended in a creamy cheese sauce and finished with a sprinkling of buttery bread crumbs.
• Fruited Chicken Salad Lavash: Served in alternating layers, this dish features a base of lavash (a soft, thin flatbread) topped with shredded lettuce and tasty chicken salad.
• Inside Out BLT: This popular dish contains all of the ingredients of the traditional favorite but is served with a culinary twist, inside out. The lettuce serves as the stage on which the cubed bread, crumbled bacon and diced tomatoes are served.
• Veggie Curry: Vegetarians can enjoy curry—a traditional Indian cuisine—featuring a variety of freshly cooked vegetables.
• Your Way Fried Rice: Selecting their favorite vegetables and a choice of protein, students are able to customize their fried rice and watch as it is prepared.  Chopsticks and a fortune cookie complete the dish!
• Vegetarian Chili Baked Potato: Served in a large mug, this vegetarian chili features diced potatoes and is completed with the student's choice of chopped green onions, shredded cheese or crunchy chips.
• Baked Fish Bruschetta: This flaky white fish is covered with seasoned panko crumbs and topped with fresh plum tomatoes, diced onions and a chiffonade of freshly cut basil.
• Grilled Vegetable and Hummus Wrap: The wrap combines grilled vegetables layered in a tortilla shell, coated with a smear of hummus and topped with crisp arugula, diced plum tomatoes and diced red onion.
• Cantonese Pollack: This whitefish is steamed, seasoned to perfection and served fresh!
• Szechuan Tofu: A delectable vegetarian choice, the grilled tofu is combined with spicy Szechuan vegetables for the perfect meal.
• Vegetable Linguine: Tasty linguine is combined with fresh Alfredo sauce and a variety of fresh, local vegetables.

ARAMARK is committed to meeting the dietary and lifestyle needs and preferences of its customers.  Foods are prepared in small batches with fresh ingredients and zero grams trans fat oils and spreads. Menus feature lower calorie choices; vegan, vegetarian and whole grain options; seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables; and a variety of whole foods that are raised, grown, harvested, and produced locally and in a sustainable manner. ARAMARK also provides support to those with dietary needs, including food allergies and sensitivities.

About ARAMARK Higher Education
ARAMARK Higher Education is dedicated to excellence in dining, facility, conference center, and stadium and arena services. ARAMARK enhances the living and learning experience and environment for more than 600 colleges and universities throughout North America.  For more information and a list of our services, visit www.aramarkhighered.com.

About ARAMARK
ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as the industry leader in FORTUNE magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies," and as one of America's Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 250,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com, or www.twitter.com/aramarknews.

SOURCE ARAMARK