Electrolux
Electrolux Professional is a world leader in the production and distribution of professional foodservice solutions. With the highest R&D investment in its industry, they are committed to thoughtful innovation and hold more than 200 exclusive patents directly aimed at making customers' lives easier.
The Dito Electrolux Mini Combi Oven is part of the Dito Electrolux Libero Line, a series of plug-in appliances for all kinds of cooking and holding applications to prepare almost anything, for anyone, almost anywhere. Nowadays, flexible and easy-to-use solutions for front cooking and front finishing are even more necessary, since preparing fresh food products right in front of customers is a growing trend in foodservice and hospitality business.
Today foodservice professionals are making great strides in offering creative flavorful menu options for vegetables. Since many of the phytochemicals in vegetables—such as those found in onions, cauliflower, peppers, broccoli, asparagus, carrots and beets—are reasonably heat stable, their levels are reasonably maintained during oven roasting. In fact, the effectiveness of some phytochemicals may be increased during cooking. This means that one does not always have to eat raw food in order to receive the health benefits of the foods that are rich in phytochemicals. Featuring winter seasonal flavors and cooking techniques has been a great way to encourage vegetable consumption during an otherwise challenging season for enjoying fresh vegetables.
Oven roasting of vegetables relies on caramelization for flavor development and provides an allure in savory dishes as natural sugars darken to add sweetness as well as browning. The flavor of garlic and shallots become rich, sweet and give smoky accents to purees, marinades, and vinaigrettes. Peppers and chilies are often charred in a flame, but roasting them in a hot oven also produces a deep, rich flavor, and makes them easier to peel. Roasting tomatoes concentrates and enriches their flavor to be used in numerous different menu applications of soups, sauces, and dressings.
Many winter menus now feature healthy comfort foods like roasted acorn squash and artichokes with roasted meats. The salad bar, often thought of a fresh and raw approach to vegetables, can carry a winter theme by featuring roasted vegetables inspired by the Mediterranean and Latin American cuisines. Roasted vegetables can also be paired with other popular salads such as grain and bread salads combined with peppers, green beans, or asparagus, heirloom beans, flavorful vinaigrettes, and toasted nuts or pomegranate seeds. Roasted eggplant salads of the Mediterranean, composed salads made with roasted potatoes, fennel, green beans, roasted beets and peppers alongside roasted cauliflower are more ideas to expand the technique of oven roasting to create flavorful, healthful menu items.
References
A King. Characteristics and Occurrence of Phenolic Phytochemicals, J Am Diet Assoc. 1999; 99:213-218.
Shiuan Chen, Sei-Ryang Oh, Sheryl Phung, Gene Hu1, Jing Jing Ye, Sum Ling Kwok, Gayle E. Shrode, Martha Belury, Lynn S. Adams and Dudley Williams. Anti-Aromatase Activity of Phytochemicals in White Button Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) Cancer Research 66, 12026-12034, December 15, 2006
Price et al. Composition and content of flavonol glycosides in broccoli florets (Brassica olearacea) and their fate during cooking. J Sci Food Agric 1998; 77(4):468-72.
Nicoli et al. Influence of processing on the antioxidant properties of fruit and vegetables. Trends Food Sci Technol 1999;10(3):94-100.