Newly launched Beet Bacon from Ardo is getting positive reaction in the international marketplace. And for good reason, as foodservice operators admire its colorful versatility in a myriad of dishes while health-conscious consumers appreciate that red beets are rich in folate, manganese and other nutrients.
Ardooie, Belgium-headquartered Ardo’s gluten-free, pre-fried crispy beetroot lardoons are being positioned as an ideal vegan alternative to traditional meat bacon cubes. Featuring an appetizingly smoky flavor, the value-added root vegetable product serves up nicely in salads or pasta, atop a pizza or burger, or co-mingled with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes and red onions as a specialty starter or side dish.
Preparation is easy. Deep-frying takes only 90 seconds to three minutes in 180°C preheated oil, while the recommendation for baking is to place the product on a baking sheet in a 200°C preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy, turning once. For pan-frying, first heat one or two tablespoons of vegetable oil in the frying pan. Then put the desired quantity in the pan and cook at medium heat, stirring well.
Ardo offers plenty of recipes to foodservice operators and home cooks alike at its website (www.ardo.com). The recipe for making enough Vegan Carbonara Beet Bacon to serve 10 persons is as follows:
Ingredients
- 3 kg Penne Ardo
• 600 g Beet bacon Ardo
• 100 g Shallots Ardo
• 20 g Garlic Ardo
• 10 g Parsley Ardo
• 6 dl vegan cream
• 10 tsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp white miso
• 1 dl olive oil
Preparation
- Sweat the garlic and shallots in olive oil, add the beet bacon and stir fry.
- Mix the vegan cream with the nutritional yeast, the miso and season with pepper.
- Mix the parsley with the rest of the olive oil.
- Heat the penne in the steamer or in boiling salted water.
- Add the warm penne and the cream mixture in the pan.
- Heat, stir and serve.
- Finish with some parsley oil and some pepper.
Packed in Recyclable Packaging
Distribution is in attractive 1 kg bags made of recyclable LD-PE.
Ardo is a major player in the production of fresh-frozen vegetables, herbs and fruits for retail, foodservice and industrial customers around the world. Operating 21 production units in nine countries, the company produced more than 940,000 tons of volume and generated €1.1 billion in turnover last year. Employing more than 4,000 people, it sources high quality raw material from approximately 3,500 growers working more than 50,000 hectares of farm land.
