Have you heard of Boloco? They are a Boston based burrito joint, but these are not your average Mexican burritos. Self-described as “globally inspired burritos” they take it to the next delicious level with creations like Bangkok Thai, laden with addictive spicy peanut sauce, and the Mediterranean, complete with black bean hummus made in house.

Although Boloco, which is a mashup of Boston Local Company, is mostly based in Boston, they do have several locations in Massachusetts outside of Boston and have spots in New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and even Maryland! And in case you were wondering, no Boloco is not paying me for this or even aware I’m writing this blog post, I just love their food that much!

One of my favorites was a recent addition last year: the New England Harvest Salad. I normally don’t get so jazzed up over a salad, but this dish is so outrageously tasty I eventually had to re-create it myself. This here is a sautéed kale salad topped with quinoa, roasted squash and fresh cranberries, shredded beets, roasted balsamic mushrooms (told you those bad boys were going to make an appearance!) and goat cheese.

If you told me I could only eat one salad for the rest of my life I would pick this one without even hesitating. In addition to the addictive mouthwatering qualities of this salad, which caused it to never even make it to the table and instead be eaten standing at the counter, this salad is healthy. Just look at all those superfoods!

Since all the components are warm, other than the shredded beets and goat cheese, I made extra so all Matt and I had to do was throw the leftovers in the microwave the next day then top with the cold ingredients for a quick, healthy and satisfying dinner.

New England Harvest Salad

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 16 ounces peeled and cut butternut squash (1” cubes)
• ⅔ cup fresh cranberries
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 10 ounces roughly chopped kale, hard stems removed
• 1 small red beet
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 batch Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms
• 8 ounces goat cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil and set aside.
2. Toss the squash and cranberries with the 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil then place on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender.
3. Meanwhile heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale and half a cup water. Cook until the kale is tender and the water has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Peel the beet with a vegetable peeler then grate with a microplane. Set aside.
5. To plate the salad first layer the kale. Top with the quinoa, followed by the shredded beets, balsamic roasted mushrooms and the roasted squash and cranberries. Finish by sprinkling with the goat cheese. Serve warm.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

To me, the ultimate telling of a great salad is that it doesn’t seem like you are eating a salad. It doesn’t taste diet-y or as though all you’re doing is consuming a large bowl of raw vegetables like a rabbit raiding the produce aisle.

It simply tastes like a really delicious dish. The flavors are well-balanced and the textures vary. Extra bonus points if there are both hot and cold components.

This warm lemon and mustard potato salad hits all the marks on my great salad scale. The key to this meal-worthy salad is that the potatoes aren’t just average roasted potatoes. Before being placed in the oven to get nice and crispy, the potatoes are tossed with a lemon and mustard vinaigrette.

Tart, tangy and creamy, these potatoes are even better when combined with the freshness of the salad greens and the nuttiness of the walnuts. This dish is great for a vegetarian main dish or an elevated first course that will have your guests requesting the recipe.

Warm Lemon & Mustard Potato Salad

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

for the dressing

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

for the salad

• 1½ pounds baby red-skinned potatoes, halves
• 1 orange or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 4 cups mixed greens
• ¼ cup walnut pieces, toasted
• Salt and pepper

Directions

for the dressing

1. Whisk together the mustard, parsley, zest, juice and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 3 tablespoons of the dressing in a small bowl and set aside.

for the salad

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Add the potatoes to the large bowl with the dressing and toss until coated. Place the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy.
3. When ready to serve, toss the bell pepper and greens with the reserved dressing. Place on the serving dish then top with the roasted potatoes and toasted walnut pieces.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

My brother and I are very different from one another, but there is definitely one thing we have in common: we both LOVE to eat. We also share a lot of favorite foods. I’m talking to you macaroni and cheese, sushi, and asparagus!

Another item high on the list is smoked salmon. Man, we can seriously chow down on smoked salmon. Toss us a platter with toast, hard boiled egg and some red onion and we are very, very happy campers. Or happy diners. I wouldn’t suggest bringing a smoked salmon platter camping, but that’s just me. When the two of us walk into a buffet we… oh you got the point already? Okay then, I promise all this raving about our cravings has a point.

And it is this amazing smoked salmon salad. All the balanced flavors you love from a traditional smoked salmon platter with an added freshness. Refreshing leafy greens are piled with salty smoked salmon, fluffy hard boiled egg crumbles, crunchy mini pumpernickel croutons and red onion.

The whole salad is lightly drizzled with a lemon and shallot vinaigrette that brings an extra pop of acidity and brightness to the dish.

So a special happy early birthday to my brother who inspired this outrageous dish! I hope you get to eat all your favorites on your birthday.

Smoked Salmon Salad

 

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Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

for the salad

• ⅔ cup ½ inch cubes of pumpernickel bread
• 8 cups mixed greens
• 6 ounces smoked salmon slices
• 2 hard boiled eggs, crumbled with a fork
• Thinly sliced red onion

for the dressing

• ½ shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon capers, optional
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

for the salad

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Very lightly toss the bread cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place evenly on a pan and cook until crisp, about 10 minutes.
2. Place the greens on a medium serving bowl or platter. Layer the smoked salmon, hard boiled egg crumbles and sliced red onion on top. Drizzle the salad dressing on top then serve.

for the dressing

1. Combine the shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, parsley and capers, if using, in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Five minutes into making this soup I knew I had a winner sitting on the stovetop in front of me. Intense smells swirled around me while the softening onions took on a rich color from all the spices. I don’t get cravings for soups unless they pack a lot of flavor and this sweet potato and apple soup hits the mark so I am extremely pleased to be posting it for as the second post in my fall apple series.

This soup does take a shortcut by using applesauce instead of whole fresh apples, but you could easily turn your apple picking finds into an impromptu applesauce by peeling, coring then crushing them. And then making this soup of course.

The original recipe uses curry powder, but since I didn’t have any on hand I substituted with what was in my cabinet. Feel free to use my version or substitute with curry powder according to the notes in the recipe. The soup has that delicious warming quality that all fall soups should have as well as an exciting complexity of taste.

Finishing the soup with a splash of curry butter really deepens this complexity. You might think, “Oh, it’s just a garnish, I’m going to skip the curry butter,” but do not make this mistake my friends! Although it’s just a simple concoction of butter, spices and apple cider vinegar, it adds a final richness and tang to the soup.

The apple chip pictured in the soup photos is the perfect crunchy texture addition and I’ll be sharing the recipe later this week in my third apple post.

Spiced Sweet Potato & Apple Soup

 

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Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1¼ cups applesauce
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl then set aside.
2. Place the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once warm add the onions and garlic then cook until the onions are soft, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the ginger, additional nutmeg and 1¼ teaspoons of the spice mixture that was set aside in the first step. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the sweet potatoes and vegetable broth then cover and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the applesauce then let simmer, covered, on medium-low for 20 minutes.
5. When the potatoes are tender, puree the mixture until smooth with an immersion blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm while you prepare the spiced butter.
6. In a small skillet over medium heat melt the butter then add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of the spice mixture. Stir over the heat until browned, just a couple minutes, then remove from the heat. Mix in the apple cider vinegar then drizzle over each serving of soup.

Notes

If you are using curry powder instead, substitute 1.5 teaspoons curry powder for the first 5 ingredients.

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Recipe adapted from September 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine.

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Can you believe summer is already almost over? Not to remind you or anything, but it’s August! Where does the time go? I don’t have nearly enough time to cook all the dishes I would like to, so it’s very rare when there’s a dish I go back to again and again. This watermelon salad is one of those dishes.

Simple as it seems, this watermelon salad with feta and a citrus mint vinaigrette was my favorite recipe I discovered all last summer. Everyone I made it for requested the recipe. It is refreshing, healthy and has a surprisingly delightful flavor profile.

I remember looking at the list of ingredients on the Food Network website and thinking, “this is going to be interesting…” But it all works and comes together in a seriously tasty way.

The vinaigrette consists of lemon and orange juices, minced shallots, honey for some sweetness and to brighten the salad some fresh mint. Of course some olive oil, salt and pepper are added to the mix. The little cubes of watermelon soak up just the right amount of the dressing and the feta adds some saltiness to balance the dish.

Eat this as a snack, appetizer or side dish along with your summer meals.

Watermelon & Feta Salad

 

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup lemon juice, about 2 lemons
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 3-4 large fresh mint leaves, julienned

Directions

1. In a large measuring cup or small bowl whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallot, honey, salt and pepper. While continuing to whisk carefully pour in the olive oil. Continue whisking until combined well.
2. Place the watermelon in a large serving bowl, top with the feta and mint, then top with enough of the vinaigrette to coat the watermelon. Gently toss. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed then serve immediately.

Notes

Do not combine the vinaigrette with the watermelon until right before serving.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments