My friend Melissa and I have a long running complaint about the state of walkable lunch spots near our office. While the hands down favorite is definitely Brown Sugar Cafe, a girl cannot survive on Masaman Curry alone (as much as we might like to). So for the most part I bring my lunch and once a week venture out to one of the very few places that doesn’t require me to get back on the T. Almost all of these locations are chain restaurants like Bertuccis or TGI Fridays. Sometimes, if I get hard up enough, I’ll just get a Skinny Vanilla Latte and some Fruit & Nut mix from Starbucks and call it a day.

Last week though Melissa talked me into going to Boloco. A place I’ve avoided for years because for some unknown reason I’d convinced myself that it was gross and that I didn’t like burritos (what?!) and no way was I going in there. In hindsight this is all completely ridiculous. The line spilling out the door every day of the week and blocking my Starbucks addicted self from getting around them, would probably cue a sensible person into the fact that this little establishment offered up some fine lunch treats.

So with much suspicion and trepidation I ordered their “Summer Burrito” with Tofu. The “Summer Burrito” consists of black beans, mango salsa, melted cheese, cilantro, and rice, all folded up neatly in a flour tortilla. In the interest of full disclosure my first bite of this purchase was not good. The tofu was shockingly tough and pretty much inedible, but after removing it from the other ingredients (and also hiding it from view–yes it was that unappetizing in appearance) I happily finished the entire thing.

I’ve been on a mango kick recently, and I loved the flavors of the mango and cilantro combo so much that I instantly wanted to recreate the filling at home. Below is my attempt at doing so. I did run into a puzzling incident while I was making this dish. I literally opened five cans of Goya Black Beans and they were all spoiled. Three of the cans were newly purchased. After I vetoed the contents of those (since they were really revolting, sort of sludgy and foamy and very broken) I sent CK out to pick up more at the little store at the end of our street and I kid you not, those cans were bad too. Unfortunately, I had to ask poor CK to get in the car and go to Whole Foods where we at last found cans of black beans that didn’t look like a science experiment in fermentation. Has this happened to anyone else? Was there a huge Goya recall that I missed, because these beans were practically alien life forms living incognito in tin cans.

Anyway, after the bean debacle I finally threw everything together and served the dish with white corn chips. We both really enjoyed it. I hope you will too!

Boloco Summer “Burrito” Knock-Off at Home

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
1 package of frozen mango, thawed
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of one lime
3 cups of cooked rice (replacing water with chicken broth)
1 can of black beans (15.5 oz), rinsed
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese
Tortilla chips or burrito shells

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion until softened but not browned. Add the mango and cilantro and cook until heated through.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan warm the beans over medium heat. Squeeze the limes over the mango and onions. Layer individual bowls with rice, beans, and the onion and mango concoction. Top with grated cheddar and a dollop of sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips, or you can also roll all of the fillings into a burrito shell.

I was actually inspired to make Arroz con Pollo after watching an Ingrid Hoffman episode where she sashayed her way through the traditional Latin dish in record time. Instead of using her recipe, which unfortunately had a few less than stellar reviews as well as ingredients that seemed a little out of place to me, (including ketchup and green beans) I opted to try the Cooks Illustrated version of the dish.

It took forever to make. From the time I started chopping to the time that I served dinner I “slaved” over the stove for more than 2 hours. I was so excited to try this savory cilantro and pepper flavored chicken and rice, but by the time it was actually plated I was practically falling asleep at the table. Not to mention that I munched on plump cocktail olives intermittently the whole time I was prepping and totally ruined my appetite. I’m an olive addict. It’s humanly impossible for me to eat just one.

My dilemma now is that I can’t eat the leftovers. There’s a gigantic Chefmate Dutch Oven full of Arroz con Pollo in my refrigerator and every time I think about it I feel queasy. Thankfully Chris thinks it’s great and has been kind enough to eat a bowl for dinner the last few evenings. Does this ever happen to you? I remember when I first started cooking sometimes if I had to handle poultry too much I’d get freaked out and not be able to eat whatever I made. I suppose this is some weird residual food anxiety on my part so please don’t let my ridiculous taste buds color your judgment. I did thoroughly enjoy an entire bowl of the dish initially (especially those delightful olives).

I made two slight alterations to the recipe below. For color purposes I added a whole diced red pepper in addition to the green pepper, and I also used olives stuffed with pimentos instead of separate amounts of olives and pimentos.

Chop, Chop, Chop	Marinate
Sofrito	Cook the Chicken
Add Sauce, Broth & Water; Simmer	Add Rice, Capers & Olives; Bake
Meanwhile…Make Corn Muffins	Stir Every 10 Minutes for 30 Minutes
Shred the Chicken (Ouch! It’s Hot!)	Marinate Again in Vinegar, Oil, and Cilantro
Combine	Feed an Army

Arroz con Pollo (Originally Published in the September 2006 Edition of Cooks Illustrated Magazine)

6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3 cups medium-grain rice
1/2 cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 cup jarred pimentos, cut into 1/4 by 2-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add oregano, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium). Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and water; stir to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add rice, olives, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. Return pot to oven. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.

Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. Place chicken in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and pimentos; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.

Last weekend, Chris and I had lunch with our friend Anna at a restaurant called Bukhara in Jamaica Plain. It was insanely delicious and not only did I eat my own food, but I also liberally sampled everyone elses’ selections as well. You’ve been warned, don’t let me loose on a plate of fresh naan.

This little excursion also managed to set off my obsessive compulsive need to educate myself in the area of Indian cuisine (yet again). Coincidentally, the September issue of Cooks Illustrated featured a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala. Apparently, while being the single most popular “Indian” dish in the world, it’s origins aren’t authentic. In fact, according to the magazine, this scrumptious chicken and creamy tomato based sauce was actually invented in a London curry house. My bubble was promptly burst. But the recipe appeared straight forward and the always thorough Cooks Illustrated article made the several steps involved in the preparation seem manageable, so I gathered the ingredients, some naan from Whole Foods (I just couldn’t help myself), and got to work.

The end result yielded unbelievably tender chicken in a thick and rich sauce with just enough spice and heat to make you reach for that nearby glass of water. To view the full recipe you’ll need to have an online membership to Cooks Illustrated, or pick up the September issue at your local newsstand. This dish would be perfect for a dinner party as it makes a huge amount of food, to which I can fully attest, as I ate leftovers for days.

Rub in the Spice	Mix the Yogurt Topping
Whip Up the Sauce and Simmer	Coat the Chicken and Broil
Combine	Indulge

While searching online for a recipe to make one of my favorite Indian dishes, Aloo Gobi, I discovered that there is an adorable segment on the DVD extras of the movie “Bend it Like Beckham” where the director of the film (with help from her mother and auntie) demonstrates how to prepare this popular meal. Thankfully I didn’t have an audience watching me in the kitchen because I’m quite certain there would have been a lot to critique. In addition, I quickly learned that I didn’t have a large enough pan to prepare the amount of food that this recipe yields so take that into consideration when you cook this dish at your home. The stock pot that I ended up using made it very difficult to effectively stir the potato and cauliflower mixture. I suppose that’s all the more reason for me to finally break down and purchase the All-Clad 6 Quart Saute Pan that I’ve been eying for months. In the end though the Aloo Gobi came out quite well, although next time I attempt this dish I think I’ll try pre-cooking the potatoes as they do take quite a long time to cook and unfortunately the cauliflower ended up breaking down much more than I wanted it to. Also, in case you aren’t already aware fresh coriander is actually cilantro.

Shop	Heat the Oil
Saute Cumin Seeds & Onions	Chop Coriander Stalks
Stalks, Salt, & Turmeric	Stir in Chillies & Tomatoes
Add Garlic & Ginger	Add Cauliflower & Potatoes. Cover & Cook
Stir in Garam Masala & Chopped Coriander	Better Than Bending it Like Beckham?

In an effort to be adventurous in the kitchen my love affair with all things Dave Lieberman continues. I have yet to make a recipe from Dave’s collection that I didn’t find thoroughly delicious, and these Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas were no exception. The chicken mixture is spicy, smoky, and surprisingly hearty, and I’ve said it before but it definitely bares repeating — I honestly believe that puff pastry is the world’s perfect food! The twist on this dish is the great Tomato and Pineapple Salsa Fresca that is served on the side. I loved the tanginess of the pineapple, jalapeño, tomato, and scallion mixture. I actually was extremely shocked that these flavors worked so well together. I even ate the leftover salsa the next day at lunch. Obviously that held up much better on day two than the empanadas, which I definitely do not recommend as a leftover meal. Freshly baked is definitely best in this case as they became quite soggy overnight.

Everything Starts With Onions	Let’s Add Some Heat
Add the Chicken & Beans	Cool the Filling
Stir in Chopped Cilantro	Dice, Slice, and Mix Up the Salsa
Roll Out the Pastry Dough	Divide Into Equal Parts
Layer With Chicken & Bean Mixture	Dampen the Edges, Fold Over, and Seal
Brush With Oil and Bake Until Golden	Now Where’s My Margarita?

I was given the following Sweet Potato Chili recipe by Hänni. Per her description the “lime and cocoa” give this dish a very “exotic flair” and after preparing it, I’d have to thoroughly agree. Vegetarian chilies are definitely one of my favorite hearty dinner options, although I did alter the recipe by adding some chicken stock to the chili in an effort to thin it out slightly. You could of course use vegetable stock, or leave it out entirely. I always like to pair my spicy dishes with Sweet Corn Cakes. Yes, I’m not ashamed to admit that I serve corn bread from a mix.

Prep	Slice
Saute	Add the Sweet Potato
Combine the Spices	Pour in the Tomatoes
Add the Beans & Jalapeño	Stir & Bring to a Simmer
Cover	Slice & Chop
One Last Stir	Dinner is Served