Baja Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Baja Chopped Salad

8 oz – Baked Chicken, Chopped (A Rotisserie from the supermarket works just fine)
¼ Cup – Haas Avocado, Cubed
¼ Cup – Black Beans (Fiesta Black Beans or Garbanzo Beans work well too)
1 – Scallion, chopped on a diagonal
¾ Cup – Tomato, Chopped
½ Cup – Olives, Halved (you can use Black, Kalamata or Green or a combination)
¼ to ½ Cup – Cheddar Cheese, Grated
Cilantro, To Taste (I use quite a bit…as I really love this herb)
1 Bunch – Romaine Lettuce, Torn (If I have some Arugula on hand I also add some of that)
Tortilla Strips (for garnish)

Creamy Cilantro Dressing – To Taste

Mix all ingredients except the tortilla strips in a bowl with about ½ Cup of the dressing. Garnish with the tortilla strips. I often put more dressing on the table if folks want more – but so far they just munch it up! But if you were to serve it to someone that really likes their salad drenched in dressing, they may want more. It is important to toss the dressing in with the salad, prior to serving. Or at least – I think so!

Creamy Cilantro Dressing    

1 packet – Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 Cup – Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup - Buttermilk
1 – Lime, Zest & Juice
2 Cloves – Garlic, Roughly Chopped
½ Cup – Cilantro, Roughly Chopped
¼ Cup – Green Salsa, Medium to Hot (depending on your taste and tolerance)
3 or 4 Dashes – Hot Sauce (High Quality Sauce and more dashes if you like it really hot!)

Combine buttermilk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender, just until mixed. Zest the lime and then squeeze the juice into the blender. **Note if the lime is not very juicy – then add the juice of a second one**. Add the garlic, cilantro, green salsa and hot sauce. Blend very well. Once well-blended taste and add more hot sauce if necessary. If the idea of the hot sauce scares you – then you should wait until after you have blended everything else before adding.


Pour into a bowl (or other container) and cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before using.
***This also makes a wonderful Vegetable and/or Chip Dip for parties! ***

Honey

Honey

The name of this familiar and time-tested household remedy comes from ancient Hebrew and means "enchant." Long used as a culinary sweetener, honey is valued for its many healing properties as well.

Treatment with honey is referred to as apitherapy and includes replenishing energy, enhancing physical stamina and strengthening those weakened by illness or stress. Honey can also help calm the mind and promote rejuvenating sleep. In addition, honey relieves indigestion and is used to treat cardiovascular disease and respiratory complaints. Finally, a thin coat of honey can be applied to the skin to disinfect and heal minor skin wounds and chapped lips.

Interesting Tidbits: Bees filter out environmental toxins. Honey contains only slight traces of residues from industrial emissions, car exhaust and agricultural chemicals because bees act as a biological filter. They die if they come into contact with toxins and thus do not bring pollutants into the hive.

The principle constituents of honey are the simple sugars fructose and glucose. Other ingredients include water, pollen, organic acids, enzymes and various proteins.

Honey can be a healthy treat, but take care when using it as a sweetener: Just 1 Tbsp of honey has 64 calories, compared to 46 calories in 1 Tbsp of granulated sugar.

Shopping Tip: Many kinds of honey are available. The consistency, fragrance and taste depend on the types of flowers from which bees collect nectar. Look for honey that has been produced by beekeepers that do not feed their bees' refined sugars or use harmful pesticides.

Warning: Don't give unpasteurized honey to infants. It contains a type of bacteria that, though harmless to older children and adults, can be very dangerous to those younger than a year.

Relaxing Honey Bath: Put 2 oz. of honey in a glass with 5 drops of lavender oil. If the honey is too thick, heat it by placing the glass in warm water. Add 1 to 2 Tbsp of the honey-lavender mixture to your bathwater to help you relax and combat insomnia.

Application as a Dressing for Wounds: Applied externally, honey is useful for healing minor cuts and abrasions by drawing excess water from the tissues and reducing swelling. In addition, honey contains a germ-killing substance called inhibine, which helps prevent infections. Spread the honey directly on the wound and cover with a sterile bandage.
 

SOZO SUSHI BAR

Well tonight I was craving Sashimi and I knew just where I wanted to go…and it didn't hurt that I could walk there from my house!

But, I do want to tell you about what I ordered and how wonderful it was and talk a little bit about some of the other items that I have enjoyed there over the past couple of years. This is one of the places (if you are ever in Fort Lauderdale) that is worth visiting. It is a neighborhood place that consistently delivers a high quality product and it has that great easy-going relaxed atmosphere. So go and tell Mo that I sent ya!

Sozo Sushi Bar, 2632 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 * www.sozosushibar.com

Tonight I had a double order of Ceviche, it is prepared daily and is always the chef's choice. He never lets me down…the chef is Sam. I asked him to incorporate Avocado into mine as I saw it sitting there on the bar and it made me want it…of course that was no problem. I was practically drooling and the other customers were like – "is it good"? "I wish I had ordered that." I know that I should have offered to share – but I just could not, I had been waiting all day for that delicacy. Their regular price for Ceviche is $6.00 and a double order is $12.00…worth every penny!

Next I had the Chef's Choice – 9 Pieces of Sashimi. It never fails to amaze me how he adds a new fish here or there and I am always amazed. He knows by now that I am not a fan of eel, so maybe that is why it is never on there? But he did get me to try Sushi that had eel on it once – and it was okay. I think he was disappointed that he didn't convert me…lol. This dish is $19.00. Again, compared to a lot of places and pricing – very worth it! I had a Lite Samporo Beer (Japanese Beer) with the meal.

Other items that I have had on the menu and recommend are the Miso Soup, Spicy Seafood Soup (rice noodles with assorted vegetables in a light tomato broth), seaweed salad, crab shumai (steamed dumplings), the following Sushi Rolls: The Sozo, Princess, New Yorker, Gaysha, Rainbow and Sozolicious. There is always a Chef's Choice on Sushi and Sashimi and you can't go wrong there either.

So go and sit outside on The Drive or nestle up to the bar (both facing the chef or outside) or sit at one of the few quaint tables. I promise you will have a wonderful meal.

Well, this is my first attempt at reviewing a restaurant and I am sure that there is room for improvement on my part. But I thought I should write about places where I eat out at – if I wanted to recommend them…so I am doing just that!

My friend Gregory and I are supposed to go out to dinner tomorrow night…maybe I will have more to write about? We will see if it "cuts the mustard" or the "wasabi" in this case.

Let me know if you do visit this place and I would love to hear what you think.

~Enjoy and Sayonara~

New England Guacamole

A friend of mine in New England gave me this basic recipe when I was a young man and I was only familiar with Southern Cooking. It is one of my "go-to" recipes that I use often. You will see other recipes for various Guacamoles (over time) on this blog. But I wanted to share this one as it is simple and delicious and very easy to make (well, with the exception of peeling the tomatoes).

 Let me give you a heads up on the peeling process. Blanch the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water and submerge the tomatoes in for just a minute or so – as soon as you see the skin look a bit wilted. Take them out and plunge them into ice water – this will stop them from cooking. The skin will come right off and leave you with a nice skinless tomato. Be careful not to keep them in the boiling water too long!

 This would be a great recipe that I could make for my Mom…but I am not sure if I could get her to eat it. She is southern and quite picky…but since she can't eat tomatoes with the skin on them, it would be easily incorporated. Maybe next time I am home, I will see if I can get her to eat it…Wish me Luck!

 New England Guacamole

1 – Medium Tomato, Peeled
1 – Ripe Haas Avocados
¼ Cup – Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp – Canned Chili Peppers, Chopped
1 ½ Tsp – White Vinegar
1 Tsp – Salt
¼ Tsp – Pepper

Crush the tomato with a potato masher. Slice avocados & crush into the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Refrigerate for at least ½ hour prior to serving. When storing in the refrigerator, place plastic wrap (i.e. Saran) over container and make sure that the plastic is completely covering and touching the mixture. This will help it to keep the bright green color.

If you want to make more than this rends, just double or triple and it works quite nicely!

Lorraine’s Meatloaf

I make a mean meat loaf and my usual one is a bit more extensive than this one and I also like to try different variations of spices, etc. However, when I want to make a quick and tasty meatloaf that can always be relied upon – this is the recipe I turn to. Back in the 90's, when I lived in New England, my partner's mother made this and it was always hearty and delicious. Served with mashed potatoes and green beans….Yum!

Lorraine's Meatloaf
2/3 Cup – Bread Crumbs
1 ½ Lbs – Ground Sirloin
¼ Cup – Onions
1 Cup – Milk
1 Tsp – Salt
2 Cloves – Garlic, minced
2 – Eggs, beaten
6 Tbsp – Brown Sugar
2 Tsp – Mustard (regular yellow)
½ Cup – Tomato Ketchup (Catsup - however you decide to spell it)

Blend all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.

Bake at 350° F in a preheated oven for 45 minutes.

I like my meatloaf a bit on the browned side (Granny says she wants it a bit burnt! Who am I to argue with Granny!) and sometimes I bake for an entire hour or more…up to you!