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!

Anna’s Kiwi-Mango Salsa

My, late dear friend, Anna has always made a salsa that I love. She usually served it during the holidays. But it is good anytime! It can be served with pita chips, vegetables, as a replacement for anytime you might want to serve a "regular salsa" or as a nice side dish. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to be on the road – so I have set up some of my "go to" recipes to share with you. You won't see any pictures, as I am not actually preparing…they are wonderful recipes and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

Anna's Kiwi-Mango Salsa

2 – Mangoes, peeled & diced
2 to 4 – Kiwis, peeled & diced
1 – Red Onion, diced
1 – Green Pepper, diced
8 to 10 – Bright Red Cocktail Tomatoes (the tiny ones), quartered
½ Bunch – Cilantro, chopped
6 to 8 – Pickled Jalapeno slices, minced fine (optional, makes it spicy)
Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, to taste (I don't measure)
Juice of 3 to 4 Limes
Dash of Vinegar

Combine & Refrigerate (up to 2 weeks)

This is also good with grilled or broiled chicken/fish.

And I think you could add just about any tropical fruit. The last time I put some tangerines in it too!

Enjoy It!

Obedient Ingredient – Guava Paste

I received quite the challenge last week. A friend of mine brought over Guava Paste and wanted me to come up with a meal using it. Now I don't know if you have ever heard of the term "Obedient Ingredient" but basically it means taking an "exotic" flavor or ingredient and incorporating it into something that you would usually cook.

I really like Pork Tenderloins – so I decided to make a sauce for the tenderloin with the paste and since there was extra – I decided to incorporate it into one of my favorite side dishes, baked potatoes and carrots.
I also cooked some green beans (I did not use the paste), which you will see in the picture. Well since taking the picture and making this dinner – I have improved upon both of the side dishes and will provide you with the new recipes which will look slightly different than the posted picture. These recipes will be in a different posting.

Guava-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro-Jalapeno Salsa
(Original recipe by Ruth Van Waerebeek-Gonzalez – my adaptation is noted below)

(Serves 4)
Cilantro-Jalapeno Salsa
½ Cup Cilantro, chopped
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
¼ Cup White Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Minced Onion
2 Tbsp – Chives, chopped
½ - Jalapeno Pepper
½ - Italian Pepper
2 – Garlic Cloves, minced
¼ Tsp – Cumin
Salt to taste.

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients (except the oil), once incorporated whisk in the oil slowly. Set aside or cover and refrigerate.

(There is a picture of this Salsa as served with the Pepperoni Flatbread Rollups - in that posting).
Guava-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

(Serves 4)
1 – (1 to 2 lb) Pork Tenderloin
1 Tbsp – Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp – Onion, minced
1 – Garlic Clove, minced
7 oz. – Guava Paste, chopped (3/4 cup)
½ Cup Water
1 Tbsp – Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp – Ketchup
1 Tbsp – Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Take the tenderloin from the fridge and place in a shallow baking dish and let come to room temperature (at least one hour but no more than 3 hours)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the guava paste and water, stirring, until the paste has dissolved. Stir in the soy sauce, ketchup and cayenne. Remove from heat and season with salt. Set aside.

Heat Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloin on all sides (you can also add some flavor buy putting salt and pepper during this process). Remove the tenderloin and place back in the shallow baking dish.

Glaze the tenderloin with the sauce all over top and bottom (make sure that the fat side of the tenderloin is on top). Then pour any remaining sauce over the top (or another option is to baste the tenderloin about 30 minutes into the baking process with the remaining glaze). I would suggest if you choose to just pour it over the top and leave it – that you definitely line your pan with aluminum foil.

Bake in oven (uncovered) for 50 to 80 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 150°. Remove and place on a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes.

Thinly slice the pork and garnish with cilantro sprigs (optional) and serve with the salsa and any side dishes of your choosing.

*Note the salsa is also good with other dishes and the above noted Flatbread posting will have a recipe that you can also use this wonderful salsa; I used it with the leftovers.