Friday, September 14, 2007

Cafe Rio Salad

Ok, so I figure I should post this because all you Cafe Rio fans might like it. However, I have NOT yet tried it so I am breaking the blog rule. But it sounds like it is really good and I have heard it is really good and if it even comes close to the real thing, I will be making it all the time! Let me know if it really is close to the real thing. I just haven't taken the time to get all the ingredients and make it. I got it off a blog that got it off a website....

Recipe By: pinkdaisy (as found at Mormonchic.com)

Sweet Pork:

  • 1 (3-5 pound) pork roast-boneless pork loin recommended

  • 1 cup salsa-use Pace or one similar, not the fresh salsas

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed

Place ingredients in a greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW heat for 8-10 hours. Shred pork with a fork or potato masher before serving. Keep lid off after shredding for about 15 minutes so juice will thicken. Use meat in burritos, tacos, or salads. If freezing, keep juice and freeze with meat.

Cilantro-Lime Rice:

  • 1 cup uncooked rice

  • 1 teaspoon butter or margarine

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon lime zest

  • 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

  • 1 1/4 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime peel, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice.

Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing:

  • 1 cup light sour cream

  • 1 envelope Ranch salad dressing

  • 1 1/2 envelope Fiesta Ranch Salad dressing

  • 6 tomatillos, husked and cut in half

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • Juice from 2 limes, freshly squeezed

  • 1 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a blender (put the liquids in first!) and blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator. Can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Black Beans:

  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1 1/3 cup tomato juice

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Crispy Corn Chips:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice corn tortillas into thin strips. Bake for about 8 minutes.

For the tortilla we like the tortillas from Costco that you bake yourselves. If using these bake as directed and add cheddar cheese to the top until lightly browned. If using regular tortillas, you can put the tortilla in a pie pan in the oven with cheese sprinkled on top until warm


6 comments:

Chris J. said...

This looks fairly involved. I guess since the nearest Cafe Rio is like 8 states away, we'll have to make our own.

Liz, put this on the list.

Alicia said...

Supposedly it isn't too bad if you make a few things beforehand like the chips, beans and dressing. Cuts down the prep time so you only have to do the rice, meat and tortillas. I am going to get my lazy self to the buy all the ingredients and make it this next week. Mmmmm...

Lesley said...

I made this rice tonight and it was delicious.

I tweeked it a little because I didn't feel like going to the store for limes...

I added an onion and doubled the garlic. And used lemon juice from a bottle. And our cilantro was a few weeks old and all dried up and nasty lookin'. Still used it. Pretty tasty.

MelissaS said...

Delicious. I made this yesterday; glad I had all day to do it.
The meat was so succulent. Really. Good. Perfect.
My rice turned out just alright (kind of wet, initially)...might have to do with the fact I used minute rice and not the real stuff?! I am sure it will be really good the second time around.
Beans really good. I used two cans instead of one.
The dressing was a little lime-y for me (but still really, really good!) so next time I will use less.
It wasn't too bad or involved making it, mostly I just ran out of counter room (not hard in my current mini-kitchen).
Thanks for the recipe. We will be having leftovers for days.

MelissaS said...

Oh, I couldn't find Fiesta Ranch salad dressing packets anywhere, so I added another plain Ranch packet and some onion and garlic powder and then some chili powder. It seemed to work great.

Alicia said...

So I FINALLY made this tonight. I thought it was very good, although it does take time to make. Buying it from Cafe Rio may be just as good, although this is probably cheaper when serving to more than 1 person. It makes a lot of food. For the beans I also used two cans of beans because it seemed too saucy. I didn't have tomato juice so I used a can of tomato sauce and added water. I used the Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing posted by Lisa. It was yummy! I don't know what to do with the quart I have left in the fridge. :) I also used shredded chicken from a previous meal so that was already cooked and ready. You could probably make the dressing and chicken beforehand. Then you only have to make the rice and beans and they don't take too long. Make extra chicken and freeze for later.