Cafe Rio Salad Recipe

No pics to post yet, but these are great recipes. Of course they aren't exactly like the real thing, but darn good anyway.


Café Rio Dressing (Version 1)

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos (peeled & chopped)
1⁄2 bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green tobasco for the jalapeno.)

Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

Café Rio Dressing (Version 2)

1 1/3 cups sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 bunch of cilantro
1 package ranch dressing mix
4 tbsp. salsa verde (green salsa)
2 cloves of garlic
1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce
juice of one lime

Mix together in the blender... and that's it!

Café Rio Sweet Pork (Version 1)

3-4 lbs pork roast (can substitute chicken) -
1 cup brown sugar-
3 cups salsa
*Mix ingredients in a crock pot and let cook for 10 hours on low.


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.


Here's another option for CAFE RIO PORK that is a little more complex than the salsa recipe, but, oh, so divine. Just mix the sauce, add pork (I usually either use pork loin or pork roast), and cook in the crock pot on low for 7-9 hours (or until it pulls apart with a fork).

1 1/2 cans Coca-cola classic (i've tried it with generic varieties and it's not the same. Diet coke is too sweet.)
1 cup sugar
1 (7 oz) can Chipotle Chiles in ADOBO sauce (since you use the sauce, not the chiles, it is important that you get the chiles in adobo sauce)
1 heaping tsp each of Dry Ground Mustard and Cumin
1 tsp minced garlic.

1. Remove the chiles from the can of adobo sauce. (I left the chiles in once, and it was so potent I cried when I lifted the lid of the crock pot. If you like super-spicy foods, leave one or two chiles in. If you want to clean the system, go ahead and use them all . . .)

2. Add all ingredients (except pork, of course) in a blender. Rinse can of adobo sause with coca-cola to get all the sauce out. Blend until well mixed.

3. Place pork in crock pot and pour sauce over it. (If you use more pork, double the sauce recipe, etc.) Cook on low for 7-9 hours or until the pork pulls apart with a fork.

*NOTE: If you are making a salad, Costco sells some un-cooked, pre-made flour tortillas. When you heat them up in a pan, it tastes lilke the real thing!

CILANTRO-LIME VINAIGRETTE

6 tablespoons oil (half olive, half vegetable)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, finely chopped (or to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in small jar. Shake well and set aside.