Cafe Rio Dressing
1 cup light mayo (you can use half light sour cream too)
1 cup milk
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
2 Tomatillos (little, round, green peppers)
2 Serrano peppers (remove seeds!)
1/2 bunch cilantro
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend well. Keep refrigerated and shake well each time you use it.
Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice
2 tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion diced
1 cup rice (long grain is best)
2 cups boiling water
2 chicken boullion cubes
1/4 cup cliantro
Juice from one lime
In large sauce pan sautee onions in oil or butter until soft. Add rice and cook for a few more minutes. Carefully add water and boullion cubes, stir until cubes dissolve. Cook for 14 mins or until rice is tender and water is mostly boiled off. Turn off heat, add cliantro, lime, and lime zest (if desired) to dish. Better if left to settle for 30-60 minutes. Take a fork and fluff/mix the rice and serve.
Cafe Rio Black Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can tomatoe juice (comes in a soda can usually near V8)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
In nonstick skillet, cook the garlic, cumin, and olive oil until the smell really comes out. Add beans, tomatoe juice, and salt. Bring to boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes (at least). Optional: stir in a little cilantro just before serving.
Cafe Rio Pork
2 lbs pork roast
1 20 oz. bottle coca-cola classic
1 cup brown sugar
1 can chipotle chiles in ADOBO sauce (or small battle of taco sauce)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground mustard
Slow cook the pork in crock pot, 5-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high, make sure to cover half with water, salt and pepper to liking. Drain the meat and place on large plate, tear in large sections and let cool for a few minutes. Shred the pork as finely as possible and place back into crock pot. Take chipotle chiles out of can and place in strainer over a bowl. Dump the coke over the chiles to get all the sauce off (the chiles are extremely hot, we just need the sauce which isn't too hot, for a real kick add one chile to the sauce - it'll clear your sinuses). Place contents of bowl in blender with the brown sugar, cumin, mustard, and garlic into blender. Blend well and then pour into crock pot with shredded pork. Heat on high for another 30-45 minutes.
Cafe Rio Chicken
4-5 large chicken breasts
1 8 oz. bottle of zesty italian dressing
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook 5-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Remove chicken and shred, then place back into crock pot with sauce.
Dave's Guacamole (pretty close to Cafe Rio)
2 avocados
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and finely chopped
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in bowl and mash with a fork. Refrigerate leftovers and use within 2 days.
Notes:
- You can find similar tortillas at Costco, they come uncooked and can be found in the fridgerator section.
- You can make tortilla strips by slicing plain corn tortillas into long strips and frying in vegetable oil.
- The proper Cafe Rio salad is tortilla with melted cheese, beans, rice, meat, romaine lettuce, cilantro, guacamole, grated romano cheese, dressing, fresh salsa, tortilla strips and lime.
