Cafe Rio Recipes

~Final product~
~Cilantro-lime rice~

***FINALLY made this dinner again tonight. It was heavenly!***
(substituted chicken instead of pork)

I originally got these recipes from Kelly awhile back before I knew who Kelly was. But I knew I liked Cafe Rio and that my brother wanted nothing more for Christmas than a Cafe Rio gift card. SO I figured getting the recipes would be a good thing. Boy was I right. They are not for the beginner cook- I mean, not hard really but just a long process I would say. But the end result was supreme. It was great to serve for my scrapbook group as I broke the cardinal rule of "don't offer food that you've never cooked before." I hadn't tried these recipes out but they served me well anyway.

Cafe Rio Dressing & Sweet Pork
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green Tabasco for the jalapeno.)
Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.* be warned... this makes a ton of dressing, but it will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
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.
Once you've made the dressing, pork, rice & beans, it's almost time to eat. But you still have to assemble the salad. Start with a tortilla (we used the disposable aluminum pie tins, but you could use a bowl), then layer on cooked beans, rice, romaine lettuce, pork, dressing, and any of your favorite toppings: pico de gallo, guacamole, tortilla strips, cheese, cilantro & lime.

Cilantro-lime rice & black beans
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.

Black Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
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