Cafe Rio Pork - Rice - Dressing = Cafe Rio Salad!

I LOVE cafe rio, so I was on a mission to get the best pork recipe possible. This is a combination of a few cafe rio pork recipes and my own addition. It's our favorite version of the pork. You may substitute pork with chicken or beef.

3-5 lbs pork loins or pork roast
1 1/2 cans caffeine free coke OR 1 small bottle
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard (heaping)
1 tsp cumin (heaping)
1 tsp minced garlic (heaping)
1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)
2 C jalapeno tomato salsa (or your favorite salsa)
1/4 C white vinegar
ground pepper (you know this is a must in all of my recipes)

- Mix all sauce ingredients together. Pour over meat and crock pot all day!

Cafe Rio Rice:
1 C rice
2 C water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
1 T dried onion
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 T oil
1 fresh lime
Cook all together, except for the lime. Squeeze lime in before serving.

Cafe Rio Dressing - 2 delicious versions:
Version 1:
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing
1 C mayo
1 C milk
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 green tomatillos (remove husk)
1/2 serrano pepper with seeds removed.
- Blend it all up until creamy!

Version 2:
1 C mayo
1 C sour cream
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 green tomatillos (remove husk)
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno pepper with seeds removed
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
- Blend it all up until creamy!

If you haven't eaten Cafe Rio you might wonder what to do with all of this! Start with a tortilla. Layer on top if it: black/pinto beans, cafe rio rice, cafe rio pork, cheese, guacamole, tomato, sour cream, lots of chopped romaine lettuce, cafe rio dressing, crushed tortilla chips. It's called a Cafe Rio Salad! YUMO!!!

Sausage, Potatoe & Cabbage Stew - Rachel Ray

I got this from another blog. It's a Rachel Ray recipe. We never eat sauasage, but I really wanted to try this. So I used very lean turkey kielbasa by butterball. It's a natural, lean, healthier turkey sausage. It's delicious stew and the kids liked it too! Leftovers are even yummier!

2/3 lb turkey kielbasa, cut up
1/2 red onion chopped
2 T spicy mustard
1 1/2 T white wine vinegar
4-6 C chicken broth
1 lb red potatoes, cut up with skin on
2 1/2 C shredded cabbage - I used bagged cole slaw mix
2 lrg carrots grated
salt and pepper (careful w/ salt, sausage is salty)

Cook kielbasa and onion in a pot. Stir in mustard, vinegar broth and potatoes. Put cabbage and carrots in last. Simmer until potatoes are done.

Turkey Meatballs

I was never a meatball fan, until I got this recipe from a friend. These are the best and healthy too!

1 lb ground turkey (can use hamburger but not as good)
1 egg
1 C bread crumbs
2 T Worcestershire sauce
onion salt
pepper

- Mix together in a bowl and shape into small balls (1/2 inch). Place on cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Make sauce in a pot and warm while they are baking. Place cooked meatballs in sauce and simmer for a bit. Then serve over hot rice!

Sauce:
1/2 C ketchup
1/3 C brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
1 1/2 T white vinegar

Crock Pot Italian Yummy

This is a recipe that I created myself. Anyone who tries it asks me for the recipe so it must be good. It is one of our favorites!

4 uncooked chicken breasts
1 chopped bell pepper
1 chopped onion
2 chopped zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1 (28 oz.) can chopped tomatoes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook all day, shred chicken and put back. This makes a thick savory soup. You serve it over Jeanette's delicious flat-bread recipe. Put a large piece of flatbread on your plate, pour thick soup over it, then top it with mozzarella cheese. Not time for flatbread? Serve it over rolls or English muffins or a slice of french bread. Flat bread recipe follows:

FLAT BREAD:
4 C flour
2 C warm water
1 T yeast
1 T sugar
2 tsp salt

Activate yeast in warm water. Mix all together. Spray jelly roll pan with pam and press dough out flat into it. Top with 1 cube of melted butter(spread all over) and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (dry or fresh grated) and italian seasoning. Let rise for 15-20 minutes. Bake 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

This is fast, healthy and Yumo!

1 1/2 C Your favorite Salsa (great with salsa verde)
3 C chopped cooked chicken
2 (15 0z.) can white beans
3 C chicken broth
1 can corn
1 tsp cumin

Heat and simmer together. Serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Grilled Chicken with Avocado Cucumber Salad

I found this in a magazine. Heather has tried it too and we both have really like it.

Chicken:

4 chicken breasts

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp ground coriander

Kosher salt (or regular salt)

Fresh ground black pepper

Salad:

1 kirby cucumber with peel, chopped (English cucumber)

1 c grape or cherry tomatoes &/or yellow pear tomatoes halved

1/4 red onion sliced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 Ripe Hass Avocado

Toss Salad ingredients together. Brush Chicken with olive oil, then season to taste with the spices and grill. I just combine all the spices in the olive oil and brush it on the chicken. You can also bake this--I have never grilled it. You can serve these with the salad on top of the chicken, by the side of the chicken or with the chicken sliced on top of the salad.

Tamara's Paella

This is a yummy recipe Tamara gave me. It should serve 6-8 people.

2 pkg yellow safron rice (find it at the grocery store)

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 package sliced mushrooms

2/3 onion diced

Peas

Tomatoes, quartered (or cut smaller if they're big)

1/2 lb fish (white fish and shrimp are great; or chicken, not jumbo shrimp)

Saute onion, bell peppers and mushrooms with the butter you will use for the rice directions. Add water from rice directions. Rinse fish to get rid of strong flavor. When the water is boiling, add the rice and meat. Bring back to boiling then turn the heat down and simmer with lid on for 20-30 minutes. Put peas in about five minutes before the rice is done. When finished, turn the heat off and put sliced tomatoes on top and cover letting steam soften the tomatoes for a few minutes. This is delicious served with toasted french bread and bruschetta.

Gingersnaps

This recipe is a tweaked version, Thanks to Tamara, from Better Homes and Gardens' Cookbook.

2 1/4 c flour

1 c brown sugar

3/4 c butter

1/4 c molasses ( I use Grandma's Robust Molasses in the Green Bottle. Find it at your local grocery store.)

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c sugar set aside-roll cookies in this

Combine egg, butter, molasses and sugar and beat until very fluffy. It is not necessary to level off the spices, be generous and the cookies will taste great! Next add all spices and mix well. Add flour last and mix in. The dough will be very sticky and gooey. Refrigerate the cookie dough for about an hour or until it is quite firm. Use a cookie scoop preferably to form your cookies. Roll the balls into sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Nine minutes usually seems about right for my oven. If you overcook these they will be crunchy. For softer cookies, take them out even though your better judgement might say...two more minutes.

Rosemary Flatbread FAST!

This is very tasty and reminds me of the bread at Macaroni Grill.

4 c flour (you can use fresh ground wheat flour if you like)

2 tsp salt

2 c warm water

1 Tbsp yeast

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp rosemary

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Stir sugar and yeast into warm water and let yeast grow for about 5-7 min. Grease a jelly roll pan or any pan about that size. Mix flour, salt, rosemary and water mixture in a bowl until well combined. Spread the sticky dough out with greased hands into the pan. Drizzle about 1/2 c olive oil all over the top of the dough and spread evenly with hands. Let dough rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Yum!