GARLIC, CILANTRO, and LIME- all in this yummy treat of a salad- I'm addicted

When we went down to Utah last summer I fell in love with this amazing meal from Cafe Rio. I LOVE Mexican food and I could eat this salad all of the time. I made it for our family on Sunday and its no wonder I love it so much. Its chalked full of GARLIC, CILANTRO, and LIME. Yummy!!! My favorites.

{cafe rio pork salad/burritos}

cafe rio pork

3 lbs pork roast [ask your butcher where it is if you don't know.. one time i came home with ham instead of pork..]
16 oz chunky salsa [or you can blend if you don't want chunky]
1 can coke
2 cup brown sugar

place pork in crock pot + fill half way up the side of the pork with water. cook on high for 4 hours. drain water. cut pork into thirds, then mix sauce [coke, brown sugar, + salsa] and pour on top. cook 4 more hours on low. shred pork. mix back in with sauce if you want it saucy or not.

cafe rio chicken

1 small bottle of kraft zesty italian dressing
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
3 cloves garlic-minced
5 lbs chicken breast

cook all together in a crockpot for 4 hours on high, shred, then cook for an additional 1 hour.

cafe rio rice

3 cups uncooked rice
4 cups water
4 tsp chicken bouillion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 can green chili's diced
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp zest of lime
2 tbs lime juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tbs butter
1/2 onion, chopped

saute onion, garlic + butter until the onion is soft. add water, rice, and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. after it begins to boil rapidly, reduce the heat to low and cover with the lid + simmer for about 20 minutes.

cafe rio creamy cilantro tomatillo salad dressing

1 package dry hidden valley ranch salad dressing
1 cup mayo
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 large clove garlic
3 small-medium tomatillos, husk off [like tomatoes but green and has a husk on it]
1/3 cup buttermilk
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or 1 small jalapeno) - optional

place all ingredients in a blender + blend until smooth. chill in fridge at least 1 hour before serving, then it will thicken.

black beans
[i just used a can of black beans without anything else, but this recipe looks good too]

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs 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.

assembly

salad- order of assembly
tortilla - i use the tortilla land brand of uncooked flour tortillas from costco or sams. they are awesome and taste like cafe rio's homemade tortillas
shredded colby +monterray jack cheese
rice
beans
pork
lettuce
pico de gallo - [or chopped tomatoes, diced onions, cilantro, lime juice]
guacamole
feta cheese crumbles
cilantro
lime wedge [for lime juice]
tortilla strips
cilantro tomatillo dressing

burrito

toritilla
rice beans
pork
shredded cheese
any other toppings wanted
roll it up

ENJOY!

p.s. i found a chicken recipe if you would like to substitute chicken instead of pork.

ENJOY!

Fall Weather = Yummy Soups, Yea!!

I love the Fall 'cause I love soups and tonight I made my favorite, Cheeseburger Soup! Its delish!! I was only going to have a half of a bowl but ummmmmm... I had 3 bowls. I'm looking forward to Clam Chowder, Chicken Soup, Taco Soup, Minestrone, Corn Chowder and more. They'll be on the menu for the next few months. Oh, I haven't mentioned that I made a menu. I actually came home from grocery shopping two weeks ago and I actually knew what I could make for dinner. Its really a great feeling to know that you're set for two weeks. I don't know why I've waited so long to do one. Here's the recipe for Cheeseburger Soup: * I usually use processed American cheese instead of Velveeta and I've never used celery.

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

2 Carrots 1 Onion 2 Stalks Celery 8 Cups Potatoes diced 3 Cans Chicken Broth 1/4 c Flour 1/2 c Butter 1/2 lb Hamburger meat 1/2 c Milk 1/4 c Sour Cream 1/2 lb Velveeta Cheese Salt and Pepper to taste Brown the meat and drain. Set Aside. Chop the potatoes up into small chunks and set aside. Grate the carrots and chop the celery and the onion. Melt 1/4 c of the butter in a large 5 qt pot and saut the onions and the celery until clear. Add cooked hamburger meat, and potatoes along with the chicken broth. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. While this is cooking, take the remaining butter and add the flour over low heat. Stir until thick then set aside. Once the potatoes are done to your liking add the flour mixture to thicken the soup. Stir well, then add the cheese cut into blocks along with the milk. Stir occasionally until the cheese is melted. Right before serving take the soup off of the heat and add the sour cream. Stir until incorporated and then serve. Goes great along with some French Bread! You will find as you cook this you will adjust the amounts of broth and cheese for your own liking. You can also play with the amount of potatoes and meat to make it a more filling soup.