secret recipes revealed...

So I promised Aleca a long time ago that I would post these recipes... so here they are. After living about 16 hours from the closest Cafe Rio, my mouth started salivating for that oh so tasty, mouth watering food. So I did some sleuthing and came upon the recipes below. I am not promising perfection... they are probably not the exact recipes... but they sure do taste close enough!

CAFE RIO CILANTRO DRESSING

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. Refrigerate before serving. (I like to make this a day before so that all the flavors can soak in.)

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
1 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.

CAFE RIO SWEET PORK

1 cup Pace salsa
1 cup brown sugar
1 cups Dr. Pepper
pork sirloin roast (about 2 lbs.) (I use a tenderloin)

Mix salsa, brown sugar and Dr. Pepper together and pour 2/3 of the mixture over a pork roast. Cook in crockpot on low all day. About 1 hour before serving shred the pork in the crockpot and add the remaining salsa mixture, cover and let simmer till ready to serve.

CAFE RIO CHICKEN (I have yet to try this recipe, so let me know how it goes if you try it!)

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic—minced
5 lbs chicken breast
Cook all together in a crock pot for 6 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

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I melt cheese on the tortilla in a skillet, pile on the rice, beans, meat, lettuce, tomatoes (or salsa), dressing and top it all off with little baked tortilla strips (can be found usually in bags by the croutons at the grocery store). I have also found that it feeds about 4-5 people depending on who is eating it! ENJOY!