Friday, March 22

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

image via

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

Cafe Rio Pork

Ingredients
3-4 lb. pork roast
2 tsp. cumin
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
16 oz. (2 cups) Coke (not diet)
1 c. LaVictoria Taco Sauce

Instructions
Place roast in crock pot. Add water till half covered. Cook 8 hrs on Low. Drain and shred. Return pork to pot, add remaining ingredients, and cook on low an additional 2 hrs.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

Ingredients
3 Tb. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans black or pinto beans, with liquid
salt, to taste
3 Tb. brown sugar

Instructions
Saute onion & garlic in olive oil. Add beans (with liquid), salt, and sugar. Simmer for 10 mins. (or more).

Cafe Rio Cilantro Rice

Ingredients
3 2/3 c. water
2 c. rice
2 1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3/4 tsp. cumin
1 small can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tb. butter
1/2 onion, chopped

Instructions
Add all ingredients to a sauce pan. Bring to boil, cover with a tight lid, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook till done, about 20 minutes or so.

Cafe Rio Tomatillo Dressing

Ingredients
1 jar LaVictoria Salsa Verde
1 Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dressing packet
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. mayonnaise

Instructions
Make ranch dressing according to package directions. Blend jar of salsa verde into it. Yum!

Salad Assembly

Ingredients
flour tortillas
Cafe Rio Pork
Cafe Rio Black Beans
Cafe Rio Cilantro Rice
chopped Romaine lettuce
Cafe Rio Tomatillo Dressing
salsa
guacamole

Instructions
Layer ingredients, starting with the tortilla on bottom and moving on up. This recipe makes enough for a fairly large group. If cooking for a single family, may want to half or freeze your leftovers for an easy meal on another night.

Thursday, March 21

Rigatoni & Meatballs with Red Hot Tomato Sauce

photo via: here

Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 slices bread, crusts removed and cut into pieces
3 sm. Cloves garlic, minced
½ lb. ground beef
fresh parsley
½ lb. ground pork
zest of ½ lemon
¾ tsp. salt
1 Tb. olive oil
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup milk
½ med. Onion, finely chopped
1 egg, slightly beaten

Instructions:

Place bread in bowl. Pour milk over it.
In another bowl, mix veal and pork. Add onion, garlic, lemon, parsley. Add salt, pepper. Mix well.
Mash bread mixture to form paste and add meat mixture. Mix and add egg. Combine well.
Cover with plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour. Heat oven to 350.
Form mixture into 12-16 1 ½” balls.
Heat ½ Tb. oil in skillet over med. Sauté meatballs till brown. Place in oven to finish cooking about 20 min.


Rigatoni & Red Hot Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

3 Tb. olive oil
1 med. onion, diced fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 qt. tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 - 1 1/2 lbs. rigatoni (or penne) noodles
Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Heat oil and saute onion and garlic. Add tomatoes, salt, and peppers. Bring to boil, turn down heat, and let simmer until thickened (the secret to amazing marinara sauce, simmer. simmer. simmer). Add basil.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Add meatballs to sauce and serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese over noodles.

Monday, January 14

Sweet and Sour Chicken


TEMPERA:
1 egg
¼ c. cornstarch
¼ c. flour
¼ c. chicken broth.
1 – 1 ½ lb. cubed chicken

Combine egg, cornstarch, flour, and chicken broth in bowl. Coat chicken with tempera and fry in oil until cooked. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.

SWEET AND SOUR:
1 lg. green pepper (cut into strips)
½ c. shredded carrots
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 Tb. oil
1 c. chicken broth
½ c. sugar
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tb. cornstarch
¼ c. cold water

Saute green pepper, carrot, and garlic in oil. Add chicken broth.
Combing remaining ingredients in a small bowl and add to vegetables and cook until thickened and vegetables are soft.