Cafe Rio Salad

submitted by Missy

This is a recipe for a crowd (or make the pork and divide and serve another time). Make each of these recipes and then serve as a salad with a tortilla as base. Top with Romaine lettuce, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, tortilla chips, corn, black beans, rice, and dressing.

Café Rio Pork
3-5 lbs Pork Roast
3 cans el Pato Tomato Sauce
3 cans Tomato Sauce
1 cup Dr. Pepper
1-2 cups Brown Sugar

Cook all ingredients on low in crock pot for 12 hours. Shred Pork and serve.



Café Rio Rice

6 C. water
6 chicken bouillon cubes
4 t. minced garlic
½ bunch chopped cilantro
1 t. cumin
1 can green chilies
¾ t. salt
1 T. butter
½ medium onion, chopped
3 C. rice, uncooked

Bring water to boil, add all ingredients. Reduce temperature to low. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until rice is tender. You may need to add more water.



Café Rio Dressing

1 ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe with milk and mayo)
1 tomatillo (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime

Use a blender or food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

Breast of Chicken, Martini-Style

submitted by Missy

Serves 4

Coarse salt
8 ounces green beans or haricots verts, trimmed
4 carrots, cut into thin strips, about 2 inches long
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each), tendons removed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 cups safflower or corn oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 425°.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Add carrots to boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer vegetables to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and set aside. Repeat process with green beans.

Place each chicken breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Using the flat side of a meat mallet or the back of a skillet, pound chicken breasts until they are 3/8 inch thick.

Remove chicken from plastic wrap; season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and cheese each in separate large, shallow dishes. Coat each chicken breast half evenly with flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip in egg, followed by cheese to coat.

Heat oil in a deep large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot, reduce heat to medium and, working in batches, add chicken. Cook chicken, turning once, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat process with remaining chicken, allowing oil to reheat between batches.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add lemon juice and wine; stir to combine. Pour butter mixture into the bottom of a large baking dish. Arrange chicken in baking dish and top each with an equal amount of beans and carrots. Brush some of the butter mixture over the chicken and vegetables and transfer baking dish to oven. Cook until vegetables begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

source: Martha Stewart!