Everyone Has Copied This...Here's Our Version

 

We originally posted these recipes here (along with many, many more!), but here is our streamlined "best of the best" post after we have had years to make this, re-make it, and narrow down our favorites.

Cafe Rio/Costa Vida Salad

Ingredients:

Tortillas (preferably the uncooked ones that you cook yourself)
Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
Black or pinto beans
Rice (favorite recipes to choose from below)
Sweet pork, beef, or chicken (recipes below)
Romaine lettuce, chopped or shredded
Tortilla strips
Cilantro sprigs
Guacamole
Pico de gallo or salsa
Limes, cut into wedges
Creamy tomatillo dressing
Parmesan or cotija cheese, finely grated or crumbled

Directions:

Warm or cook tortillas (if using uncooked ones). Top tortillas with shredded cheese followed by beans, rice, meat, lettuce, dressing, and toppings of choice.

Source: I got some of these from my sister-in-law years ago and some of them we found all over the internet. It was so long ago that I no longer have the sources.

Notes: This is kind of an elaborate meal to throw together, but for a big family dinner, it is awesome. If you are making it for your immediate family, the leftovers will be a blessing for days to come. This makes way more than my family can eat before it spoils, so I often make the leftovers into burritos which I freeze for a rainy day.

Cafe Rio/Costa Vida Sweet Pork

Ingredients:

1 pork roast (3-5 pounds)
20 oz. Coke (not diet)
1 cup brown sugar
1 bottle taco sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons bottled or fresh minced garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place pork in slow cooker. Pour Coke over pork roast followed by brown sugar, taco sauce, ground cumin, minced garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Shred pork roast. Stir to coat pork in sauce. Cover and continue to cook on low for another hour or more until you are ready to assemble your salads.

Source: I got this from my sister-in-law. I changed it slightly (mostly just simplifying the directions).

Notes: Perfection. This is spot on to the sweet pork you get at Costa Vida or Cafe Rio.

Just Like Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing/Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Ingredients:

1 packet traditional Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not buttermilk)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
2 tomatillos, husks removed, cut into quarters
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime (1-2 tbsp bottled, if fresh is not available)
1 jalapeno (remove seeds for less heat, keep seeds if you like things spicy)

Directions:

Place all ingredients together in a blender. Mix until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: I found this online a few years ago on another blog. I don't remember the particular site, however.

Notes: This dressing is so spot on. It tastes almost exactly like what you get in the restaurant. Be careful though. This makes a lot, and as you can see, it's not low fat!

Kinda Like Cafe Rio Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 lbs chicken breasts

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker. Pour the dressing over the top of the chicken. Add the chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Cook on low for 6-7 hours (high for 4-5 hours), shred meat and then cook an additional hour. Serve with tortillas, shredded cheese, and whatever garnishes you like.

Source: I found this on a blog--but I can't remember which blog!

Bajio's Chicken Chile

Ingredients:

5 chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar (more, to taste, if desired)
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
6 oz Sprite (1/2 can)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to slow cooker and cook for an additional hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans, and any other desired taco fixings.

If you want it spicier, rather than sweeter, add more diced green chilies.

Source: Found on the blog "Your Homebased Mom." Found here.

Cafe Rio Beef

Ingredients:

1 (3 lb) beef roast
1 can green chile sauce
1 can beef broth
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:

Place chuck roast in a slow cooker. Pour green chile sauce, beef broth, and tomato sauce over the top. Add cumin and garlic. Cut an onion in half and place full onion rings over the top of the roast to add flavor. The onions will be removed and discarded when the roast is cooked. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meat shreds easily.

Source: Darn it, this was again found on a blog that I now don't remember the name to.

Lime Rice

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 2/3 cup water
8 tsp chicken bouillon (or 3-5 cubes chicken bouillon)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 small cans diced green chiles (4 oz)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups rice

Directions:

Saute butter, onion, and garlic in a saucepan. In a large pot, bring the water, bouillon, cilantro, cumin, green chiles, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, pepper, and rice to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, stir in the onion and garlic mixture. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes (or until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice and it is tender).

Source: Again, I found this on a blog but I can no longer remember which one.

Cafe Rio Sweet Rice

Ingredients:

1/2 - 1 tbsp oil
1 1/3 cup white rice
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 cup chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1/4 - 1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:

Drizzle oil in bottom of fry pan. Saute chopped onion until translucent. Add the chopped cilantro (no big stems) and saute a minute more. Add the rice cooking until it is light brown (being careful not to burn). Combine the chicken broth and the sugar, letting sugar dissolve. Then stir into rice until combined. Bring to a boil. Cover and let cook on low, until rice is done, about 25-30 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.

Source: This was given to my Mom by her friend, Karrie. She probably found it on a blog online somewhere!


Bajio Sweet Rice

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 1/3 cups white rice
3 cups chicken broth
1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Heat oil in pan. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent (about 3-5 minutes).

Combine the chicken broth and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Add rice to onion in pan. Saute for about 1 minute. Add chicken broth mixture. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is done. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Source: I don't remember where I got this from.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
Coarse salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil.  Add rice and 1/ teaspoon salt; cover, and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until water is absorbed and rice is just tender, 16-18 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water; blend until smooth.  Stir into cooked rice, and fluff with a fork.

Source: Everyday Food, April 2008. You can find it here.

Notes: You can add sugar to this to make it sweeter (like the rice at Costa Vida/Cafe Rio). Start with one tablespoon and taste. Add more sugar, a tablespoon at a time to match your preference.


Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until it is fragrant. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro.

Source: Another unknown blog!

Sarah's Shortcut Guacamole

Ingredients:

4-6 avocados
Garlic salt, to taste
Onion powder, to taste
Ground cayenne pepper, to taste
Ground cumin, to taste
Lime juice, to taste
Bree's Blender Salsa, Pico de Gallo, or favorite store-bought salsa or Pico de Gallo

Directions:

Mash avocados with a fork. Stir in garlic salt, onion powder, ground cayenne pepper, ground cumin, and lime juice until well blended. Fold in salsa or Pico de Gallo.

Source: Me.

Notes: Sometimes you just don't feel like following a recipe. These are the basic flavors required to make a yummy guacamole. Just add as much or as little to suit your tastes. I like adding in a prepared salsa rather than just cut up tomatoes because it skips a step--you get all of the flavors and ingredients of the salsa (onions, cilantro, jalapeno, etc.) without having to add those ingredients separately to your guacamole.

Good Use for Garden Tomatoes and Basil: Part 2

I've said it before and I will say it again, pasta never gets old for me. I never tiring of trying out a new recipe. So yummy! My ultimate comfort food.

Here is another recipe I found that helped me to use up some of my mom's garden tomatoes. It is a recipe straight from the Olive Garden website. Did you know that they actually share many of their recipes online? You should check it out! Click here.

Capellini Pomodoro

Ingredients:

14 oz capellini pasta (angel hair)
8 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
11 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


Directions:

Cook capellini pasta according to package directions.

Mix diced tomatoes, chopped basil, garlic, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain pasta. Toss pasta with tomato mixture in a saute pan and heat throughout.

Serve immediately.

Source: Olive Garden website. You can find the recipe here.

Notes: I used a whole pound of pasta here. Who are we kidding? I'm not going to measure out. I also used a pasta spoon to scoop the pasta directly into the tomato mixture and skipped heating it in a saute pan. Because, really, the tomato mixture isn't meant to be cooked. You just don't want it to make the pasta cold when you toss the two together. However, if you take the pasta directly from the hot water that it cooked in straight to the tomato mixture, it will be just the right temperature.

Again, add Parmesan or leave it off. It's great both ways!

This is just so good!

Straight From the Source!

I've mentioned before how cool I think it is that Olive Garden posts their recipes online. Not all of them, mind you. But a lot of them.

It's great to know that you can make some of your restaurant favorites at home if you want to. But honestly, that doesn't stop me from going to the restaurant to have them make it for me either!

Last week, I made Olive Garden's Venetian Apricot Chicken (as well as its accompanying sides). It was a hit. It was definitely a manageable meal to make. You won't be slaving away in the kitchen all day to accomplish this. But it tasted great. Besides that, you can make the chicken on its own and you can make the sides by themselves so that you can mix and match meals. I also discovered with my leftovers that the veggies are fantastic tossed with spaghetti for an impromptu pasta primavera.

So, go out to eat or eat at home...and order the same thing!

Venetian Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:

Apricot Sauce:

1/2 cup chicken stock (or chicken broth)
1/2 cup apricot preserves
Salt and pepper, to taste

Tomato Mixture:

1/2 lb. Roma tomatoes, cut into 1" pieces
6 basil leaves, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 tsp garlic pepper
Salt, to taste

Garlic Herb Seasoning:

3 tsp garlic pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Remaining ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus (remove bottom inch of stems)
1/2 lb. broccoli florets
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Combine Garlic Herb Seasoning ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside.

Blend chicken stock and apricot preserves in a sauce pan. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Combine tomatoes, basil, garlic pepper, and salt in a separate mixing bowl and set aside.

Blanch asparagus and broccoli for 1 minute in a pot of salted boiling water. Transfer immediately to ice bath to stop cooking.

Coat saute pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. White keeping ingredients separated in pan, heat cooled asparagus, broccoli and tomato mixture until hot. Do not overcook.

Grill chicken until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Place grilled chicken on a platter next to hot broccoli and asparagus. Sprinkle Garlic Herb Seasoning on broccoli. Pour tomato mixture on top of vegetables.

Top chicken breasts with apricot sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.

Source: Olive Garden website. You can find all of their recipes here. You can find this particular recipe here.

Notes: You must use Roma tomatoes. Other tomatoes will be too juicy.

I doubled this recipe (I had guests) and I personally felt that there was more Garlic Herb Seasoning than I could possibly use. I used about half of it and felt like I had used plenty. I would say to use this seasoning to your own taste. Besides, it would keep well in a covered container and you could use it in the future for a number of things.

I prefer my asparagus roasted in the oven. I cooked the asparagus and broccoli together in the boiling water for just over a minute (I cooked it longer than a minute because my water stopped boiling when I dropped the veggies in). I should have stuck to a minute. The broccoli was great, but the asparagus was a little too soft for my tastes. But at any rate, both the broccoli and the asparagus could have been a little more crisp for my liking. So, if you blanch your veggies, do it for a minute or less...and no more than that! Or, you could roast your asparagus, as we have here. You could also skip blanching your broccoli and simply saute it if you want it even crispier.

When I sauteed my vegetables, I sauteed the tomatoes separately. I separated my veggies for presentation.

Oh, and don't forget...

Toss your leftover veggies with some spaghetti (or other favorite pasta) for a lovely pasta primavera!

Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

  

 

One of the things I like to do is try to recreate restaurant favorites at home. Once you know a lot of the basics of cooking, you can make pretty good guesses as to the methods of food preparation that a certain dish followed. Plus, you can get a lot of handy information from the restaurant's menu! I mean, they have to describe the food to you and what ingredients are in it to tantalize you as well as warn you in case certain ingredients aren't to your liking. The menu also gives you clues as to the method of food preparation as well.

One really fun place that I like to eat at is Wingers. Their wings are to die for (and no, I don't have a recipe for those). I have no idea how to recreate their wings, so Wingers can rest assured that I will continue to visit their establishment. I'm pretty sure they have some tricky preparation techniques up their sleeve (probably a combination of baking and frying the chicken wings--which I don't even want to try to attempt).

However, there are a few of my favorite menu items that are pretty easy to recreate at home. The first is for their Loaded Chicken. The menu says is all: grilled chicken, jack and cheddar cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions, bacon, and Teriyaki sauce. Delicious. Serve it with a side of mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, and coleslaw and you're set. Then, of course, there is their crave-able Asphalt Pie. However, I never take the time to make it in pie form. Mine is more of an Asphalt Sundae. I would never have thought to put together the flavors of mint, chocolate, and caramel...but it works. It really works.

Pretty yummy stuff. So, if you can't get out to dinner, stay in and enjoy some restaurant favorites. But if you want to enjoy their wings at home, you'd better get take-out!


Loaded Chicken

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Teriyaki marinade (the sweeter, the better)
2 containers sliced mushrooms
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Texas Sweet), quartered and sliced
Bacon (at least one slice per chicken breast, or two slices per chicken breast if you're not feeling health conscious)
Shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend (about 1-2 tbsp per chicken breast--depending on how cheesy you want it)

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in Teriyaki marinade (at least one hour or up to 12 hours).

Cook bacon. Make it a little less crispy than you usually prefer it because it will cook a little longer under the broiler with the chicken while the cheese melts. (Make the bacon however you like to cook it: the microwave, in a pan on the stove top or in the oven. I prefer to cook the bacon in the oven. I place it on a foil lined jelly roll pan and bake it at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes...or until desired doneness. In this case, until it is a little less than my desired doneness.)

Place marinated chicken breasts on a foil lined jelly roll pan and broil on high for 6-10 minutes per side (amount of time will depend on how thick the chicken breasts are. Check after 6 minutes and adjust time accordingly).

While chicken is cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and saute mushrooms and onions.

When chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear, remove the pan from the oven. Pile an equal amount of mushrooms and onions on each chicken breast. Place 1-2 bacon slices on each piece of chicken. Finally, sprinkle cheese over the chicken, mushrooms, onions, and bacon. Put the chicken back in the oven and broil for another 1-2 minutes--just until the cheese is nicely melted.

Serve with your favorite sides.

Source: Inspired by Wingers restaurant. But this is my personal version.

Notes: The Wingers menu says that they grill their chicken breasts. You can do that instead, if you prefer. But I think broiling, for me at least, is a lot more hassle free, so I prefer to do it that way.

Asphalt Sundae

Ingredients:

Mint Chocolate Chip or Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream
Canned/Spray Whipped Cream
Oreo cookies, crushed (1-2 cookies per sundae)
Caramel ice cream topping

Directions:

Sprinkle some crushed Oreo cookies in your serving cup or bowl. Add 1-2 scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Sprinkle with more Oreo cookies. Add whipped cream and caramel ice cream topping.

Serve.

Source: Inspired by Wingers restaurant.

Notes: If you prefer to have this in pie form, you can use a pre-made Oreo pie crust, place the mint chocolate chip ice cream (piled high) in the crust, add crushed Oreo cookies on top. Slice into wedges and add whipped cream and caramel just prior to serving.