cafe rio

I made this a long time ago one time when rachel/tyler came over for dinner. I'm making it tomorrow for aaron's parents. it is delicous. if only there were a cafe rio or costa vida out here...


Café Rio Sweet Pork Salads
1 recipe CR sweet pork (below)
1 recipe lime cilantro ranch (below)
1 head romaine lettuce
diced tomatoes
monterrey jack cheese (shredded)
beans, rice
tortilla chips or baked tortilla strips
guacamole


Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
3-5 lb Pork Loin Roast
1 1⁄2 cans Coke
1 c. turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
7oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce –provides a lot of heat - I didn't use
1 tsp dry ground mustard (heaping)
1 tsp cumin (heaping)
2 tsp minced garlic
chile powder

(I didn't do this because I was lazy... but the recipe said: Place the contents of the can of chilies in a bowl and cover with soda to get as much of the adobo sauce off the chilies. Remove the chilies and throw them away, or if you want the meat to be hotter, leave one or two chilies in. Add all ingredients except pork in a blender. Rinse can of adobo sauce with soda to get all the sauce out. Blend in blender until well mixed.) Place pork in crock pot and pour sauce (all other ingredients) over it. Cook for (4-6 on high or) 7-9 hours on low. Carefully turn roast over halfway through. Cook in sauce until it pulls apart/shreds easily. Take pork out and shred. Then add sauce to your liking.


Lime-Cilantro Ranch
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing mix (I used "simply organic" brand)
1 c. mayo
1 c. buttermilk (I use the powdered kind)
1⁄2 bunch cilantro
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
(2 tomatillos) - didn't have/didn't use... but I have them now!!
cholula sauce to taste (or 1⁄2 serrano peppers with seeds removed)

Blend in food processor or blender, store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Dressing continues to get hotter when it is stored in the fridge. It's best if you make this ahead of time to let the flavors meld together; will keep about 2weeks in fridge.

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

This is a slightly different poppy seed dressing from the one that Briste posted a while ago.

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced onion
1 cup salad oil (vegetable oil)
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Mix all the ingredients together except for the poppy seeds. Beat until creamy and then add the poppy seeds. Mix well.

Enjoy with your favorite greens!

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

1st Things 1st (Prep for all)

Finely chopped red onions

Next Step: (Do 1 batch at a time)

Measure the following ingredients and add to a blender

½ Cup of Sugar
1/3 Cup of Cider Vinegar
2 T Lemon Juice
2 T Finely Chopped Red Onion
Salt and Pepper
Blender

Blend for 15 seconds (until onions break up and turn pink)
Slowly add 2/3 Cup of Olive Oil while blending more.

Add a couple of shakes of Poppy Seeds and blend lightly to mix throughout.

Pour into individual containers

Olive Oil will solidify in fridge so leave dressing out for about 30 mins. Before serving.
Run it under warm water, shake well and microwave for 10 seconds at a time.

Dressing will keep in fridge for quite some time.