Creamy Cilantro Dressing

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa verde or green enchilada sauce (see note)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from about 1 medium lime)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of dried dill (about 1/8 teaspoon)
Pinch of salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
Pinch of black pepper (I use coarsely ground black pepper)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 green onion, white and green parts coarsely chopped, or small bunch of chives

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Thin with additional buttermilk, milk, or lime juice, if you want to adjust the consistency.
Refrigerate until ready to serve (the taste gets better with time - it can be made several days in advance).

Cafe Rio Instant Pot

Cafe Rio Chicken Instant Pot

2 lbs frozen chicken breasts
1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 T chili powder
1/2 T cumin
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
3/4 cup water

Wish all ingredients except chicken in instant pot and then place breasts into the mixture. cook on manual high pressures for 12 min for frozen breasts (8 min not frozen). Let Pot naturally release until pin falls. Shred meat. Serve as you would any taco meat!!

** Cook on Poultry setting on pot, adjust to more on the setting. Cook time is around 30 minutes once it build up to pressure.


Cilantro Lime Rice

1 cup long grain white rice
1 1/4 cups water
2 T vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 T fresh lime juice
3 T chopped fresh cilantro

add rice, water, 1 T oil, and salt to pot. Stir and lock lid in place. Select high pressure for 3 minutes cook time. Natural Release for 7 minutes then do a quick release. Fluff rice with fork then add combined cilantro, lime juice and remaining 1 T oil.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

1 cup black beans
4 cups water
1 1/2 T chicken bouillon
2 T dehydrated onion flakes
7 garlic cloves or 2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
red wine vinegar to taste

Add all ingredients to the instant pot except red wine vinegar. Manually cook for 23 minutes (25 if using older beans, 15 if beans are soaked). Let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes then vent. remove lid and add a couple Tablespoons of red wine vinegar to taste!!

Cafe Rio Creamy Dressing

Morgan Cottie

1 pkg of Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing dry mix

1 cup milk

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tomatillos, peel

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 bunched cilantro, chopped
½ tsp lime juice

4 oz. can of chopped Jalapenos

• Blend ingredients together in a blender.
• Add additional mayonnaise if dressing is too thin.

Serve chicken, rice, beans on top of a warm tortilla and top with lettuce, cheese, guacamole and salad dressing.

Cafe Rio Rice

Morgan Cottie

In a sauce pan, sauté:

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 a yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced

In a large pot, bring the following to a boil:

6 2/3 cup chicken broth

½ bunch cilantro,
2 tsp cumin

2 small cans diced green chilies

Juice of two limes
½ tsp salt

• Add onion and garlic to boiling water.
• Add 3 cups long grain rice.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cafe Rio Creamy Dressing

Ingredients
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (made as per recipe with 2 cups buttermilk and 2 cups mayonnaise)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (use the seeds too if you like it spicy. The seeds were not used with this particular salad)

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

Cafe Rio Rice

Ingredients
3 cups water
¾ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon butter
4 teaspoon garlic – minced
½ onion
½ bunch cilantro
1 ½ cups rice (not minute rice)
1 can green chilies

Directions
Blend cilantro, green chilies, and onion together in food processor or blender. Bring water to a boil and add all the ingredients including the blended ingredients. Simmer covered on medium low for 25-30 minutes. Watch carefully as this can burn easily.

Copy Cat Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken

Adrienne's Favorite!

Ingredients

2 pounds (4 breasts) Chicken boneless and skinless
1/2 cup zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 T minced garlic
1/2 T chili powder
1/2 T ground cumin
1 (1oz) packet ranch dressing mix (mix with 1/2 cup water)

Place all you ingredients except for the chicken into your crockpot. Stir.
Add your chicken.
Cook on high for 5-6hrs or low for 7-8hrs. Once done remove chicken and shred with fork.
Replace the shredded chicken back in the crockpot and mix well with the left over juice.
Serve on salads, burritos, tacos, and burrito bowls.

Cafe Rio Pork

Submitted by Kaori

Ingredients
4 lbs of pork roast
1 ½ cups Dr. Pepper
3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)
4 tablespoons Molasses
3 teaspoon pressed garlic
½ teaspoon salt
4 cup brown sugar
5 – 6 drops Tabasco sauce
4 teaspoon cumin

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, cover and cook 10 hours on low. When pork falls apart or shreds easily remove from juice and shred then add most of juice back in for flavor.