Cafe Rio

Story:

Soon after we moved to KY, my friend Traci introduced me to one of our now-very-very-favorite dinners. She got it off a cooking blog, so you can find the original recipe at Kalyn's Kitchen. Since the first time I made it, I've wanted to share it with friends and fam (especially you, Sarah E! You'll love this one.) Ethan calls it his "favorite burrito" and Ben says it's one of his favorite things I make. My mom really likes the cilantro rice. (I better be careful!... don't want to talk it up too much!)

One thing I really like about it (being the mom), is that it makes a LOT, so we can serve it with company and still have leftovers. As part of the dinner, you cook up a lot of marinated shredded chicken in a crock put. It's way too much to use, so I freeze it in either 1 cup or 2 cup baggies to throw into other recipes later. I refer to it in other recipes as "Cafe Rio Chicken."

This recipe is a little more labor-intensive than my usuals. Keep in mind that it does make a lot (read: you won't have to cook for a couple of days) amd that most of it can be prepared ahead of time.

Three parts to prepare:

Cafe Rio Chicken
Ingredients:
5 lbs chicken breasts
1 (8 ounce) bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic—minced

Directions:
Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours.
Shred the meat and cook for an additional hour.

Café Rio Rice
Ingredients:
3 cups Uncle Ben's Converted Rice
3 c water
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles
½ onion
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t minced garlic
¾ t salt
1 T butter

Directions:
Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor.
Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients.
Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Cafe Rio Dressing
Ingredients:
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet - (note you need buttermilk and mayo to make the dressing)
2 tomatillos (tomato-like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
A few drops of green tobasco sauce (or 1 jalapeño... I don't bother with the jalepeno, I use the sauce)

Directions:
Make the buttermilk ranch dressing as per recipe on the packet.
Use a food processor to blend the tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, lime and tobasco sauce.
Add to the dressing and refrigerate.

To Serve:
(Note the additional ingredients not listed above)
The meal itself is one of those imitations from a Cafe Rio or Bajio's type restaurant. I eat it like a big, fat salad; Ben eats it like a giant stuffed burrito. Restaurants (like Cafe Rio) serve this like a salad that starts with a tortilla, then cooked beans (I use black beans--just 'cause they're my fav!), seasoned rice, lettuce, seasoned chicken, shredded cheese, and a fabulous dressing.

Notes:
I use the chicken in my Tortilla Soup, Black Bean Soup, & Becky's Black Bean and Chicken Casserole.
I use the dressing on Monica's Fish Tacos.

Tuna Melts

Story:
I worked at Swensen's Ice Cream Parlor in San Diego the summer after my senior year of HS, before moving away to college. My friend Traci got me the job. It was a quiet little place, and has since closed. I met a cute boy there, and though that didn't work out, it was that summer that I fell in love with Tuna Melts. And since then I've learned (thanks to my friend Lee), to add more veggies into the tuna salad part. Sooo good.

These are always more filling than I think they are going to be. And I don't know why, but I always serve them with a side of sliced cucumbers.

Ingredients:
sourdough bread
monterey jack cheese*
tuna fish, drained
mayo
dill pickles, chopped (you can use pickle relish too, but I liked the chopped pickles better)
celery, diced
red or orange bell pepper, chopped
dehydrated chopped onions (green onions would probably be good; never tried)
garlic powder
black pepper

Directions: (kind of obvious...)
For the tuna salad:
Shred the tuna into a bowl. Add mayo until the tuna is lighly coated. (I tend to like things dryer than wetter... so add as much mayo as you want.) Add pickles, veggies, and seasonings to taste.

For the sandwich part:
Butter outsides of sourdough bread, put on cheese and tuna salad and cook on a griddle--just like a grilled cheese sandwich. Grill until lightly browned and cheese is melted.

*EDIT* Last week I made these again and I used Pepperjack Cheese in Ben's and my sandwiches. The best ever! Try it.

Black Bean Soup

Story:
I discovered this recipe through one of those eat-well-during-pregnancy kinds of magazine/resources. Very Best Baby. The recipe card says to visit verybestbaby.com/recipes for more!

I know that Black Bean Soup doesn't sound (or even look!) very appealing. It's one of those foods though (kind of liked a baked potato) that doesn't really sound good, but once you start eating it, you remember how much you love it! I like this black bean soup... and I like that I've found a few ways to spruce it up a bit too.

Ingredients:
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
nonstick cooking spray
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon bottle minced garlic
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
4 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)
fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions:

• Place 1 can of beans (with the liquid) and the broth in blender or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth. Coat large saucepan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 4-5 minutes or until onion is tender.
• Add blended bean mixture, remaining beans and liquid, salsa, lime juice, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream. Garnish with cilantro. (Makes 4 servings)

Variations:

• The original recipe card says to use Ortega Thick & Chunky Salsa... I use my favorite Garden Fresh brand from Costco OR the Wal-Mart brand of Black Bean & Corn salsa... another yummy one.
• I put a big dab of sour cream in the middle of each bowl. The kids like it because it mellows out the flavor a little if it seems too spicy. I know the plain yogurt would be healthier, but, whatever. And I haven't yet bothered to garnish with cilantro, though that would be pretty.
• My friend, Traci, taught me to add some shredded chicken. I especially like to add about a cup of the shredded "Cafe Rio Chicken" (another recipe from Traci--I use it in lots of different recipes).
• I've also added a can of corn before. Bulks it up a little and gives it a little more color and texture.

Enjoy!

Ben's "Triple C's"

Story:
"Triple C" is Ben's and my code for Chocolate Chip Cookies. We use it conveniently to avoid mentioning the "cookie" word in front of the kids. We'd use Korean, but since chocolate chip cookies aren't exactly an authentic Korean food, the Korean word sounds like: choe-ko-cheep coo-kee. The kids would pick up on that right away, as you can imagine.

About 6 months after Ben and I were married, we were living in a little rundown duplex in South Salt Lake. Our [only?] friends in the neighborhood, Jeremy & Jessica, made us these cookies and Ben thought they were the best EVER. I recently made a different kind of chocolate chip cookie, just for variety's sake, and Ben was in disbelief... wondering why I would waste time and resources on any cookie but the best.

I think the original recipe came off of a Crisco wrapper and it was called "Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies." Since Ben has mastered the art of creating these cookies, tweaking a few things in the process, I now call them "Ben's Triple C's." (The recipe below is already doubled from the original, since that's how we always make 'em... so plan on it making plenty.)
[Edit: We ceased using shortening in our kitchen, so we adjusted the recipe below to use butter instead.  01/07/2020]

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter
2 1/2 cups not-packed light brown sugar
4 T milk
2 T vanilla
2 eggs
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375
2. Mix butter, brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and eggs.
3. Add flour, salt, and baking soda and blend well. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake about 12 minutes. (Ovens vary so, specifically, bake until lightly golden brown.) Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then move cookies to a cooling rack--or just eat them warm!

Yummy.

My Favorite Ingredients

I thought I'd keep my own little on-going list here of my favorite ingredients. You'll see what I mean.

My favorite...

• Sourdough Bread: big round loaf, Boudin is the brand, I think (Costco) - used for my Tuna Melts
• Salsa: Garden Fresh Gourmet, Jack's Special Salsa (Costco, refrigerator section) - delicious just with chips, but also really good in Becky's Black Bean and Chicken Casserole and in my Black Bean Soup
• Tortilla Chips: Garden Fresh Gourmet Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (Costco) and Kirkland brand Organic Tortilla Chips (Costco)
• Fish Sticks: Trident brand, "The Ultimate Fish Stick" (Costco, freezer section) - used in Monica's Fish Tacos

Dinner Time!

Hey y'all. Welcome to my newest project.

I don't claim to be a great cook. I do, however, like to feed my family good food. I don't create recipes, but I do like to collect the good ones that my friends have already tried and proven. And I do like to flip through cooking magazines now and then, ripping out recipes that I want to try. (Some people look at fashion or celebrity magazines? I look at food!) I then try out the recipes on my loved ones, and if they pass the family test, then I'll post them here. Hopefully, even with pictures!

So here I go... trying to gather all of my family faves in one place. No longer do I have to type up a recipe to e-mail it to you (or worse, have to read a recipe to you over the phone!), but they'll all be right here (eventually) for you to peruse at your leisure. I'm not putting in recipes in any particular order, but I am going to index them on the right column so you'll be able to pull up whatever kind of dish you're looking for. I'll include the first name of who I "stole" it from as well as some of our family's variations. I have been known to tweak up a recipe now and then...

Well, I hope you find some "good eats" on here... Enjoy!