Pork Salad - Café Rio Style

We just got back from a trip to Utah and I had this salad at Café Rio. It’s so good! This salad is absolutely divine and well worth your time. This is a great recipe for a crowd because it feeds a ton. The dish may seem labor intensive with all of the different layers, but each layer is pretty easy. If you’re not into salads, then you can easily adapt this recipe and make burritos with the pork and rice. Enjoy!

Pork Barbacoa Salad – Café Rio Style

Salad Assembly:

Tortilla Bowl (see below)
Cilantro Lime Rice (see below)
Black Beans (see below)
Café Rio Sweet Pork (see below)
Lettuce (leafy green or Romaine)
Pico de gallo (optional)
Guacamole (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Tomatillo Dressing (see below)
-OR-

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (see below)

Tortilla Strips (see below)

Cotija cheese, crumbled (or you can use Parmesan)

Tortilla Bowls

Tortillas

Cheese, shredded

Place each tortilla in an ovenproof mixing bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and broil for 3 minutes, or until the tortilla has crisped up and taken the shape of the bowl.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 T olive oil

2 ¼ cup long-grain rice, uncooked

4 cloves garlic, pressed

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Juice of 2 limes
1T sugar

4 C. water

Heat oil in a pot. Add the rice, garlic and cilantro; sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add lime juice, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then cook covered on low for 15-20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and then serve.

Black Beans

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

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through, then cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Café Rio Sweet Pork

6 lbs. boneless pork roast

1 16oz bottle taco sauce

1 12oz can cola

1 C. packed brown sugar

Cook pork roast in a Crockpot on low heat all day; 2 hours before serving drain the juices and remove the fat. Shred the pork and add the taco sauce, cola, and brown sugar. Cook 2 hours longer.

Tomatillo Dressing

1-1oz. package ranch buttermilk dressing mix

3 tomatillos

1 C. mayonnaise

1 C. buttermilk

1 C. cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 t. cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender; process on high until combined. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

2 tomatillos
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. diced jalapeño
Juice of 2 limes
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 c. balsamic vinaigrette (I used Kraft)

In a food processor or blender, combine tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, and sugar. After it is all blended up, combine it with the balsamic vinaigrette. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

Tortilla Strips

10-12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.

Source: Adapted from Worldwide Ward Cookbook

Fourth of July Fireworks Wreath

4^th of July Fireworks Wreath

A couple of weeks ago my friend, Amber, had me over for a crafting day. We started on these fireworks wreaths and only got a fraction of the way through over a 2-hour period. I just finished mine yesterday; these puppies are super time intensive (took me about 5 ½ hours total!) and it would have taken longer if it wasn’t for the Silhouette Cameo! If you have one, I SO suggest you buy the pinwheel image to make your life (and folding) easier! It scores the folds for you making it infinitely easier.

For directions on this project, check out All You.

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

I made these along with Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes for a morning baby shower I went to recently. I over-estimated how many cupcakes were actually needed (not a bad thing at all if you ask meJ) and ended up dropping off the extras with my husband at work. My husband is currently going through officer training with the Marine’s so I didn’t think twice about whether or not Curtis and the other Marines in his platoon would enjoy them.

When I dropped them off to Curtis our conversation went a little like this:

Curtis: So what type of cupcake are these again?

Me: Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese

        Frosting

Curtis: <3 second pause, then a smile lights up his face> Sa-weet!

 When he came home that night the cupcake carrier was empty and he had about 10 different responses to relay back to me from his fellow Marines. So cute, they’ll be getting cupcakes again soon!

Cook’s Note:

This recipe made 30 standard-sized cupcakes using my trusty 4-tablespoon scoop.

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 C butter, softened

1 ½ C sugar

3 eggs

2 egg whites

3 1/3 C flour

1 t baking soda

½ t baking powder

1 t salt

1 T cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

1 C sour cream

1/3 C milk

1 t vanilla extract

1 ½ C fresh or frozen blueberries

Maple Buttercream:

½ C butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese

¼ C real Maple Syrup

1 t vanilla

5 ½ C powdered sugar

Milk, as needed

Cinnamon sugar and fresh blueberries for garnish.

Directions:

For the Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 360 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

In a medium-sized bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together and set aside.

Using a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla extract and sour cream until combined, set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.

On low speed, add eggs and egg whites one at a time until each is fully incorporated.

Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the wet (milk, vanilla extract and sour cream).  Let each ingredient fully mix in before adding the other, be careful not to over mix.

Fold in blueberries. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full (I used my trusty 4-tablespoon scoop) and bake for about 16-19 minutes (rotating pans half-way through), or until an inserted knife comes out clean.   

Cool cupcakes on a wired-rack for at least 30 minutes before piping on the frosting.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. 

Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and beat on low until combined, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. If needed add 1 tablespoon of milk to loosen.

Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with cinnamon sugar and berries.

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Source: adapted from Your Cup of Cake

Pad Thai Fried Rice & Cilantro Thai Chicken

I think I’ve made this meal 3 times in the last month, because it’s beyond good!  I have a weakness for Thai food, especially Thai food infused with citrus…and then you add some salty peanuts and cilantro on top and I’m sold!

This dish is extremely flavorful with crisp, clean flavors. It’s one of those dishes that are so good you need to stop yourself from hunching over your plate while shoveling it in!

Cook’s Note: This recipe calls for Ponzu (pictured below), which is basically soy sauce infused with citrus juices. I have personally fallen in love with the product and now prefer it over soy sauce. If you don’t have Ponzu on hand or can’t find it at your local grocer (I found mine at Food Lion, and also noticed that my local Target carries it), then you can substitute it for soy sauce. 

If you want to add some veggies to this dish, add some bean sprouts atop the rice after you take the rice off of the heat to steam.

Pad Thai Fried Rice & Cilantro Thai Chicken

 

Ingredients:

2 C Jasmine rice, uncooked
2 T brown sugar
2 T fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
3 T Ponzu (*see Cook’s Note above)
1-2 t Sriracha Chili Sauce
2 t vegetable oil
3 green onions, white and green parts, separated and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, light beaten
1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 C chopped roasted, salted peanuts

Directions:

Cook the Jasmine rice according to the package, fluff and set aside.

While the rice is cooking make the sauce, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, Ponzu, and Sriracha Chili Sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a Wok or deep, large skillet (like this one), heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the whites of the green onions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add the eggs and cook, scramble until the eggs are almost set (they should still be a little wet), about 30-60 seconds. Transfer egg, onion and garlic mixture to a small bowl.

Next add the fluffed rice, the green parts of the onions, and sauce to the skillet. Cook, tossing/stirring constantly until the rice is well coated with the sauce (about 1-2 minutes). Add the egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking up the eggs gently as you go.

Serve the rice with lime wedges, and topped off with chopped cilantro and peanuts.

Serves 4

Source: A Food, Folks and Fun Original

Cilantro Thai Chicken

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 C cilantro
2 T soy sauce or Ponzu (*see Cook’s Note above)
1 T toasted sesame oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 8-10 boneless skinless chicken tenders

Directions:

To make the marinade place the garlic, cilantro, soy sauce or Ponzu, and sesame oil in a food processor and process until smooth.

Pour marinade over chicken breast and let flavors sink in for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator.

Prepare your grill or broiler. Cook until temperature registers 165F on the meat thermometer. Let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes before serving, this prevents the meat from drying up.

Serves 4

Source: adapted from Artsy-Foodie