Cafe Rio recipes... for my Cochrane peeps

***Heads up, if you are printing and do not want pages and pages of my blog (like my stalker Catherine) you should probably copy and paste the recipes into a word document and then print*** sideways winky face

Hey ladies! A few of you have asked for the recipes from Friday. Here they are. They might look a bit intimidating, but I promise they are all so easy.

Traditional salad order:

*tortilla

Rice

Beans

Chicken

Romaine (or anything except iceberg lettuce. My sister likes spinach)

Tomatoes

Cheese (we used cheddar, but you could use Parmesan if you want)

Dressing

*fresh lime to squeeze on top

Seasoned Chicken

5 lbs. chicken breasts (I use 6-8 breasts)

1 large bottle Kraft Zesty Italian dressing

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 cloves minced garlic *optional*

Fresh lime juice

Put everything in a crock pot and stir to coat. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or high 2-3 hours. (If frozen high 4-6 hours) 1/2 hour before serving, shred chicken (I just used 2 dinner forks) and add the juice from 2 limes.

Green Chili Rice

3 cups of water

4 tsp. chicken bouillon (I used 2 large cubes- that make 2 cups of broth per cube)

1 clove minced garlic

1 can mild diced green chilis (DON'T drain water)

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 onion chopped *I am a bit anti-onion so I didn't add this*

3 cups rice (not instant)

1 Tbsp. butter

*Tip for fluffy rice... rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear to remove starch before adding to the mix* Combine ingredients and add to rice cooker or cook on stove top following the cooking directions of the rice package.

Black Beans

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 tsp. cumin

1 can of black beans, drained

1 1/3 c tomato juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

1 can of corn, drained *optional*

In a nonstick skillet, cook cumin and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continue to stir until it is heated through. Add corn- if you choose. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (only have seen it at Safeway in Cochrane. Had to buy mine at Co-op. Heard it is at Sobey's too)

1 can of diced green chilis

1 1/3 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayo

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

2 cloves of garlic

juice from 1-2 limes

1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce (I added a bit more because we like it a bit spicy)

Mix everything is a blender! Super easy. It will be a bit thin, but remember that the dressing thickens as it sets in the fridge. BEST if made the day before. Leftover dressing is great for veggie dip too.