If you've been to Utah, or if you live there, or if you know someone who lives there, then there's a good chance you've heard about Cafe Rio...my sister and her tribe dine there about twice a week - for about $50 a pop!! Her kids BEG to go there...my friends, former Seattleites Kendall and Nancy, who defected to Mecca with hopes of finding sun, will surely keep Cafe Rio in business for years and years or until their teeth fall out from eating a steady diet of Mexican food...I'm no expert but I don't think you'll find green chilies, cilantro and cumin on top of the food pyramid! I'm not a Cafe Rio Officionado...although I'm a fan...and I do have to say, this is pretty darn close to what they serve and whether or not you Rio fans agree, I know you'll agree that this is DANG GOOD...and you Utah folks, listen up...with the money you save by making this at home you'll soon be able to afford a plane ticket back to Seattle where you belong!
Copycat recipes are the most sincerest form of flattery in the food world, yes? Since we don't have a Café Rio within 800 mile of us, I had no choice but to try to create my own recipes, and with a little help from friends, I think these are pretty close. (Update: As of 2016, we now have several Café Rio's in the Seattle area!)
Can you stand a little earth-shattering news? The mister had a little surprise for me...he bought me something and he never buys anything - not even his own potty pants or shoes! He walked in Wednesday night, handed me a little white cardboard box, which I carefully opened to find a navy blue velvet box...I took a deep breath, opened the box and nothing was there! And I thought, this is JUST LIKE HIM! What a tease! But then he stuck out his pinkie and there was ring on it...so there you have it...after years and years and years of marriage to a man who is harder than hell to live with, I got my badge/ring of merit! And it's beautiful. Sparkly. Perfect. So there won't be any mister bashing this weekend...nope, I've given him a three day pass, starting today. One day for every ten years. Seems fair.
Chicken in the crock-pot, dressing in the food processor, rice on the stove...you're going to dirty a few dishes but it will be well worth it!
Cafe Rio Salad Dressing - Creamy Tomatillo and Cilantro Dressing - Adpated from Little Piggy Food
1 package (.04 oz.) Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed
2 tomatillos, paper-peel removed, cored
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, seeds removed (unless you like it spicy)
Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until well blended, about 10 seconds. Refrigerate. Will keep for up to one week in refrigerator. Makes about 1 1/2 cups of dressing.
Cafe Rio Chicken - Pots and Pins
1 bottle (16 oz.) Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and dried.
Place Kraft dressing, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and garlic in crock-pot. Stir with wooden spoon to combine. Add chicken and onions. Cover with lid and cook on high for 4 1/2 hours. Shred chicken with forks, turn off heat and let sit for 20 minutes. (You can choose not to shred the chicken and serve it in pieces, in which case this will serve 5, or you can serve it on a bun or in a tortilla and it will serve more. If you serve it on the salad this will serve 6...anyway you do it you'll love it!)
Cafe Rio Rice - Pots and Pins
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup rice, not instant
2 teaspoons "Better Than Bouillon" Chicken Base or you can use 2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
juice from 1/2 of a fresh lime
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 yellow onion
Put all ingredients, except rice and water into a food processor and process until well combined. Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized sauce pan over high heat and then add rice and processed mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Toss with a fork and allow to cool slightly if using the salad. If using as a side dish, serve hot. This recipe serves 4 if served as a side dish, if used in the salad it serves 6.
To assemble the Chicken Salad, exactly like Cafe Rio does, you'll need a can (14 oz.) of black beans, shredded lettuce, and any other toppings you want, like avocado, olives, cheese, etc. and you'll also need an aluminum cake pan to put it in...that's right, that's what they use.
Start with the black beans, add some of the rice, next toss in some lettuce, and then put on a heaping helping of shredded chicken followed by a dose of the amazing dressing...now if you want throw on some extra toppings, go right ahead...I think Cafe Rio uses Parmesan cheese, which I just don't get, but whatever, a nice bit of Monterrey Jack would taste great.
One last thing...when I found the Little PIggy Food blog, the recipes that were posted had not been tested yet - she said "Hopefully they are yummy!" I can tell you that they did need a little "enhancing" and that now, after testing and tasting and more tasting, they are definitely YUMMY! The chicken is great cold too and I think I'm safe in saying the salad dressing will now be a staple in my fridge! Oh, I may not have raved enough about the rice but it IS excellent - I will serve it from now on with whatever Tex-Mex food I make.
