Cafe Rio Pork & Creamy Dressing {copycat}

I know there are tons of recipes out there for copycat Cafe Rio.  I've tried so many variations over the years that I've lost track. But this is by far our favorite Barbacoa pork recipe. We have made it dozens of times over the last 7 or 8 years, and it is still our go to when we are needing a little taste of home. I prefer this recipe to the one that uses salsa, and I think it actually tastes more like the pork you get when you go to the restaurant. Of course, its not a perfect likeness, but its the best one I've found. You can serve this as a burrito, or my favorite, as a salad... either way, you will love it!

Cafe Rio Barbacoa Pork

1 Pork Loin Roast {about 3 lbs}
1/2 Cup Vinegar {I use white}
20 oz. Dr. Pepper or Coke {not diet}
2 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Grillmates Southwest Seasoning* {found by the taco seasoning or spices}

Cook in crock pot on low for at least 6 hours. Shred and return to crockpot.
Serve with any combination of tortillas**, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, salsa fresca, sour cream, black beans, tortilla strips, cilantro lime rice, cotija cheese, and creamy tomatillo dressing.

*I can't always find the grillmates. I've substituted a packet of fajita seasoning in the past, and it tastes pretty similar. 
**The very best tortillas for this recipe are the tortilla factory brand. You cook them up yourself, and trust me, they are about a million times better. I've found them at Costco, and recently at my local Meijer grocery store. 

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Package {make as per directions... But I halve the mayo and buttermilk}
2 Tomatillos
1/2 Bunch Cilantro
1 Clove Garlic
1 Lime, juiced of
1 Jalapeno {use seeds if you like it spicy}

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until no more chunks remain. Serve with Salad.

Grape Salad {eyeball salad}

Happy Halloween!!!

Since its a holiday, I thought I would share a "spooky" recipe with you. Then I realized I didn't have any, so I improvised and renamed this delicious grape salad "Eyeball Salad"! I got this recipe from my friend Tiff ages ago, and I still always have to ask her the exact ingredients when I want to make it again. I figured it might be time to actually write it down somewhere so I can stop bugging her!! :)

The funny part though? Its SO RIDICULOUSLY EASY. You will literally mock me once you see how few ingredients/instructions there are. What can I say...

Grape Salad

aka: EYEBALL SALAD 

{just for today though!}

1 Bag Red Grapes

1 Bag Green Grapes

1, 16 oz. container Sour Cream

1, 8 oz. container Cool Whip Topping

1 package Cream Cheese

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Soften cream cheese. 

Remove grapes from stems and wash well. Put grapes in a large bowl. 

Take softened cream cheese and beat it in your mixer until smooth. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until all incorporated and no clumps remain 

{or be like me and leave a few cream cheese clumps cuz you are impatient & want to put this salad in your mouth!}.

Pour mixture over the grapes and stir all together.

Chill, and serve!

Yup, its that simple folks!

But trust me... De-Lish!!

{I should know. I ate it for breakfast. Those grapes made me feel sooo healthy!!}

Spinach Torellini Salad

This recipe came from Shanna (McConkie) Jensen, who made it for a family bridal shower this summer. Luckily, she was kind enough to share the recipe. It is absolutely amazing! The dressing makes a lot and you would have plenty if you halved it.


1 bag spinach
1 small bag cheese tortellini, cooked to package directions & cooled
1-2 cups chredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 purple onion sliced very thin
cherry tomatoes, sliced in 1/2
bacon
1 cup mushrooms
craisins

DRESSING
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBSP poppyseed
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt

My New Favorite Salad+Dressing

I am addicted to this stuff. I have made it so many times recently, it is starting to get a bit ridiculous. I don't know about you, but summertime doesn't make me want to roast a chicken and bake some winter vegetables {that's a total lie though cuz I did both of those things a few weeks ago!!}. But salads... and fruit... and popsicles. That's what I really want to eat all summer long.

That's why when I had this recipe at a baby shower back in May, I HAD to have the recipe. In fact, I have had the salad a number of times over the last few years, but I had never asked for the recipe. What was I thinking??

You can really do any combination you want for the salad itself, but I will tell you what I put in mine. Its Devine, just trust me on this one.

Sesame Seed Salad Dressing

1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/4-1/2 Cup Sugar
2 TBSP. Toasted Sesame Seeds

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake it up! Refrigerate until ready to use!

The Salad Combo:
Spinach
Blackberries
Sliced Nectaries
Sliced Almonds
Thinly Sliced Purple Onion
Green Apple Chunks
Shaved or Grated Parmesan Cheese

& I occasionally add bacon pieces and craisins.
DELISH!!

Rice Salad

Please, look past the fact that my table cloth looks like it just went through a tornado, and enjoy the deliciousness of this salad.


I first had this salad last summer when I was visiting a friend in Salt Lake. Her mama invited us over for dinner, and I totally shoveled this stuff in. I LOVE it! It is a delicious mix of veggies, rice, and a saucey dressing. I find that it tastes great the 2nd day, but it is best enjoyed the day you make it. This salad has got so much going on that you can serve it as a meal by itself, or smaller portions can be a side dish.


{& if you are feeling particularly lazy, buy one of those rotisserie chickens and pull the meat off the bone. Or the prepackaged chicken strips would also work well!}

Rice Salad


Salad
1 Package Uncle Ben's Rice (or equivalent of another brand)
1 Cup Brown Rice (cook with chicken broth)
Juice of one Lemon
3 Chicken Breasts, grilled & sliced
4 chopped Green Onions
4 ounces Pea Pods, cut into thirds
1 Avocado, diced
1 Cup Pecans, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
 
Combine and toss in a large bowl.
 Dressing
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
 1/4 tsp Pepper
1/3 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
 
Combine and dress the salad. 

Citrus Chicken Pasta Salad

Here is a colorful and delicious pasta salad. You can eat it with or without grilled chicken, but I prefer it with. It would be a great one to use your Margarita Chicken in. You can also have this cold as a side, or hot as a main dish!

Citrus Chicken Pasta Salad

Salad:
4 Cups Cooked Pasta {rainbow would be better but I was fresh out!}
1 Can Kernel Corn, drained
1/2 Red Pepper, cut in small pieces
1/2 Green Pepper, cut in small pieces
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Small Can Sliced Olives, drained
Your Favorite Grilled Chicken

Dressing:
1/2 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
1/8 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
3 TBSP Fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Cumin
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 {4 oz} Can Chopped Green Chilies
1 Cup Cilantro Leaves, loosely packed
Lime & Cilantro for Garnish

Make pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water when cooked. Set aside and allow to cool.

Make dressing by blending all ingredients together. Put in cruet or tupperware and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to eat assemble salad {next time I will add jicama as well!!}, and either pour dressing over the top and mix well, or allow people to dress their own portions. Either option is great! :)

Fruit & Feta Salad

This is a delicious salad that comes together nice and quick! You can add some protein 

{salmon/chicken etc.} to make it a meal, but I like it the way it is. Its great in the winter when fresh fruits can be a bit pricey. You can even leave the apple out and just use the mandarin oranges... or throw some pomegranate seeds in to spice it up a bit. Its very versatile.

Fruit & Feta Salad

Salad:
6-8 Cups Assorted Greens {I use romaine and spinach}
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 Small Can Mandarin Oranges, drained
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/2-1 Small Red Onion
1 Large Apple, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 Cup Toasted Pecans or Almonds {candied are best}

Dressing:
4 TBSP Raspberry Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
4 TBSP Sugar
Dash of Tabasco Sauce

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl. When ready to eat, pour dressing over green mixture and serve.

**Also, I had my husband make the dressing while I was assembling the salad. He actually used red wine vinegar and it still tasted great {after going to the store & buying the raspberry vinegar just for this dressing!}.

Fresh Mozzerella Penna Pasta

I found a great deal on fresh mozzarella cheese this week and searched the internet for a recipe that looked good. I stumbled across this recipe somewhere and am so glad I did. This is an extremely easy recipe, and so delicious. I will make it again and again. It would be a great entertaining recipe if you want to wow your friends! Spencer also suggested serving it with thinly sliced grilled lemon chicken (Annalisa's recipe). (It originally called for 1 TBsp salt, but was too salty, even for me).


8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
3 medium tomatoes, or 5-6 Roma tomatoes, pealed
2 avocados, pealed, pitted, & diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely-chopped fresh basil
1 TBsp fresh sqeezed lemon juice
1 tsp coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper or to taste
1 (16 oz) package uncooked penna pasta
Freshly-grated parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, ross mozzarella cheese with tomatoes, avocados, garlic, olive oil, basil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, & red pepper. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pan to keep warm.

Add tomato mixture to prepared pasta and toss to coat thoroughly. Transfer onto individual serving plates and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-5 adults

Sugared Almonds

These delicious almonds are perfect in a summer salad... or just eaten by the handful! This recipe varies from the normal way I candy nuts, & I LOVED the result! I got this recipe from my friend Nicole after I went to a baby shower she hosted. I thought about that salad for the next 4 days... mostly because of these nuts! She actually used a dressing recipe from our blog, so it wasn't hard to recreate the deliciousness that Nicole provided. This recipe takes a while to make, but trust me, it is SO worth it!

Sugared Almonds

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Water

3 1/2 Cups Almonds {whole, unsalted}

Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray. Combine water and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar starts to dissolve; add nuts and stir until coated. Continue to stir the nuts until the liquid runs dry and the nuts have started to form a "crust" around them. It will take a long time (30-40 minutes on my gas stove. Goes much faster on electric) to achieve the dry consistency. Preheat oven to 400 degrees while you are waiting for the nuts. When nuts are ready, pour them onto prepared jelly roll pan & bake for 10 minutes. When they have cooled, add them to salads or eat them plain... Delish!

**Also good with Pecans, but I prefer the almonds. I'm an almond gal!

***I like to throw a little cinnamon in sometimes too. Just because I can.

Linda's Pasta Salad

This recipe comes from my friend Suzanne Schmidt's mom, Luanne. It's delicious!

1 grocery store chicken (already cooked), cut or ripped up into small pieces {I just boiled and cubed some chicken}

½ bag (small bag, not Costco sized) craisins

1 large bag spinach leaves

1 box bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled

1+ bottles Briana's poppyseed dressing {I used about 1 1/2 bottles of dressing}

Asiago cheese for top {I used fresh-grated parmesan and Luanne some times uses Gorgonzola}

Pecans {I used praline, or candied, pecans}

Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions and cool. Coat with dressing and put in fridge. Let marinate for a few hours or overnight, if possible. Toss all ingredients together and add more dressing as needed. Serves approximately 12-15.

*We like it cold so you may want to refrigerate it after mixing all the ingredients together, or keep the ingredients in the fridge until you are ready to toss them together.

**Leave chicken out to make it vegetarian.

Broccoli Salad

This recipe comes from my sister-in-law, Alli. We were visiting them down in Indiana a few months ago and she had this as part of our dinner feast. I LOVE broccoli, so I thought this salad was really tasty. I would be careful on the dressing though... You don't want to over do it!

Broccoli Salad

4 Cups Broccoli {approx.}
6 Slices of Bacon, crumbled {I use the precooked, precrumbled bacon}

1/4 Cup Purple Onion, minced
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Dressing:
1 Cup Mayo
2 TBSP Vinegar
1/4 Cup Sugar
{can also add 1 TBSP Sesame Seeds}

Wash and tear broccoli from the stem. Add all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Make dressing by blending all ingredients together. Pour over salad just before serving and toss well. Enjoy!

Sarah's Salad

I got this recipe from Barbara Fredrick--my best friend's grandma and Richard's Mission Mom. We had dinner at their house a while back and I had to have the recipe. Yum!

Makes 8 servings


1 head iceberg lettuce
3 strips bacon
1/2 10 ounce package frozen peas
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese
2/3 C chopped green onion
1/4 C Mayonnaise
1/4 C Salad dressing (Miracle Whip)

Wash and drain lettuce. Dry thououghly. Dice bacon and saute until crisp; drain on paper towels. Run hot water over frozen peas and drain. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces into a salad bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper. Add peas, cheese, onion, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. These ingredients may be layered, if desired with the mayonnaise spread on last. Chill (you can also cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight). Toss when ready to serve and garnish with bacon, if desired.

*Even if you're not a fan of Mayo/Miracle Whip, try this recipe out! Richard loves this salad but doesn't usually like cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, etc.

Bacon Bleu Cheese Potato Salad

Two miracles about to happen. First, I am actually posting. Second, I am sharing a recipe I made up. NEVER HAPPENS! Okay didn't totally make up but tasted somewhere else and replicated it all on my own! I love potato salad anyway but this one was extra good!

Bacon Bleu Cheese Potato Salad

Boil, peel and cut up 15-20 good size red potatoes. (this salad doesn't have the bulk of the hard boiled eggs that many potato salads do so this may sound like a lot of potatoes but it really won't be super big.)

Dressing: I like to do a 1:1 of Mayo and Miracle Whip. For a salad this size I start with 1 cup of each and gradually add to make sure I am not overdoing it. If I need more I usually go with just Miracle Whip because that is my personal preference anyway! I added about 2-3 tbsp of pickle juice (as in liquid from the pickle jar!), a dash of garlic powder, dash of onion powder and a little salt and pepper to the dressing as well.

Add as much as you want of the following:

green onions/chives
bacon (loved the Costco bag of bacon bits)
celery - chopped small
bleu cheese - I did 1 1/2 of the normal size packages you would buy in the grocery store. Then again I REALLY like bleu cheese! Save some to sprinkle on top as well.

I think the flavors blend well if you make it the night before and keep in the fridge until right before serving.

I took this salad to my mom's for David's homecoming and every drop was gone - one of the resons no picture is included! One cousin was asking me for the recipe and when I got to the bleu cheese part he looked surprised because he usually avoids it but didn't mind it this time.

Warm Potato Salad

My aunt made this when we went to Bear Lake for a family reunion over the 4th of July. It reminds me of German Potato Salad. This is such an easy recipe! *Shauna, this would be a great thing to serve with pulled-pork sandwiches or something for interviews.

Ingredients:

Red potatoes

Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Salad Dressing Package (Mix with Milk & Mayo) or a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

Green onions

Optional: Bacon

Estimate how many people you are feeding and buy the amount of potatoes, dressing, onions (and bacon if you are using it) you think you will need. I used about 6 pounds of potatoes, 3 green onions, one bottle of dressing and about 8 pieces of bacon (crumbled on the side) for approx. 20-25 people at a Richard's mission BBQ.

Mix the Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing package with a whisk according to directions (make sure to use the package that requires only 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of mayonnaise, real mayo and not Miracle Whip)--if you are using the package not the bottle. Put the dressing in the fridge to thicken for a few minutes. When dressing thickens, pour over the warm potatoes and mix.

Cut up the green onion and mix in.

Cook bacon. Add bacon pieces if desired, or leave on the side.

Keep in oven on warm until served.

Ditalina Salad

This salad is a Chicago tradition... or so I'm told. At any rate, its pretty good. It makes a huge bowl of salad and is great to take to functions. All of my YW will actually eat this salad, and they are a bunch of picky eaters. I got this from my friend Shirlene, who just kind of made it up after eating at the Chicago chain "Portillo's". I usually eyeball this recipe, but I will give you the measurements she gave me. Enjoy!

Ditalina Salad

2 Heads of Romaine Lettuce, chopped

1 Cup Blue or Gorgonzola Cheese, crumbled

1/2 Cup Soft Bacon Bits/Pieces

1/2 Cup Green Onion, chopped

1 1/2 - 2 Cups Chicken, cooked and shredded/cubed

1/2 - 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes

2 Cups Ditalina Pasta, cooked and drained

Mix all ingredients together and toss.

Dressing:

Combine 8 oz. of Ranch dressing and 8 oz. of Honey Mustard dressing. Stir until mixed. You can coat the salad yourself or let people put on individual portions.

** I usually get one of the pre cooked chickens @ the deli (Costco has the best ones). I like the flavor and it makes it even easier to assemble!

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

This is one of my favorite salad dressings! Its so simple and tasty... I think Greg would have eaten with a spoon if I let him. You can really do any combo for the actual salad, but I would stay away from iceberg lettuce. The salad I did had: Romaine, Spinach, Purple Onion, Craisins, Toffee/Candied Almonds, Pears, Mozzarella Cheese, & Bacon Crumbles. It would also be great with some grilled chicken and made as a meal itself.  I also halved the original recipe and I filled up one cruet with what was made... this one make s a lot! Sorry, no picture this time... I'm sure you can imagine what it looked like! :)

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Dry Mustard

2/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

3 TBSP Vidalia Onion, chopped

2 Cups Canola Oil

3 TBSP Poppy Seeds

Combine all ingredients (except Poppy Seeds) into a blender and blend on high for a few minutes, or until mixture looks fairly smooth. Stir in poppy seeds and pour into container. Refrigerate until ready to use. Delicious!

Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans

For some reason, I just don't love making salads. I feel like a really good salad just takes SOOO long to make. I like to eat salad though, so sometimes I have to bite the bullet and make one. I think most really good salads have some kind of candied nut in them. I seem to try and candy/toast any type of nut if its going in a salad.

So, when I came across this recipe that had a bit of a twist to it, I thought, hey, what the heck. Thus, I candied some more nuts! They was great... but I probably could have eaten the nuts without the salad! :)

In the future, I think I'm just gunna leave the salad making to the Pro's.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans

Nonstick Vegetable Spray

3 TBSP Light Corn Syrup

1 1/2 TBSP Sugar

3/4 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 1/2 Cups Pecan Pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine corn syrup and next 4 ingredients in a bowl. Stir together to blend. Add pecans and stir gently to coat. Transfer to prepared cooking sheet.

Bake pecans for 5 minutes. Using a fork, break up pecan pieces and then continue cooking until pecans are bubbly & golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a sheet of foil on the counter top. Use your fork & quickly separate the pecans that have been stuck together. Cool on foil. Use in your favorite salad, or store for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

***For this particular salad I used:

Granny Smith Apples

Hormel Bacon pieces

Thinly Sliced Purple Onions

Spinach, Baby Greens, Radichio

Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

Craisins

Cranberry, Walnut, Gorgonzola Salad Dressing from Trader Joe's

& I would have used the pomegranate seeds I purchased but them seemed to have disappeared...

Quick and Easy Pasta Salad

2 boxes of Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, or any other kind you like

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 can olives, olives drained and cut in half

3 green onions diced

1-2 jars marinated artichoke hearts (undrained)

1 bottle Italian salad dressing
fresh grated parmesan  or feta cheese, optional

Boil pasta.  When finished drain and put in bowl.  Add vegetables.  Drizzle with salad dressing and toss to coat pasta and veggies.  Serves approximately 15-20 people.

*Alternative option, add diced or shredded chicken!

Strawberry and Feta Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 cup slivered almonds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 head romaine lettuce, torn

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

· In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the almonds, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside. (You can also put butter in the skillet and about 2 Tbsp. of white granulated sugar as you cook the almonds for a sweet addition.)

· In a bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. *I often use only 2/3 C of oil so add smaller portions until desired taste and consistency*

· In a large bowl, toss together the toasted almonds, romaine lettuce, strawberries, and feta cheese. Cover with the dressing mixture, and toss to serve.

Serves 10

Cabbage Crunch Salad

I got this one from a friend last month and have already made it a few times. Its really yummy!

Cabbage Crunch Salad:

1 Head of Cabbage, Sliced thinly (You can also use a bag of coleslaw mix. Much easier)

2 Green Onions, Sliced

1 Cup Slivered Almonds

1 Cup Chicken, cooked and chopped or shredded

4 TBSP Sesame Seeds

2 pks ramen Noodles, broken

Mix all ingredients together in bowl and refrigerate.

About 30 minutes before serving, add the following dressing and toss.

Dressing:

4 TBSP Sugar

1/2 Cup Oil

6 TBSP Vinegar

2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

1 pkg Ramen Seasoning (from the noodles you used. Oriental Flavor is the best!)

**I also like to toast the Sesame Seeds and use a little bit more Green Onion. You can use canned chicken, but I find that one chicken breast is usually sufficient. I think next time I will try the Rice Wine Vinegar instead of normal...