15 April 2008

. . . a service project . . .

because i'm such a giving person, here are two delicious recipes. okay . . . really i just found them on the internet, but i did y'all a favor & tweaked them just a little & now they're very close to the real thing {if i do say so myself, or you can ask my family - whatever}
cafe rio{ish} creamy tomatillo dressing
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise (use real mayo or die!)
1 package buttermilk ranch dressing mix
1/2 bunch cilantro
1-2 cloves garlic (or about 1 teaspoon pre-minced)
juice of one lime
3 jalapenos
4 tomatillos
peel the husk from the tomatillos. {when shopping for these, get some good sized ones, which you'll have a hard time finding at bashas', trust me. go somewhere like food city!} wash & quarter the tomatillos. cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise. {if you can't handle a little heat, go ahead & take out the seeds & veins which is where the spice comes from. i left everything in. yum.} spray a baking sheeet with non-stick cooking spray. place tomatillos & jalapenos on it & bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until veggies are soft & slightly charred. set aside to cool. in a blender, mix buttermilk, mayonnaise, dressing mix, cilantro, garlic, & lime juice. remove most of the seeds & juice from the roasted tomatillo quarters, but add the flesh & skin, along with the jalapenos to the blender & puree. Chill for an hour. {the dressing . . . not you!} tip: if you don't squeeze most of the liquid from the tomatillos, your dressing will be too runny & too many of the crunchy seeds will ruin the texture. a few are fine, but you don't want them all.
cafe rio{ish} rice
4 cups water
2 cups rice (not instant)
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 onion
1 can green chilis (or equivalent of fresh)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
juice of two limes
finely mince the cilantro, onion & green chilis. bring water to a boil & add all ingredients. simmer covered for 30 minutes. tip: i used my rice cooker. it rocks.
dear cafe rio{ish} people . . . please don't sue me


16 comments:

The Fletchies said...

amanda and emily made our fam a cafe rio meal a couple of Sundays ago. it was amazing. they have the recipe for the pork there if you'd like. amanda should have a copy.

chris+amber said...

Testimonial from Amber: it's TRUE! I felt as if I were dining at Cafe Rio, except in the comforts of my mom's home. Delish, I must say! Thanks for sharing!

Elisha said...

Yummy! Thanks for being so generous and sharing your wonderful findings! (My problem...even with the recipe... not screwing it up)

Peg and Parker said...

Ooh how I love recipe detectives! Yay for you and now for me! Don't think I won't try both and respond. You rock. Thanks for sharing.

Rach said...

I am so excited to try these- especially being here in TX, I really go through withdrawal from Cafe Rio. Thanks!

the cummard family said...

thank you! thank you! thank you! I only wish i would have blog hopped one day sooner....we could have used both recipies last night for parker's mexican fiesta (b-day bash).

the cummard family said...

why can't i copy and past this-ugh!

the cummard family said...

ok-i just finished typing it up....so when you use your rice cooker, do you just put all the ingeredients in or do you wait till the water is hot, and it starts to steam? I'm so going to the store, and making BOTH tonight....to have with all the left-overs from the par-tay!

•stephanie• said...

about using the rice cooker . . . i just put all the ingredients in, then turned that puppy on. you will, of course, have to mix it all together when it's finished cooking. the veggies tend to float to the top. good luck.

angiedunn said...

i'm salivating.

thank you for this service project...hookin' a sister up is much appreciated.

Sassy said...

YUMMMMMMMMMMMM! Thanks for sharing this, can't wait to try it. How are you doin' Steph, how is Elder Romney?

MichelleY said...

Steph - one more service project please....learn how to make the chicken tostada salad, and send the recipe my way...if you want to :)

amanda p. said...

love it! I couldn't stop eating when we made it and I KNOW this recipe will be even better. Chubby thighs here I come! Love it!

Tiffany said...

Thanks so much for the delish recipe. When I get brave and want to try to really cook (gasp) I'll give it a shot. I just checked out Drew's awesome blog you've worked so hard on. Just have to share that I'm completely bawling over here! I'm so proud of him for sacrificing 2 years of being around such and incredible and loving family! Are you so excited that tomorrow is Friday?? Can't wait to read his latest correspondence update. This whole Mom thing is so hard!Thanks for being such an amazing example for those of us just getting started!

Melis said...

Mmmmm!!!! Since we are not so lucky as to have a Cafe Rio in Tay-has, you have no idea how grateful I am that you shared this!!!! Thanks tons!

Lori Taylor said...

I made the rice and it was yummy! Thanks for the recipe.