My Cafe Rio substitute!

If you live in Utah, or the surrounding states, then you've definitely indulged in Cafe Rio! Most of us here in Utah love our Cafe Rio. Well this recipe is my version of Cafe Rio. A while back I decided that I better come up with something comparable to make at home, or Cafe Rio would soon bankrupt me. Of course I love Bajio too...I'm still trying to crack the recipe for their chicken and sweet green chili. If anyone has something close...please share!

(I took this picture before I rolled it up into a burrito. I wanted you to see all the inside goodness.)

SHREDDED CHICKEN BLACK BEAN BURRITOS
(Mindi Original)

For the Chicken:
1 packet Italian dressing mix; prepared according to package instructions
¼ C. lime juice
1 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (frozen or fresh)

For the Beans:
2 cans black beans in juices
1 can diced cilantro and lime tomatoes

For the rice:
4-6 green onions diced
¼ C. cilantro, chopped
2 T. lime juice
salt
1 ½ C. raw white rice
2 C. water

8-10 tortillas
cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
guacamole (optional)
olives (optional)

1. Add to the prepared Italian dressing, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.
2. Place the chicken in a crock pot. Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and cook on low 3-4 hours or until chicken is done.
3. Remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred.
4. Place the shredded chicken back in the crock pot with the juice and allow to cook for an additional 30-60 minutes.
5. About an hour before the chicken will be done, mix together the beans and tomatoes in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and allow to simmer for about 45-60 minutes.
6. In a separate sauce pan mix the water, onions, lime juice, cilantro and salt. Bring to a boil.
7. Add the rice and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff.
8. Assemble the burritos by putting rice, beans, chicken, cheese, sour cream, olives and guacamole into each tortilla. Wrap and enjoy.

MINDI'S FIVE BEAN CHILI

There's nothing that says "fall" to me like Chili! At our house we have a tradition of eating Chili every Halloween night. I usually cook it in the crock pot, It's easy with little mess and allows me to relax and have fun without worrying about dinner and clean-up. Not to mention, I love chili. It's hearty, comforting and it feels like a kick off to the fall season.

MINDI'S FIVE BEAN CHILI
(Mindi Original)

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 stocks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic minced
salt & pepper
2-3 T. chili powder (to desired taste)
1 t. celery salt
3 t. cumin
2 bay leaves
1 can black beans, drained but not rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained but not rinsed
1 can chili beans, include juice
1 can white navy beans, drained but not rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained but not rinsed
3 cans diced tomatoes (I use the western family brand green chili & cilantro)
1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 C. beef or chicken stock
3 T. lime juice
1 T. sugar

1. Sauté' the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery in a large stock pot until vegetables are translucent.
2. Add beef to the pan and cook until meat is completely done adding the salt & pepper, chili powder, celery salt, cumin, and bay leaves.
3. Add the can beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, lime juice & sugar. Bring to a boil.
4. Taste and adjust spice as necessary.
5. Simmer for at least an hour, allowing the flavors to emulsify. (You can allow simmering for 3-4 hours.)


If Using a Crock-Pot

Pour beef and vegetable mixture, after step 2, into large crock-pot. Add all other ingredients and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

I just may be converted...

from traditional Southern BBQ to this extraordinary Eastern version. Eastern, as in Eastern Asia. Although I never tasted anything even close to this good in China! Of course what I ate in China is a whole other conversation. Anyway, that's why I love food fusion. East meets West in the best way possible with this recipe.

I have to warn you, this recipe makes a lot of food. I cut the recipe in half for my family and we still had left over.


ASIAN BBQ PORK
(Recipe adapted from Cuisine at Home)

1 jar hoisin sauce (8 oz.)
½ C. honey
½ C. chicken broth
¼ C. chili garlic sauce
¼ C. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. toasted sesame oil
2 T. garlic, minced
2 T. fresh ginger, minced

2 T. veg. oil
8 Country style spare ribs or pork chops

1. Combine first 9 ingredients for the BBQ sauce; mix well.
2. Heat the veg. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Season ribs or chops with salt and pepper.
4. Sauté the meat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
5. Add half the BBQ sauce and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
7. Flip ribs, cover and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Add the rest of the BBQ sauce and continue to cook uncovered for another 15 minutes.
9. Serve over rice.
10. Serves 8 people.

*This recipe could easily be adapted to a crock pot. Follow steps 1 – 4. At this point remove pork from the skillet and put it into a crock pot. Pour the sauce over the top and cook on low for 4-6 hours. The meat will be fall-apart tender. Serve over rice.

Is there something easier than the crock pot??

For some reason I was extra exhausted this Sunday after church. I tell you...aside from the Bishopric, I think Nursery Leader is the most exhausting Sunday calling. Even crock pot recipes seem to be to much work for me these days. I'm trying to figure out a way to cook a good meal where the dishes will do themselves, and I can come home and absolutely do nothing but lay on the couch! The closest idea I've come up with is tin-foil dinners. I may be doing some experimenting in the near future.

In the mean time...this crock pot recipe is something I came up with last Sunday. It's a combination of a couple baked oven recipes I had. It turned out pretty well.


CROCK POT PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
(Mindi Original)

1 ¼ C. white sugar
4 T. soy sauce
½ C. pineapple juice
½ C. ketchup
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. prepared mustard
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 or 3 large Costco breasts)
1 16 oz. can pineapple tidbits or crushed, drained (use drained juice for above)
1 C. sticky or whole grain rice, uncooked

1. In a sauce pan, over medium-high heat, combine sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, and mustard. Bring to a boil and cook until ingredients are well combined, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Place chicken in the crock pot and pour the sauce over top.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours
4. One hour before the chicken is done, add pineapple and rice.

*If using minute rice, add the pineapple at 1 hour but add the rice just 10 minutes before serving.

Crock Pot Goodness

My quest for great Sunday crock pot recipes is coming along pretty well. This recipe I found some time ago, in a really old cook book that was passed down to me by my grandmother. We've made it a few times and it seems to be a hit. I recently found another recipe that's very similar but included beans. I thought next time, it might be fun to use less chicken and couple cans of bean. Beans are a great way to keep the protein level, but add fiber and save money.


SPICY CROCK POT CHICKEN

4-6 chicken breasts
1 can of diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 & 1/2 C. shredded cheese
1 onion; diced
1 envelope of taco seasoning mix

1. Place everything in a crock pot.
2. Cook on High for 6 hours or until chicken is done.
3. When the chicken is done, take a fork and break up or shred the chicken.
4. Serve over rice.

Serves 6-8 adults

For proof that opposites attract...

you don't have to look any farther than me and my husbands food palate. I like salty and spicy, he likes sweet and mild. It's my biggest culinary challenge; to find things that we both love.

I failed with this dish!

He loved it. I wasn't a huge fan. The dish turned out a little too sweet for me. I would have preferred it more spicy. Regardless, it's always nice to make my husband happy! He ate the left overs for several days and told me what a great cook I am, every time. That's never a bad thing to hear.I

If I were to make this again, and my husband wasn't around :) ...I would leave out the sugar and possibly bump up the chili powder a bit. But if you tend to have a sweeter palate, by all means proceed as normal.

FYI Lisa
This dish would also make a great vegitarian dish. I would add more beans, perhaps some black or kidney and leave out the beef.

CROCK POT GOULASH
(Mindi Original)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium sized onion, diced
1 clove grlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans
1 can (16 oz.) garbanzo beans
½ C. green bell pepper, diced
1 C. celery, diced
1 C. canned, fresh, or frozen corn
1 tsp. salt
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. paprika
1 T. sugar
1 bay leaf
¼ t. black pepper
1 t. dry mustard
½ C. water

1. In a medium skilled brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic.
2. Combine the meat mixture with all other ingredients in a slow cooker.
3. cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours
4. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes, or just eat it alone like a chili.

Crock Pot Sundays

My Sunday's are anything but restful! My almost 10 month old and my new calling as nursery leader keep me running and leave me completely exhausted by the time I get home at 4:30 p.m. Dinner is the last thing I have time to worry about anymore. But I still want a good Sunday meal. So from now on Sunday's have become "Crock Pot Sundays"!

I don't have a lot of crock pot recipes, but I'm on a mission to research and/or create a collection of crock pot recipes that will satisfy my Sunday dinner appetite.

Today was my first...Teriyaki Pork Roast. Pretty simple, nothing to inventive or exciting, but it worked for this week. Be prepared for more Sunday crock pot recipes to come.


TERIYAKI PORK ROAST

2 C. apple juice
1/3 C. sugar
1/3 C. soy sauce
2 T. vinegar
2 t. ground ginger
½ t. garlic powder
¼ t. pepper
1 lean boneless pork rolled loin roast (about 4-5 lbs)
½ C. water
3 T. cornstarch

1. In a slow cooker, mix apple juice, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic powder and pepper. Add roast, turning to coat. Turn fat-side up.
2. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is very tender.
3. Transfer meat to a warm platter. Cover and keep warm.
4. Strain cooking liquid and place in a saucepan. Skim off the fat if desired. Over medium heat, bring to a boil.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make slurry by mixing the water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into boiling liquid. Continue stirring until liquid thickens.
6. Serve roast with rice and sauce.