Cafe Rio - Chicken Breast Salad

image from www.caferio.com

I love salad. I'd eat it every single day if it wouldn't result in protest from the family.  Today, I had the grilled chicken salad from Cafe Rio. 

One word:  Delicious!

It comes in a big flour tortilla "bowl" and has black beans or pinto beans, (I hold the rice), shredded grilled chicken, pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro, lettuce, tortilla strips and cotija cheese, with creamy tomatillo dressing (or you can choose cilantro lime vinaigrette). 

The sensation of flavor in my mouth is nothing short of symphonic.  My only complaint is that the ingredients are layered, meaning the beans are on the bottom, then the chicken, then pico, then huge leafs of lettuce and then a sprinkle of cheese and tortilla chips.  The guacamole is dropped in two balls on either side. 

I always run out of lettuce before I get to the bottom, which does NOT stop me from eating the whole thing it's just that halfway through it becomes (lettuce)less salad and more of a glob of beans, pico, chicken and dressing. 

Overall, I don't care because it's delicious.

The above product was purchased by me for my personal use.  I am not being monetarily paid for this review.  I will give my honest opinion and thoughts regarding said product.

 

 

Originally posted 8/18/14 2:47 PM

Sticky Gooey Delicious Chex Mix

I had this at my cousin's house on Halloween and I've been craving it ever since. It takes less than 15 minutes to make.

photo via google images

1 cup butter
1 cup karo syrup
1 cup sugar
6 cup rice chex
6 cup corn chex
1 cup slivered almonds (or any nut you enjoy really)

Stir butter, light karo syrup, and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil for about minutes.  Pour over the mix, stirring well.   Spread mixture on Wax or Parchment paper and let sit for about an hour. 


I'm going to mix it up a little and try it with different nuts as well (like pecans, cashews, maybe macadamia.  I think walnuts would be too strong). And maybe brown sugar instead of white.  14 wants me to add pretzels to the mix.  17 wants me to use Honey Graham cereal also.

Let me know what you try! 

Keep in a dry, airtight container.  I don't know how long it keeps, we ate a whole bowl in one day!

My Favorite Pasta Salad

I cannot believe I have never posted this recipe here. It is the easiest recipe in the world and there are never any leftovers when I make it.


Ingredients:

1 pkg Garden Rotini (or the plain rotini works also)
1 pkg Hormel Pepperoni minis (you can use regular or turkey pepperoni too)
1 pkg Mozzarella Cheese (diced)
1 bottle Bernsteins Cheese Fantastico OR Bernstein's Cheese and Garlic Italian (both are delicious!)

Boil the noodles. Drain and set aside to cool.

Dice the pepperoni (or pour the bag of minis right into the bowl) and dice the cheese. When the noodles are cool, add the meat and cheese and mix well.


I use about 3/4 of the bottle of dressing. Stir it all up, cover and refrigerate 1 hour. When you're ready to serve, pour the remaining dressing on and stir once more.

Good eats!

Variations:  I've added chopped olives, onions, bell peppers and pepperoncinis and my family hated it each time. So, feel free to tweak and add and make this recipe your own.

To die for Bruschetta

1 small baguette
1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp crushed garlic)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 lb soft Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 Tbs fresh chopped basil
1 Tbs Balsamic vinegar (reduction if you like - me likey)
<--- not my photo.  My photo has  thicker cheese and clearly seen vinegar.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice baguette about 1/4 inch thick and arrange on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In small bowl or custard dish, mix the olive oil and garlic. Spread evenly on each slice of bread. Bake at 400 until slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

While bread is baking, slice your mozzarella cheese about 1/4 inch thick. I use Precious soft mozzarella. Slice your grape tomatoes in half. Set aside. Chop your basil and set that aside.

Remove bread from oven and place a slice of cheese, a sprinkle of grape tomatoes and a toss of chopped basil on top.

Sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar (or reduction) and serve while bread is warm.

Balsamic Reduction:

Place two cups balsamic vinegar in a small frying pan or wok if you have one (you could use a small sauce pan too but shallow pans work better for me). Heat on high to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir until about 3/4 of the vinegar is gone. The reduction is complete when it reaches the consistency of a syrup. Drizzle reduction across tops of bread.

NOTE: reduction is much stronger in flavor than simple balsamic vinegar. It can be overpowering so use sparingly unless you really have a taste for it.

Corn/Bean Salad a/k/a Cowboy Caviar

I found this recipe at www.delish.com. The link is here. I call this corn/bean salad, they call it cowboy caviar. Regardless of what you call it, it is really good. I add a quarter cup of chopped celery and a quarter cup of chopped bell pepper also.

• 15 1/2 ounce(s) (can) pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 11 ounce(s) (can) corn kernels, drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1 large (or 2 small) avocado , diced
• 1 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup(s) prepared salsa
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Gently toss to combine. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over greens as a salad, or with chips for dipping.

Best Hot Wing Recipe EVAH!

I got this recipe from my brother in law. He said it's the best hot wing recipe he's ever had. Trust me, this man knows wings! He also watches the Food Network faithfully, so in all probability, the recipe came from there.

Note: the recipe calls for sriracha sauce. Apparently, this is a Vietnamese hot chili sauce you can buy at most supermarkets in the Asian food aisle. It is in a plastic bottle with white writing and a roaster on the front of the bottle.

5lbs. Wing sections
4 Tbs salt
4 Tbs sriracha sauce or more
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs butter (melted)
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbs lime juice
4 cups canola oil or peanut oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Put chicken in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt, toss to coat. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet arrange them in a single layer. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 12 hrs.

Remove chicken from refrigerator pat dry with paper towels, brushing away any salt. Let chicken sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 min.

In a small bowl whisk together sriracha sauce, honey, butter, soy sauce, cilantro and lime juice. Taste to check heat level. If too hot add more honey.

Heat oil in a large dutch oven or deep fryer until oil is 275 degrees.

Divide chicken into four batches. Fry one batch at a time for 8 min. As each batch is done transfer to a clean baking sheet.

Once all chicken is done, increase the oil temperature to 375 degrees. Again working in batches, fry the chicken for 2 minutes, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Season each batch with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, then pour the sauce over the chicken. Toss to thoroughly coat all the chicken wings.

Cinnamon Glazed Pecans

1 stick butter (real butter, not margarine)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 pound pecan halves

Stove directions: Melt butter in heavy, deep frying pan (cast iron is best). Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and cook to bubbly for five minutes. Add pecans and vanilla, mix well andcook 8 minutes. Cool on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and store in an air tight container.

Microwave directions: Melt butter in casserole dish. Add brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add pecans and vanilla – Mix well and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Cool on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and store in an air tight container.

Parmesean Crisps

I made these the other night and damn near died from the buttery goodness that was swarming around my tongue.  

Heat oven to 350°

Take an 8 oz block of Parmesean cheese and finely grate it.  

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. (DO NOT use waxed paper it is NOT the same)

Place one ounce of the cheese (about two tablespoons) on the parchment paper (there will be room to fit all eight in two rows.  Using a regular metal spoon from the drawer, lightly and evenly spread the cheese to form a small circle that is about 1/8 inch thick.  

Place in the oven and melt until the cheese is golden brown.  Do not over cook.  In my oven it takes about 6 minutes.

Remove from parchment paper and cool on a wire rack.  Serve with any italian dish.  I served mine with potato cheese soup and it was delicious!  I have also decided these are better than croutons with a salad. 

Summer Smoothies

Yield: 2 servings

Tropical:
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
1 ripe banana
2 cups vanilla yogurt*
1/4 cup coconut
4–6 ice cubes

Strawberry/Banana:
1 ripe banana
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
2 cups vanilla yogurt*
4–6 ice cubes

Many Berry:
1/2 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blackberries
2 cups vanilla yogurt*
4–6 ice cubes


Blend all ingredients together in a blender until thick and smooth.

* You can substitute Vanilla flavored soy milk in place of yogurt.