Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
• 1 cup Italian dressing
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 packet ranch seasoning mix

Instructions

• Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a crockpot – they do not need to be in a single layer.
• Pour the Italian dressing over the chicken.
• Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, and ranch dressing evenly over the chicken and dressing.
• Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
• Shred the chicken with two forks and stir everything together to distribute the seasonings evenly.
• Serve chicken in burritos, salad bowls, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, etc.
   
  Recipe and Image from The Girl Inspired!! 

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Ingredients 

• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
•  2 Teaspoons Paprika
• 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon salt 
• 1 Teaspoon pepper 
• 1/2 Teaspoon cumin
• 3 Pound boneless Pork Roast, Cut into 3-4 inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 Cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Cups barbecue sauce, divided
• 1 1/4 Cup Chicken or Beef Broth
• 
  

Instructions 

• In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne.
• Season the cubed pork with the spice mixture and set aside.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the apple cider vinegar, one cup of the barbecue sauce, the hot pepper sauce if using, and one cup of the broth.
• Turn your instant pot to the saute setting. Add the olive oil and allow it to get hot.
• Add half of the cubed pork to the hot oil and saute for 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the browned pork to a plate and repeat with the remaining half of the cubed pork.
• Turn the instant pot off.  Use the remaining 1/4 cup of beef broth and a wooden spoon to deglaze (scrape the brown bits) from the bottom of the pot.
• Add all of the meat along with the barbecue sauce mixture to the instant pot.
• Close the lid and set to sealing.
• Cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
• Remove the meat from the instant pot and shred.  Stir in the remaining cup of bbq sauce and serve on buns as desired. Recipe and image from The Salty Marshmallow 

Pickled Onion

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion sliced very thin, see note 1
• 2 garlic cloves sliced
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar see note 2
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Pack the sliced onion into a mason jar with the sliced garlic.
  1 medium red onion, 2 garlic cloves
• Whisk together the hot water, vinegar, salt and sugar until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
  1/2 cup hot water, 3/4 cup white vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
• Cover the onions in the water and vinegar mixture. Cover the jar and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Enjoy or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Notes

1. The red onions in this recipe can be replaced with white onions but of course this will change the flavor as they are less sweet than red onions.
2. The sugar in this recipe is to help balance the acidity of the vinegar. While you can cut it back or eliminate it completely, I would not recommend it.

Image and recipe from Simple Joy 

 

Blueberry dessert - Bev Hodgkinson

 

 

 

  

 

 

Crust 

 2 Cups of graham cracker crumbs

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar 

3/4 Stick margarine (SHOULD USE BUTTER!!!)

Mix and press into 9 x 13 pan and bake at 300 for 5-10 minutes

 

Filling 

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 Cup lemon juice

Blend on low speed until mixed, blend on high speed for three minutes. 

 

Spread on top of cooled graham cracker crust.  Spoon on blueberry pie mix.  Whip 1/2 pint whipped cream.  Spoon on 1 hour before serving. 

Blueberry Cheesecake - from the recipe box of Beverly Hodgkinson

Crust 

16 Graham Crackers

2/3 Cup butter melted

Crush crackers fine and add melted butter.  Press into bottom of 9" pie plate

Filling

12 ounces cream cheese

2 eggs

1/2 Cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Put ingredients in mixing bowl and beat until fluffy. Pour into crust.  Bake in 350 degree in oven for 20 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Topping - I think in later years Bev used Blueberry Pie Filling.

1 Can blueberries

1/2 Cup sugar

1 1/2 TBS cornstarch

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Drain juice and thicken with cornstarch.  Add sugar and blueberries.  Pour over pie.  Chill 6 hours or overnight but set out in room temperature before serving.   

Lightened Up Cheeseburger Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced onion
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 4 cups peeled and diced Yukon gold or russet potatoes
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
• Chopped green onions or chives, sour cream, shredded cheese, for serving

Instructions 

• In a 6-quart pot set over medium heat, add the ground beef, carrots, celery, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink. Off the heat, drain excess grease.
• Return the pot to medium heat and add the potatoes, broth, parsley, and mustard powder. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
• To a blender, add the milk and flour and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the soup and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the soup has thickened.
• Off the heat, add the cheese a handful at a time and stir until melted.
• Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed (important!).
• Serve with chopped green onions or chives, sour cream and additional shredded cheese, if desired. The soup will thicken considerably as it cools. Image and recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

Chocolate Mousse

 4 oz Bittersweet chocolate

2/3 Cup sugar

2 eggs room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

5 TBS butter softened

1 Cup heavy cream

1.  Melt the chocolate until smooth.  

2.  In a small saucepan whisk together the sugar and eggs.  Cook over med-low heat whisking constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees and has thickened slightly, 4-6 minutes.  Test thickness by dipping a spoon in the mixture. It is ready when you can draw a finger across the back of the spoon and the line holds.

3.  Remove mixture from heat and whisk in the melted chocolate and vanilla.  Let cool until just warm so it won't melt the butter in the next step.

 4.  Beat the butter on med-high until lightly and fluffy 2-3 minutes in another bowl. 

5.  Add cooled chocolate mixture gradually on low speed, then increase to high speed and beat for 5 minutes.  Mixture should be light and fluffy.  

6.  Whip the cream in another bowl on med-high until slightly thickened then turn to high and beat until stiff peaks form.

7.  Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until no streaks remain.  Do this with a rubber spatula very gently - if you stir morally you will beat all of the air out of the cream.