Cafe Rio taste-alike Recipes

Shredded Pork

• 3-4 pounds pork loin
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 bottle red taco sauce
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 can Coke

- Cook pork on low in crock pot with water covering 1/2 of pork for 6 hours or until able to shred.

- 3 hours before serving, drain liquid off pork and add coke, taco sauce, brown sugar and cumin.

- Continue to cook for approximately 3 more hours.

Rice

• white rice
• chicken broth
• chopped cilantro
• chopped white onions
• lime juice

- You get to experiment on the portion sizes. Cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water with cilantro, onions, and lime juice.

Tomatillo Dressing

• 2/3 cup mayo
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 T. lime juice
• 1 T. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 package dry ranch dressing
• 3 tomatillos

- mix all ingredients in a blender and serve over salad.

Salsa

• 6 tomatoes diced
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 onion chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 T. lime juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 mango diced (can use peaches)

(thanks to my friend Kelli for these great recipes)

Shrimp Tikka Masala with Coconut RIce

This recipe can also be made with one pound of cubed chicken, goes really well with the coconut rice.

Prep time: 10 mins.
Total time: 35 mins.
Serves 4


2 tablespoons. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons. grated fresh ginger (I just used a couple of sprinkles of the dried version)
1 tablespoon. finely minced garlic
2 tsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup water (if you are using shrimp)
20 large shrimp (about 1 pound) peeled and deveined
1/4 cup plain yogurt
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until golden, about 20 mins. Add ginger, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, and chili powder, and cook until fragrant, about 3 mins.

Add water and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 4 mins. Remove from heat. Stir in yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.

I usually make this recipe with chicken since I have it on hand more often, I like to sprinkle chopped green onions on top and it is really good with the coconut rice. Bonus: kids really like the rice!


Toasted Coconut Rice

1 tablespoon. olive oil
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup basamati rice
2 cups water 3/4 tsp. coarse salt
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook coconut, stirring, until golden brown, about 6 mins.
Set aside 2 Tbs. coconut. Stir rice into pan with remaining coconut. Add water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 mins.
Garnish with reserved coconut and scallions (optional).