Cafe Rio Style Sweet Pork Salad

I took this from favfamilyrecipes.com if you haven't checked out this site, DO IT!
I made the pork, rice, beans and dressing then I used the delicious cook em yourself tortillas and romaine lettuce and built my salad and I top it with feta cheese and squeezed limes. No picture for this, they were looking blurry and barfy and the salad was too delicious to insult it with my picture...

SWEET PORK:
2 pounds pork (we like to use boneless pork ribs)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 (1ooz) can red enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!


CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Cheesecake

Cheesecakes scare me a little bit but this recipe turned out great even if it was overdone or underdone.
Plain Cheesecake with Fresh Berries.
Crust:
2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Stick Melted Butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Mix ingredients and press into a 9 inch springform pan. Bake on 350 for 8 minutes

Filling:
4 Blocks Cream Cheese
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 Tbsp Flour
5 Large Eggs

Cream together cream cheese, sugar, lemon and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Add flour and eggs and beat until blended, be sure to scrape down the sides and along the bottom. Pour filling into crust and put in oven on the middle rack. On the bottom rack place a sheet pan and a dish of water. Close oven and drop temperature to 325. Bake for 60-70 minutes. It is done when edges are puffed up, cracking and slightly brown. The middle will be jiggly, but not dangerously jiggly. (The recipe said the middle will be just set, but it should still jiggle a little more than jello). Remove from oven and cool for one hour, transfer to refridgerator and chill for 8 hours. Top with fresh berries and enjoy!!

Philly Cheese Steaks

Im am not a food stylist or a photographer!

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
Steak- I used the top sirloin tip that is already sliced thin. I seasoned it with salt and pepper
Green and colored peppers- sliced
Sweet onion- sliced
Mozzarella cheese- traditionally Phillies have provolone but I like to use shredded mozzarella
Sandwich rolls
Sauté the steak until it's cooked, set aside and sauté the onions and peppers until they are soft. Add steak and a handful of mozzarella and mix until it's gooey and juicy. Toast bread under broiler, add steak mixture to bread and top with more cheese for the healthiest gooiest sandwich experience, broil till melted.

Caprese Salad
Mozzarella- fresh and sliced
Basil vinaigrette- I use the Wish Bone Romano Basil Vinaigrette
Sliced tomatoes
Marinate the mozzarella and tomatoes in the dressing, layer and top with fresh basil if it hasn't withered to a crisp in your garden. Also a few drips of balsamic vinegar is a nice touch too.

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potato peeled and sliced in rounds, drizzled with oil and salted. Bake at 400 for about fifteen minutes, if they aren't getting brown spots turn the broiler on until they bubble a little and get toasty spots.

Gillespie Family Tacos

1 lb ground beef
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 can of refried beans
1 packet of taco seasoning
tortillas
cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocados, hot sauce, etc.

Brown the hamburger, drain off the fat, add the tomato sauce, beans and spices.  Simmer for a bit.  Serve like you normally serve tacos!

I like this recipe because it uses beans and meat in the same dish.  You could also chop up an onion and green bell pepper and toss it in with the meat while it is cooking.  You know, if you like vegetables.

Apricot Chicken

4-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (defrosted)

1 (8 oz.) bottle Russian salad dressing

1 cup apricot jam

1 package dry onion soup mix

Place chicken in greased 9 X 13 pan (or smaller if using less chicken breasts). Combine the dressing, jam, and soup mix and pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Serve over rice.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

3-4 Chicken Breasts

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto (recipe calls for a 1/4 cup - I buy a 7oz container  and divide it)

Baby Spinach

Crumbled Feta Cheese (8oz container)

Olive Oil  or Regular Cooking Spray

1Can Diced Tomatoes with Olive Oil, Basil, and Oregano

¼ tsp Cracked Black Pepper

¼ tsp Kosher Salt

1.      Preheat oven to 500’, Coat baking dish with cooking spray.

2.    Trim and pound Chicken Breast with a meat mallet to flatten it.  Place it in a baking dish.

3.    Spread Pesto evenly down the length of the chicken breast. Top with Feta and Spinach (be generous with your filling!).

4.    Fold over Chicken Breast and secure with two toothpicks. Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper, and top it with the diced tomatoes.

5.     Bake for about 25 minutes (or reduce the temp and cook until done)

Enjoy!