Cafe Rio Salads

I mentioned I was making this for dinner tonight and had several requests for the recipe, so I figured it would be easiest to post it all here (even though it's not my day to post, but it's okay because I missed my day this time anyway).

For those of you who are new here, this is just a blog I put together to learn new recipes and exchange recipes between friends. I've decided that I love to cook lately, and I'm always looking for new recipes to change things up! I would love to have you post your recipes! So, if you're interested, just send me your e-mail address and I'll send you an invite to be a publisher or whatever on this blog.

For those of you who aren't new here, I am going to take the posting schedule away (life is busy, I know, and it's not really working out anyway). So please still post! But post to your heart's desire as much as you want!

On to the deliciousness. I don't remember where exactly I got this recipe. I'm thinking it was out of a ward cookbook or something. So glad I finally tried it. It was so yummy. I'm so full right now and yet already looking forward to my leftovers for lunch tomorrow...or maybe a midnight snack? Say no to the tempation Amanda!

Cafe Rio Shredded Pork

- 4 lbs. pork roast - bone in (I think I actually just used some pork tenderloin I had in my freezer)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 sliced onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken stock (I used broth - anyone know the difference between the two?)
- 1 can of Coke - not diet

Trim the fat off the roast. Rub the brown sugar, red pepper, salt,cumin, and paprika over the roast covering it completely. Place in the crock pot. Add the garlic, onion, chicken stock, and Coke. Cook on low for 5 hours.

- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika

Take the pork out of the crock pot and shred. While the meat is out, add the brown sugar and paprika to the crock pot and let it dissolve. Return the meat to the crock pot and continue to cook another 3 hours on low

(I apparently don't like to follow directions. I just left the pork in the crock pot, added the brown sugar and paprika to the juices around the meat and stirred them in and let them dissolve while I was shredding the pork with 2 forks while still in the crock pot and then just stirred it all together. It's so much easier that way - for me anyway, and less messy).

Also, the original recipe says to cook on low for 8 hours in the first step, then shred and add the brown sugar and paprika and cook for an additional 8 hours on low. That seemed absurd to me so I just did 8 hours total (5 then shred then another 3). It worked perfectly, but I'm sure if you wanted to let it cook for that addional 8 hours it would make the meat that much more tender and flavorful.

I served the meat with tortillas (the uncooked kind is the best), black beans, cilantro lime rice (recipe below), romaine, and cilantro lime dressing (recipe source below). You can use any other toppings you like.

Cilantro Lime Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Cook rice according to package directions using broth instead of water. When done, fluff with a fork and add the remaining ingredients.

*Again, I don't like to follow directions I guess. I used minute rice so instead of 1 cup, I used 2 cups of rice with the 2 cups of broth and it worked well.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

I got this recipe here. It is one of my favorite recipe websites!

Check out their spa week stuff. Natural facials, hair treatments, and a brown sugar body scrub. All on my list for the next time I need a ME day. Who's in for a girl's spa night?! Not to mention all of their Christmas goodies - YUM. So many recipes - way too many calories. Is it worth it? I think yes!