Cafe Rio Salads

On Saturday we decided to just stay home and watch the Olympics so I decided we needed some yummy food to eat while we watched. This is what I made Cafe Rio Salads. I found these recipes on the internet for free. Not exactly like the really thing but still very, very yummy. We made them up on the tortillas that you buy in the store but cook at home and then the next day we made burritos out of the same filling. I am not a good left overs person but I ate this three days in a row. It makes a ton so you might want to invite people over to eat it with you.

Café Rio Dressing
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green
tobasco for the jalapeno.)
Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic—minced
5 lbs chicken breast
Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Café Rio Rice
(Edit - Jan. 2008 - Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader who noticed that the proportions for this rice recipe are not right for regular rice. When I called my sister, I found out that the original recipe called for Minute Rice (instant rice). I didn't know that when I posted the recipe, but it explains why it uses 3 cups water to 3 cups rice. I'm not sure why the cooking time said 30 minutes, which doesn't seem right for Minute Rice? I would recommend using regular rice, about 2 cups rice to 4 cups water. If anyone has tried making this rice and adapted the recipe to work, let us know in the comments.)
3 c water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic –minced
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles—or equivalent fresh
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
3 c rice (see note)
Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.

I followed the recommendation of 4 cups water to 2 cups rice it worked great but once again it made a ton.