Instant Pot Cafe Rio style chicken

Pin It
I love Cafe Rio.  There is one just about 1 mile from my house, which is awesome.  But I also like cooking at home and having leftovers.  And I love my Instant Pot.  There are lots of recipes out and about for Cafe Rio.  I make no claims to this being exactly like theirs-but its close enough for me for a substitute for when I don't want to stand in line or circle the parking lot looking for a space.

Chicken
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken (I use thighs because they cook up better than white meat in the instant pot)
1 C. chicken broth
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried onion pieces
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 tsp dried chili flakes/red pepper flakes

Put all ingredients in the Instant Pot.  Set for 6 minutes then let it natural release for 7 minutes. Shred the chicken (I take the steaming hot chicken and a couple tablespoons of the liquid and put it in my KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment on low--watch it carefully and it will shred.  Don't walk away, you'll end up with mush). 

My dressing recipe is still on target for Cafe Rio--but everytime it seems to get better. 

In the Magic Bullet blender
1/4 C. milk
2 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp mayonaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
2 tsp ranch dressing powder (Winco sells in in the bulk section, so I keep a jar handy)
small chunk of onion (like 1 tsp or so)
small chunk of jalepeno (like 1/2" slice off the end)
handful of cilantro, stems and leaves--about 1/4 c
juice from 1/2 a lime

Make up your salad or burrito with lettuce, guac, sour cream, tortilla chip strips, rice, beans, cheese.  I buy the foil pans at the Dollar Tree when I'm feeling fancy...but most of the time I just make it up on a plate (or pie pan).

Tacos Al Pastor

Pin It

Do you love tacos?  The kind from a cart outside on a sidewalk?  Me too.  I live in a community with lots of opportunities to hit a taco cart or local Beto's (or his cousin's, brother's, uncle's version...)--but cooking awesome tacos at home is not hard.  I love me some ground beef "American" tacos with crunchy shells, but when you are craving a taco cart style--try these.

Tacos Al Pastor use pork with a bit of pineapple.  If you are lucky enough to have a Hispanic  market nearby, go to the meat counter and just buy the pre-seasoned al pastor meat.  Done.  If you don't, you can make the marinade.

1 Tbsp ancho chile powder
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion, rough chop
1/2 C. orange juice
1 small can of pineapple, drain and keep the juice for marinade and use pineapple with the meat.
2 pounds pork, sliced thin (I use pork loin or boneless chops)


Make the marinade by putting all the ingredients in a blender and pour over meat for at least an hour or overnight.  Remove the meat and cook in a medium hot skillet.  Add the pineapple tidbits while cooking.

Serve in your favorite tortillas and top with things like:
Salsa (link is my dad's quick homemade salsa) I also like to look for salsa verde molcajete from the store
cilantro
shredded Nappa or red cabbage
pickled red onions
sliced fresh jalapenos
fresh lime
chopped white onion
guacamole
mango salsa if you've got it!

Chile Colorado

Pin It

I went on the hunt for a recipe similar to one my dad used to make when we were kids.  He always called it Chile Colorado.  It was a red sauce over beef that we ate with flour tortillas, but it wasn't hot-spicy, just delicious.

This recipe hits my memories right.  I tweaked it since I don't have a  gluten-free need and I have an Instant Pot pressure cooker.


Modified recipe:


3 cups water
9 dried large red New Mexico chili peppers (stems removed)
2 lbs cubed beef stew meat
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/2 medium white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cans chicken broth (about 3 cups)
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano


Tear the dried peppers into large pieces and try to dump out as many seeds as you can. Bring the water to a boil, turn off and then add the chili pods to soften for 20 minutes. While the chiles are soaking, heat 1 tbsp of  the oil in the Instant Pot on saute mode and cook the onions until soft and add the garlic for just the last minute. Scrape the onion/garlic into the jar of the blender.  

Toss the meat with the flour and salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in the Instant Pot and brown the meat for about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat while you go finish the sauce in the blender.

Drain the softened chiles (throw away the water, it will be bitter) and add the softened chiles, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and oregano to the blender jar.  Blend until smooth and carefully pour through a mesh strainer into the Instant Pot bowl over the browned meat.   Set the timer for 25 minutes on high pressure.  Once the timer goes off, do a quick release to open up and eat!  I like to take a warmed flour tortilla and fill with the meat, roll it up and smother in sauce and top with cheese.  Place under the broiler until the cheese is melty and serve with toppings like sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce and sides such as rice or beans.

This sauce is some work, but it sure is tasty. Its great for making smothered burritos, enchiladas, or just eating out of a bowl with a side of warm tortillas.  You can just make the sauce without the meat and use it as enchilada sauce.  If you want to spice it up, try it with a different variety of dried chiles or add some jalapeño!

Tomatillo Sauce and Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas

Pin It

Last Saturday was a gloomy day and I was cozy on the sofa watching PBS and came across Pati's Mexican Kitchen. I'd never seen it before, but everything sure looked great.  In particular was a green tomatillo sauce that she used on some tacos and as a side for dipping chips.

I love green sauce when I head out to Mexican restaurants--so I thought I'd try this one.  I made it on a Tuesday after work--it was super fast and easy to do on a work night.  I served it with tacos that night and the next night made up some chicken enchiladas!

Pati Jinich's Green Sauce

2 lbs tomatillos

1/4 c. white onion, rough chop

2 cloves garlic

1 Serrano (or jalapeño) pepper

1/2 bunch cilantro with stems

1 T. vegetable oil

salt to taste

Peel the husk off the tomatillos, rinse and  and place in a pot with the whole garlic and whole pepper.  Cover with water and bring to boil, cook about 8-10 minutes until tomatillos are soft. In your blender, blend about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, the tomatillos, garlic and pepper (if you think it will be too spicy, use just half the pepper).   Pulse until thick but not super smooth.  Add the onions and cilantro and puree again until its pretty smooth. 
 
Empty the cooking pot of any leftover cooking water  and heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and pour in the puree.  Simmer for about 20 minutes. If it seems a bit tart, try adding 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sugar.

I loved it so much, that the next day I made a triple batch of sauce and froze it to use in future recipes. I have a Latino grocery store near my house--and the ingredients there are usually super inexpensive (like I spent a total of about $4 for the triple batch ingredients).  If you've got a market like that, check it out!


My Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas

1 1/2 cups green tomatillo sauce
6 corn or flour tortillas
1 pound cooked chicken, chopped (I used Costco rotisserie chicken)
1 can green chiles
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
1 pound jack cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan,  heat the oil over medium and then saute the onion until translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add the cumin and the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

In a mixing bowl, dump the chopped chicken, chiles, onion mix and about 1 cup of the shredded cheese and 1/2 cup of green sauce; stir to combine.

In an 8x8 baking dish, pour about 1/4 cup of the green sauce and spread over the bottom. Soften the tortillas (corn, a quick fry in oil or spray with oil and bake for a few minutes.  Flour, heat in the microwave for 15 seconds).  Fill each tortilla with the chicken mix.  Roll up and place seam side down into the dish.  Repeat.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.



Bake for about 30 minutes until bubbly (I sped things along by microwaving for about 3 minutes first, then adding the cheese on the top and finishing in the oven for 15 minutes).

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, chopped lettuce or tomatoes. 

Pressure Cooker Chile Verde Soup

Pin It

I am loving my electric pressure cooker.  I  bought one last year on Black Friday with deals, coupons, etc... so it was less than $50.  I'm finding its awesome for slower-cooker style meals without needing the advanced planning (I am at work early, so sometimes getting a meal in the slow cooker before work isn't practical).

This is a soup recipe, but if you left out the beans, and cooked it down a bit--it would make really awesome sauce for burritos too. 


Ingredients
1.5 lb pork, cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, diced
1  can green enchilada sauce
1  can low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1 Tbs corn starch, dissolved in 2 Tbs of water.
8 4 oz. cans diced green chilies.  Puree 4 of the cans and leave the others diced.
1 Tbs green or red pepper hot sauce
1/2 one jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1-2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed


Garnish
cilantro
sour cream
tortillas or corn chips
shredded jack cheese

Turn the electric pressure cooker to the meat/sautee function and toss in the pork and onions (use 1 Tbs vegetable oil if your pork is lean).  Brown meat for 3-4 minutes.  Dump all the ingredients except the beans and the garnish into the pot and stir until mixed.  Put the lid on the pot and press the soup/stew button and adjust the cook time to 25 minutes.  When the timer goes off, use the quick pressure release and open the pot and add in the beans.

Serve with warm flour tortillas, corn chips, shredded cheese, sour cream and cilantro.  Freezes nicely too.

I tried this with chicken and I didn't love it as much (not enough fat..maybe if I used chicken thighs).  I usually buy the least expensive pork I can find--the pressure cooker makes it cook up tender and delicious.  Buying the chilies in 4 oz cans can be pricey--your store might have frozen ones in the freezer section.  My Hispanic grocery store carried a 32 oz can that was economical.

Taste of Mexico

Pin It

I like Mexican food.  I like easy dinners.  So when BzzAgent sent me some new products to try that combined both of those things I was game.  Smith's Marketplace is having a Taste of Mexico festival for the month of June.  I decided to give the ready-made Barbacoa a try.




The meat is already cooked, all I had to do was microwave it for about 3 minutes, then open and shred it with a couple of forks.  The meat was not spicy-hot, but had lots of flavor and was moist. I added my own tortillas, cilantro and lime juice and served up corn on the cob on the side. 



Speaking of lime juice, I used this nifty Everyday Living citrus squeezer.  Cut the lime in half and put it in and squeeze out all the limey goodness.  Easy!  The squeezer would work with lemons or maybe even some small oranges.

Dinner prep took me less than 10 minutes from the time I opened the package until it was on the table.  Not bad for a weeknight dinner.  It made 6 servings, which I'd say is enough for two adults and two small kids or two hungry adults (I ate two and that was about right for me).

There are pork and chicken varieties too that are already cooked and look for the pre-seasoned fajita meat that you cook yourself. 


*I received Kroger products to try at no cost from BzzAgent, but was not paid for my review.  My opinions are all my own.

Fish Tacos with mango salsa and cilantro dressing

Pin It
I love the Hispanic grocery store near my house!  It always has great deals on produce to make tasty dishes, such as last night's dinner...fish tacos.  I forgot to take any pretty pictures of along the way, so you get a picture of my lunchtime leftovers (which were the envy of the breakroom).

Fish tacos are like regular tacos, you put whatever YOU want on them--but I think last night's combo was a winner. Makes enough salsa/dressing for about 8-9 tacos.

Ingredients

Fish, any type you like, cooked the way you like it (tilapia, halibut, broiled, deep fried...whatever)
Tortillas (I used flour)
Shredded cabbage
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Mango salsa
Cilantro dressing

Mango Salsa
1 ripe mango, diced (about 1 c.)
1/4 of a red onion, diced finely (about 1/4 c.)
1/2 jalapeno without the seeds, diced finely
juice of 1 lime
Cilantro, chopped (I probably had about 1/4 c.)

Mix it all together--add more or less of any of the ingredients that you like.

Cilantro Dressing (kinda like Cafe Rio)
Warning...I just added stuff as I went and eyeballed everything, so....my next batch may vary a bit, but it was TASTY

1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1/3 bunch of cilantro, washed...stems and all
1 T. of diced red onion
1/2 jalapeno without the seeds
2-3 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. ranch dressing mix (powdered)
juice of 1 lime
dash of cumin
dash of garlic powder


Puree everything until smooth (my Magic Bullet is great for this).  I added milk until the dressing was the consistency I wanted.  I used less ranch mix to begin with and added a bit more as I went (I didn't want it too "ranchy").  For the "dash" I just did a small shake from the spice jar...again, less at first, more later if you want more. 

Now to the good part...

Assemble your tacos with fish, shredded cabbage, cilantro, salsa and dressing.  Squeeze some fresh lime on it.  Keep eating until it is GONE (which won't take too long).

Tortilla Soup--Ah Yummy!

Pin It

I went looking for a copy cat recipe for Cafe Rio's tortilla soup--and found one here.  I have to say, pretty good stuff.  I made a couple tweaks based on what I had in my cupboard and the time that I had (got home from work at about 5:45 and had the soup done and ready by about 6:15).  I do love Cafe Rio's soup, and this one came as close as I've ever gotten to replicating it.  Totally worth it.  I think the key to speed and tastiness was my stop at my local Hispanic grocery store (they have already made pico and guac and fresh tortillas).   This recipe made 4 servings. 

Ingredients

Broth
1 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 T. vegetable oil
3 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. water

Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion for about 5-6 minutes until transparent and soft.  Add the spices and cook another minute before adding the broth and water.  Simmer for about 20 minutes while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Chicken
1/2 a  rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 T. taco seasoning
1 T.  Herdez salsa ranchera (look for it on the Mexican food aisle)
1/2 c. water

Toss the shredded chicken in a bowl with the taco seasoning and Herdez sauce
(the Herdez is pretty spicy, so use more/less to control the heat)-add about 1/2 c. of water and heat up.  


For garnish
Pico de gallo
Guacamole
Shredded cheese
Tortilla chips
cilantro
lime wedges
warm flour tortillas

Build your bowl of yummy soup like they do at Cafe Rio:
Get your bowl
Mound up some chicken
Scoop of guacamole
Scoop of pico
Cheese (if using)
Now add the hot broth
Top with corn chips and cilantro
Squeeze a lime wedge over the top.

Serve with a warm flour tortilla and enjoy the yumminess. 

Chile Lime Flank Steak and Cilantro Potato Salad

Pin It

For the 4th of July I tried out something new for the grill, and it was YUMMY!  Total time from start to eating was about 60 minutes.  The recipe was one I tore out of my Better Homes and Gardens magazine, May 2012 Pg 168.

Flank Steak

Marinade
2 T. olive oil
2 T. lime juice
2 T. chili powder
2 t. cumin
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. salt
1 lb flank steak (would work with a skirt steak or flat iron steak too)

Mix up all the ingredients and place in a zipper bag with the steak.  Leave on the counter to marinate while you get the salad going.

Chipotle Corn and Red Potato Salad
1 lb. red potatoes, diced in 1/2 inch cubes
2 ears corn
1 ripe avocado
4 medium radishes, sliced
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T. lime juice
1 chipotle chile pepper in adobe sauce, minced-caution, these are spicy, so you could use less, or scrape out the seeds).
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste (about 1 t. each for me)
1/2 c. olive oil

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes and corn.  Pull corn out after 5 minutes.  Keep an eye on the potatoes, they will probably take less than 10 minutes since they are diced fairly small.  You want the potatoes to be cooked firm (not still raw in the middle, but close--otherwise they'll be mushy in the salad).  Drain, rinse with cold water, drain some more and put in the fridge in the bowl you plan to serve in.

2. Pre-heat the grill on high.

3. Chop/cut up the avocado, radishes, scallions, cilantro and pepper while the grill heats up.

4. Spray the corn with a bit of non-stick spray and place on the grill.  Rotate it often so that you get nice brown spots all around.  Bring the corn back in and let it cool a bit.  As soon as its cool enough (or use a paper towel to hold the end) cut the kernels off the cobs.

5. Mix up the dressing with the chile peppers, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in the oil so that it emulsifies.

6. Add all the ingredients to the bowl with the potatoes and pour the dressing over and carefully mix with a rubber spatula.  Refrigerate while you cook the steak.

7. On the still high-heat grill, place the marinated steak.  For medium, it will be about 4 minutes per side (that is the brilliance of the flank steak...its thin, so it cooks quickly).  Set the timer!

8. Remove the steak from the grill and cover with foil for about 15 minutes to let the meat relax and the juices redistribute.

9. Serve it up with fresh tortillas if you want.  Yeah, this is a keeper.  Serves 4 easily. 

This would also make great left overs as a salad--some greens on the bottom of the plate, a few spoon fulls of the potato salad mix and steak on the top.  Maybe fancy up some ranch dressing with more cilantro, lime and chile-or some cotija cheese.  Dang, making me hungry all over again.

Dad's Homemade Salsa

Pin It

My family loves salsa. I can remember coming home from church on Sundays and immediately digging into a bag of chips with salsa, if you were slow getting home, you were out of luck! My dad now makes this salsa (he won't even eat bottled salsa anymore) and you can whip it up in about 5 minutes, so try it out!

Ingredients

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 can diced tomatoes

1-2 jalepenos, seeded and roughly chopped

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 sm bunch of cilantro

1 lime

I'm lucky enough to have cilantro growing in my garden this year, so I used it. I didn't have a lime in the fridge, so I used lime juice (about 1 T). Open the cans of tomatoes and dump them into the food processor. Chop the onion into big chunks (just so that the food processor can get the job done faster). If you like spicy salsa, use more jalepeno, but it tends to get hotter the second day, so I go easy. Wash the cilantro and put in the processor.

Once everything is in the bowl of the processor, put the lid on and pulse it until you get to your desired "chunkiness." Make sure you have some chips on hand, this stuff is tasty :)