CAFE RIO!!

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.


(Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing has 2 grams of sugar per serving. I try to avoid dressings with sugar, but this is a very small amount. You're only using 8 ounces of the dressing per 5 pounds of chicken if you follow this recipe, so it should be fine, even for South Beach Dieters.)

Café Rio Rice

3 c rice
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


Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.(or how ever long your rice needs cooking)

(For South Beach diet, use Uncle Ben's Converted Rice to make this, which is very low on the glycemic index. I would still use the rice sparingly on my salad.)

Jambo Burgers a la Tomahawk

Ingredients for 8 hungry campers:

• 3 or 4 medium onions
• 2-1/2 to 3 pounds hamburger
• 2 cans vegetable soup
• 2 cans vegetable-beef soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-2/3 cups pre-cooked rice
• Shortening (or 2 strips of bacon)

Preparation:

1. Put two frying pans over bed of hot coals with about 2 tablespoons of shortening in each.
2. Remove outer layers from the onions and cut the ends off. Dice into small pieces.
3. Divide onions into the two hot frying pans.
4. While onions are being browned, form hamburger into balls about the size of quarters. Press so that each patty has two flat sides.
5. Thoroughly brown each side of a few patties at a time in the frying pans.
6. Open the soup and pour into an 8-quart dutch oven or kettle. Add one can of water.
7. Put kettle on a low fire and allow this to come to a boil. Stir occasionally.
8. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to soup.
9. When soup starts to boil, add 2/3 cups of pre-cooked rice and move kettle to a lower fire to simmer. Stir bottom occasionally.
10. When patties are browned, add them and the onions to the soup. Do not add the grease. (When you run out of time, just brown the remaining hamburger.)
11. Stir, but try not to break up the patties. Add more water if the mixture is too dry.
12. Ready to serve about five minutes after adding the rice.

Shepherd's Pie

Sesame Apricot Chicken

Take 12 chicken tenders, place in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Then Add:
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp ginger puree
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Seal bag and gently massage to coat chicken.

In a small freezer bag add:
1/2 c. apricot preserves
1/4 c. red bell pepper, diced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. corn starch
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
Seal bag and gently massage to combine.

In a small freezer bag:
1 1/2 cup rice

If freezing for later, try to get as much air out of the bags as possible, print and tape these directions to chicken bag and place all bags into another large freezer bag.

Cooking directions:
Thaw in fridge when ready to cook.
Place rice and 3 cups water in a med saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Keep covered and simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is tender and water is absorbed. (Can also use a rice cooker).
Meanwhile, place contents of chicken bag in a skillet over med. hi heat. Brown chicken lightly on both sides, about 5 min per side (chicken will not yet be cooked through). Open sauce bag and add 3/4 c. water. Reseal and massage bag lightly to mix. Pour sauce over chicken in pan. Cover pan and reduce heat to med-low. Simmer chicken for about 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked and internal temp. reaches 165 degrees. Serve over rice. Makes 6 servings.

Calories: Chicken: 253, Rice: 166
Fat: Chicken: 6.7 Rice: 0.3
Total Carb: Chicken: 20.5, Rice: 37.8
Protein: Chicken: 27.4, Rice: 3.1
Weight Watchers Points: Chicken and Sauce: 5 Rice:3

Make a couple of meals at the same time and throw in the freezer for later!

Best Bean Dip Ever

2 bunches of spring onions - chopped
2 cans of black eyed peas - drained & rinsed
1 can of white shoe peg corn - drained
3 cans "Ro-Tel" diced tomatoes & green chilies - drained
8oz. Italian dressing
1 red pepper - chopped
garlic salt - to your liking
chopped cilantro - to your liking

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve with Frito Scoops.

Cheesy Chicken and Spaghetti Casserole

1 Chicken
2 med. green bell peppers
1 can cream of mush. soup
1 can cream of celery soup
12 oz. spaghetti
Celery
1/2 stick of butter
1 large onion
1/2 cup broth
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Boil chicken until cooked. You can use boneless chicken or a whole fryer. Do NOt get rid of the water that the chicken was cooked in. You will use it later. After chicken is cooked, cube or shred the chicken.
2. Set aside 1/2 cup of the water the chicken was cooked in to use as broth. Then bring the water to boil and cook the spaghetti noodles in it.
3. While the noodles are cooking, saute the onion, celery and green peppers in butter. Then add the cream of mush and cream of celery soups and the 1/2 cup of chicken broth. This is your sauce.
4. By now you have shredded or cubed chicken, cooked spaghetti, sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.
5. In a buttered (or use cooking spray) 9x13 pan, you will layer the ingredients:
1/2 the noodles
1/2 the chicken
1/2 the cheese
1/2 the sauce
6.Layer the remaining ingredients in the same order, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Finger Paint

3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. corn starch
2 c. cold water
food coloring
4 plastic cups
dish detergent

Mix sugar & corn starch in saucepan. Add water and mix a little more. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and let thicken for about 5 min. Cool, pour into plastic cups. Add food coloring and a drop of detergent. Mix.

Turtle Brownies

1 -14 oz. pkg. caramels
1/2 c. evaporated milk
Combine and melt over low until smooth

1 German Chocolate cake mix
1/3 c. evaporated milk
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. pecans, chopped

Combine dry cake mix, butter, milk and nuts. Mixture will be thick. Spread half of the batter in bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Sprinkle chips over baked brownies. Drizzle melted caramels over chips. Spoon remaining batter over caramel. Bake again at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Authentic Spanish Rice

1 c. white rice
2 tsp. oil
1 c. water
1 c. fresh or canned tomatoes pureed
1 med. onion, finely diced
1/2 med. bell pepper (green or red), diced
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin

Add 2 tsp. oil to a large skillet and toast rice until it is a nice golden brown. Add onion and bell pepper and saute. Bring temperature to a med-high and add water and spices, bring to a full boil, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Do not uncover the skillet! The steam helps cook the rice. Uncover after 15 minutes and serve as a side dish to tacos, enchiladas or fajitas.