Cashew Chicken Salad

Oh WOW! I had these at a baby shower recently and had to get the recipe. Thanks Kim!=) It's a little bit different than other Chicken Salad I've had. I LOVE the orzo and cashews in it! I put it on small croissants but rolls would probably do fine, too.

Cashew Chicken Salad Sandwiches
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tbsp finely chopped onion (I don't always put this in)
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman's Light)
salt and pepper (white pepper)
2 cups halved seedless red grapes
1 cup cooked orzo

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. You can use canned chicken for faster preparation. Enjoy!!! Don't eat TOO many=)

Cafe Rio en su casa. . . . . (is that grammatically correct?)

So, for any of you out there that LOVE Cafe Rio but have no access to it's deliciousness, boy do I have a recipe for you. Yes, you can make Cafe Rio at home. Check it out. Many of our friends out here have introduced us to this and it's the next best thang, I tell ya! I made a 6 lb roast for it and we had dinner for a week. I don't usually like leftovers, but I ate it all up. I'm totally addicted. BTW, it freezes well, too.

Cafe Rio Pork
6 lb pork roast
20 oz coco cola
12 oz La Victoria Red Taco Sauce (mild)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cumin
Cook the pork roast in crock pot for 12 hours on low, filling pot half way with water. Drain water and add remaining ingredients. Cook for 2-4 more hours. Shred in crock pot and cook for 2 more hours.

Layer salad as follows:
Tortilla
Green Chili Rice
Black Beans
Pork meat
Chopped romaine lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Cheese (any kind that suits your fancy)
Chip strips
A little parmesan cheese
Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
Feel free to glob some guacamole and sour cream on the side!
ENJOY!

Green Chili Rice (for Cafe Rio)

This rice goes along with the Cafe Rio pork salad. It's super easy and adds so much to the salad.




Green Chili Rice
3 cups minute rice
3 cups water
1 tbsp butter
3 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp salt
4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 can green chilies
1/2 cup chopped onion
In a saucepan, saute butter, garlic and onions. In a pan, bring water to a boil and add rice. Boil until tender and add the rest of the ingredients. I have always had to add a little bit more water so it didn't dry out. Cover and simmer for a while.

Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (for Cafe Rio)

This dressing is meant to go on top of the Cafe Rio pork salad. If you don't know what a tomatillo is, it looks like a green tomato in some kind of a thin shell (see picture). You can find it in the produce section of most grocery stores around the jalepeno peppers.


Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
1 pkg hidden valley ranch dressing (unmade)
1 cup mayo
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves Garlic
3 tomatillos
1/2 cup buttermilk (I make my own)
1/2 tsp chili powder

Mix all ingredients in a blender. I cut the tomatillos into fourths. Makes 3 cups.

Orange Fluffy Stuff

This recipe came from my sister, Amy. It's a yummy side dish jello salad. Very creamy, but don't make it if you don't like oranges, OK?


Orange Jell-O Fluff
20 large marshmallows
1 cup milk
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 small package orange Jell-O powder
8 oz. tub Cool Whip
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
Melt marshmallows in milk in a saucepan. While melting, in a separate bowl, mix cream cheese and Jell-O powder. Add marshmallow/milk mixture to cream cheese mixture. Add tub of Cool Whip and fruit. Let chill AT LEAST 1 hour covered with plastic wrap until firm.

Savory Spinach Salad

I'm not one to delve into a salad (unless I'm pregnant) but this salad, whether I'm pregnant or not, is AWESOME! It is so yummy anytime, anywhere. I got the recipe from a good friend in Provo, Kari.


Spinach Salad
Baby spinach




Craisins




Diced Pears





Candied sliced almonds (cook in a pan with 2 tbsp sugar until carmelized STIRRING CONSTANTLY! Spread out on parchment paper or foil to cool)


SECRET INGREDIENT:

Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing