Cafe Rio Pork Salad

Adapted through trial and error from Cafe Rio

Living in Finland, we are pretty hard pressed to find good Mexican food. There are some restaurants that make a stab at it, but it's just not the same. The best way to truly recreate it is to make it ourselves. The Tex-Mex style dish I crave the most is the Sweet Pork Salad from Cafe Rio in my native Utah. There for only 7 bucks you can get a huge delicious meal that will haunt your dreams.



Cafe Rio Style Sweet Pork
4 lbs pork loin
1 liter Coke (not diet)
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 can (7 oz) green chilies or 3-4 fresh chilies, minced
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground mustard
salt to taste

Marinate the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc back with 1 1/2 cup Coke and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Marinate for a few hours to over night.

Put marinade and pork in a crock pot (or in a large pot on the stove). Add the rest of the brown sugar, chilies, garlic, cumin, and mustard, plus enough Coke to cover most of the meat. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. We usually start it late at night and it is done by the next morning. The pork should be tender and shred easily. Check on it every once in a while to make sure there is enough juice (you don't want it to get too dry).

Cafe Rio Style Cilantro-Lime Rice
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 tsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp + 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime, plus the grated rind
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro

In a saucepan, combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp lime, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook on low for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender. In the meantime combine 1 Tbsp lime juice plus the rind, sugar and cilantro. Once the rice is done, mix the two together

Cafe Rio Style Black Beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c tomato juice
1 /12 tsp salt
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro

Pico de Gallo
6 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
2-3 fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced *optional
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch:
1 packet Traditional Hidden Valley Ranch mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
2 tomatillos, husks removed
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeño

or you can use my personal favorite dressing,

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Enjoy!

Also needed:
lettuce (Romaine or other leafy green, not iceburg)
guacamole (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Parmesan cheese
large tortillas

Ok, I know this looks like a huge ordeal. But it is definitely worth the effort.
You will have to start the day before to get the meat going (although in a pinch, you could probably do it in 4-5 hours). Then prepare the rice, beans and pico de gallo as directed.

When you are ready to eat, start with the tortilla. Warm it gently on the stove, then put it on a plate and add a scoop of warmed rice and beans, and a generous helping of pork (also warmed up). Add the lettuce, pico de gallo, a small scoop of guacamole and sour cream and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Serve the dressing of your choice on the side. Eat, and repeat.

Thin Crust Pizza

Adapted from Frolicking Foodie

When it comes to pizza, I am a thin crust kind of girl. I think it allows you to enjoy the different flavors without filling up on bread. Anyway, after trying several recipes, I finally found a thin crust that we both liked.

4 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp yeast

2 Tbsp oil (I used oil from sun dried tomatoes)

1 1/2 cup warm water

Toppings:
tomato sauce
mushrooms, sliced
zucchini, thinly sliced
olives, sliced
spinach
mozzarella cheese

Mix the sugar, yeast, oil and water together in a bowl and leave for 5-10 minutes, or until it is foamy. Sift salt and flour and combine wet and dry ingredients, slowly incorporating them. It will start out really messy and slowly come together to form a nice smooth dough. Knead together for about 10 minutes.

After the dough is mixed, put it in a bowl, splash on a bit of oil (just until coated) and let it rise in a sunny spot until it has doubled in size. (this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on how warm the spot is)

Preheat the oven to 375. Once doubled, take the dough out and cut off a chunk that fits the size that you want. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is a little less than 1/2 centimeter thick and let it rest for a few minutes. Then slather on the sauce and toppings and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust begins to brown.

Niçoise Salad

from Dana Treat

This is a French cousin of the Cobb salad. While the exact ingredients vary, there are similar elements that make for a very interesting meal. And if I have to eat salad, it better be interesting.


leafy green salad, washed and torn to pieces
green beans, cut
tuna (canned or grilled)
tomatoes, diced
kalamata olives
hard boiled eggs, sliced
small boiled potatoes

Boil beans until crisp-tender (about 2-3 minutes), take them out and dunk them in cold water. Drain water and set aside. Boil potatoes until tender enough that a knife can slip in and out easily (about 15 minutes). Drain potatoes and set aside.

Fill a pot with cold water, add the eggs and bring water to a boil. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Allow eggs to sit covered for about 12 minutes, then take them out and dunk them in cold water to halt the cooking process. Allow eggs to cool, drain the water, peel, and cut into slices.

Arrange greens with other ingredients placed decoratively around the platter. Serve dressing of choice on the side.

Spicy Sloppy Joes

This is one of those childhood classics that I remember as a child. They are cheap, easy and liked by kids everywhere. As an adult I prefer my Joe a little spicier, but feel free to ease up on the heat according to the tastes of your guests.

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
1-2 Tbsp spicy mustard
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup (or tomato sauce)
dash of chili (adjust to your tastes)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
sandwich buns

Heat oil in a skillet and saute onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, then add beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and sugar to beef mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, then scoop into sandwiches and serve.

Roasted Dill Chicken

adapted from Life's Ambrosia

This was so easy to put together and has a versatile flavor. Dill is such a fantastic herb.
Perfect for Sunday dinner!


6-8 chicken drumsticks
3 Tbsp olive oil
3-5 sprigs of fresh dill (or 1 Tbsp dried)
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, dill, vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over the chicken and marinade from 2 hours to overnight. The longer the better.

Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour marinade over the top. Put foil on top and bake for 1 hour, remove foil and allow chicken to brown for 30 minutes more.

Rachel Sandwiches

Ben is a real sauerkraut man, so this is one of his favorite sandwiches.
Pickles on the side are a must!

Rye Bread (we used whole wheat this time, but Rye is proper.)
Pastrami
Swiss Cheese
Sauerkraut
Thousand Island Dressing
Mustard
Pickles

Lay the bread open faced on a cookie sheet. On one half of the sandwich, place meat and cheese, on the other put sauerkraut and mustard. Toast in the oven until crunchy, then put a layer of Thousand Island in the middle and enjoy.

Roasted Red Potatoes

adapted from Life's Ambrosia

This is easy and cheap and looks great as a side for any meal.


4 medium red potatoes, washed and diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
dash of chili powder
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and spices and mix well. Pour the olive oil on the potatoes in a medium bowl and toss until evenly coated. Place potato mixture in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet or parchment paper, and bake on the highest rack for 3o minutes. Take them out half way through and stir the potatoes, being careful to return them to a single layer. If you want them to be golden brown and crispy, turn on the broiler for the last 5 minutes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

I love pie. Really love it. And strawberry rhubarb happens to be one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately, fresh rhubarb is only available in early spring (cooler climates), so you have to act quickly to get a piece of the action. Because this sour stalk waits for no one. And she is so worth it.


2 (9 inch) pie crusts *top and bottom
3 1/2 cups of sliced rhubarb
3 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg + 1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 400. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Toss gently to combine.

This is a very juicy pie, so you may have to take some precautions so your bottom crust doesn't get soggy. I would recommend a "blind bake" where you press the crust into the pan, line it with parchment paper or a coffee filter and fill it with hard beans or rice to help it hold it's shape. Bake the crust for 20 minutes with the weights, then remove them and bake an additional 10 minutes. You can also brush egg white on the bottom before adding the filling to better seal it from the juice. Another tip is to bake the pie (when the filling is inside) on the lowest possible position to transfer more heat to the bottom crust and help dry it out before it absorbs too much liquid.

After preparing the bottom pie crust, pour the filling in the pie and place the other crust on top. Carve out a hole to release steam and brush on the egg wash and sprinkle the top with a little sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil and bake for about 25 minutes on 400, then remove foil, reduce the heat and bake an additional 25 minutes at 350.

Red Potato Salad

adapted from Allrecipes

Spring means it's picnic time! For the May day celebration here in Finland, I was in charge of making the classic potato salad for our Vappu picnic. The bacon in this recipe adds some nice flavor, and the cucumber and celery have a nice crunch to them. Feel free to add or substitute as needed, this recipe is pretty flexible.


2 lbs scrubbed red potatoes
6 eggs
1 lb bacon
1 onion, minced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, diced
1 cup mayonnaise (could substitute 1/2 cup for light sour cream)
1 tsp dill
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp mustard
dill pickles, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, but still firm (about 15 minutes). Drain water and set in refrigerator to cool.

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 10-12 minutes, then remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.

Cook bacon in a deep skillet over medium high heat until evenly browned. Drain grease, crumble and set aside.

Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving the skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, onion, celery, pickles and cucumber. Mix the mayonnaise with spices and mustard and combine with potato mixture. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Pineapple Chili Chicken

adapted from My Kitchen

This chicken is hot and sweet. When choosing the chili sauce be sure to pick one that reflects the tastes of your guests, some can be really hot while others are mildly tangy.



3-4 chicken thighs
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 large can crushed or cubed pineapple (plus the juice)
1 Tbsp sugar
salt
1 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
green onion (garnish)

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Saute garlic and ginger about 1 minute, then add pineapple (plus juice), ketchup, and chili sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool.

2. Once the sauce is cool, pour over the chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Then place the chicken and sauce in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 300 F for 2 hours.

3. Take out the chicken, reserving the liquid, pan sear and set aside (keep warm). Take the liquid and put it in a frying pan, skimming the fat off the top. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid, adding flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Pour sauce over the chicken, garnish with green onions and serve.

Spinach Quiche

Quiche is a dish my mom always made really well. It's pretty easy to put together and a great way to get kids to eat vegetables.
I found that this is a great way to clean out the fridge when you have just a little bit of everything left over. This is a very flexible recipe and feel free to add or remove vegetables according to your tastes.

This recipe makes enough for 2 pies, and I split them into one pie and a muffin tin of mini quiches. It's great for breakfast, parties or dinner.

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced ham
8 oz Feta
1 cup Swiss cheese
8 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 (9 inch) deep pie crusts

Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium skillet saute garlic and onion until lightly browned. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta, zucchini, diced tomatoes, diced ham and 1/2 cup cheese. Stir often until mixture is combined and heated. Spoon mixture into pie crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper, add 1/2 cup cheese. Then pour into the pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until it is set in the center. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Smitten Kitchen

Peanut Butter has got to be one of America's greatest accomplishments. The majority of Europe really doesn't know what it is missing (although they did invent Nutella, which is pretty close to perfection). What peanut butter they do sell here really doesn't cut it (expensive and weird tasting), so I can see why people here don't have a good impression.

In an attempt to gently persuade my Finnish friends into seeing the virtues of peanut butter, I sought this recipe out. These cookies are great and really hold onto that unique peanut butter flavor all the while being a pretty fantastic cookie.


1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (or half peanut butter chips)

Preheat oven t0 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly into wet mixture and then add chocolate chips.

Place 1 Tbsp sugar onto a plate and drop rounded spoonfuls of dough into the sugar, then onto a cookie sheet, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork or spatula, lightly indent or tap cookies (do not overly flatten). Bake for 10 minutes, careful not to overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.