Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

Hey ya'll!  I have totally become a Texan...I cooked me my first brisket.  Yee haw!  And boy howdy, it was delicious.  This isn't traditional Texan BBQ.  Baby steps...baby steps.  This meal feeds a ton and it's delicious.  So make it ya'll!

Makes enough meat to stuff 30 tacos

4 chipotle peppers (from a can) plus all the adobo sauce it sits in (or just the sauce :))
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 head garlic, peeled and cloves smashed
5 dry bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Juice of 4 limes
1/2 cup cider vinegar
5 to 7 pounds beef brisket
4 to 6 cups beef or chicken stock

Stir together chipotle peppers and sauce, cilantro, red onion, garlic, clove, salt, lime juice, and cider vinegar in the insert of a slow cooker (if you have a food processor, pulse till combined first before adding). Place the brisket on top of this mixture. (I like to cut my brisket in two pieces so it fits better in the slow cooker.) Add stock to cover the meat and place bay leaves on top. Use tongs to move the meat around gently to combine everything and put the lid on.

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Once finished, turn crock pot to WARM and let sit for 6 to 8 hours.
I like to make mine before bed and then let it sit on WARM overnight. This allows the meat to cook fully and then come to a point where it can be shredded easily and will essentially fall apart when pulled with a fork. If you don't have overnight to accomplish this, another hour of cooking on HIGH will get the job done. The meat will not be as tender, but will still be tasty.

Remove meat from slow cooker and place on rimmed baking sheet. Use two forks to pull the meat apart. Discard the fat, if desired. If you plan on frying it again before use, the small fat bits are extra tasty and should be kept! Place shredded beef in large bowl and ladle cooking liquid over the top a few scoops at a time. You want the meat to hold the liquid but not swim in it.

To keep it warm for guests you can return it to your slow cooker after you have removed the remaining liquid. That liquid is extra tasty and can be frozen into ice cube-sized portions to be used in other dishes later, if you so desire. Serve with fresh tortillas, onion, cilantro, and salsa.

Note: This recipe makes roughly 30 tacos, give or take. You can make two recipes back to back in your slow cooker for the initial 4 hour cooking time (or two slow cookers at the same time) and then add the meat to the same slow cooker to sit overnight since the meat will have reduced in size. This will allow 60 tacos of meat to be finished up at the same time.

Chicken tomatillo soup

Things have gone CRAZY here! Between basketball, baseball, piano, activity days, scouts, school projects galore, callings and etc.  I am looking for good crockpot meals.  They save my life on a busy night.  Here is a good one I got from the loosli family blog. It's healthy, tasty and easy.  That's my kind meal.

4 frozen chicken breasts
1 16 oz jar of tomatillo salsa (green salsa)
2 cans great northern beans, drained but you don't have to wash it.
4 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. cumin
garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of frozen corn defrosted (so it won't make the soup cold)

Combine chicken, salsa, chicken broth and spices in crockpot.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours.  Halfway through cooking add beans, this is so they don't fall apart.  When done cooking shred chicken and add corn.  We served it with sour cream and cheddar cheese.  Would also be good with pico de gallo and chips.

Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

This is the best replica of Cafe Rio's I have ever made. I even wanted to lick my plate.:)

1 1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing
3/4 cup buttermilk
3-4 tomatillos
1/2 seeded jalapeno
1 bunch cilantro
1 lg. garlic clove or 2 small
juice of one lime
salt to taste

Blend all ingredient in blender until smooth and creamy.

Crockpot Chicken Nachos

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I'm not in the cooking mood. So when I found this recipe I was happy because it's super easy and my (Mexican at Heart) husband loved it! This recipe is super easy, and really good but not too diet friendly.

Prep Time: 3 Minutes
Cook Time: 4 1/2 Hours

Ingredients List

4-5 Frozen Chicken Breasts
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can Drained Canned Whole Kernel Corn (I used frozen corn and just added what I thought looked good)
1 (15oz) Jar of Salsa (recommend medium or I like Jacks salsa from Costco)
1 (8oz) Package of Cream Cheese

Cooking Directions

1. Take 4-5 frozen boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot
2. Add corn, black beans and jar of salsa. dump it right on top of chicken
3. Cover and cook in crock pot on high for 4-5 hours or until chicken forks apart.
4. Shred chicken and add back to crock-pot
4. Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top) and let sit for about 1/2 hour and then stir in.

I like to serve this on top of a pile of melted cheesy (Tostidas Hint of Lime) chips and garnish with salsa and cilantro. You could also just serve it on rice.

**Mine was a little runny (probably because of the frozen chicken) so if you make it the way it says use a slotted spoon to serve, or you could try fresh chicken.

Rice and Black Bean Pilaf

The other night I made Crystal's yummy Baked Chicken Taquitos which we loved. On the side I served this beans and rice dish and we thought it was really good. So I hope you like it too.
I adapted this recipe from Ellie Krieger of the Food Network.



Ingredients
1 cup rice (my favorite rice is uncle ben's. If you haven't tried it you should.)
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small tomato, finely diced
3 Tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro

Directions
Place rice and chicken broth in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook rice, covered, until tender and all the liquid is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with a fork. (I ignored these instructions and cooked the rice in my rice cooker how I normally cook rice...with a little salt, butter, 2c. water and 2 chicken boullion cubes.)

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, celery, carrot, cumin and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not mushy, about 6 minutes. Stir in black beans and tomato and cook until just warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.

Combine onion-black bean mixture and hot rice in a serving bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with cilantro.

TORTILLA CASSEROLE

This is a great family meal that is easy and tasty. Next time I make it I am going to try an additional layer of cheese. Between step 9 and step 10. ENJOY!

• ¾ lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1-2 minced garlic clove
• 1 can dark red kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed ( I use black beans)
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14 ½ ounce)
• 1 can green chilies, chopped (4 ½ ounce)
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 6-8 corn tortillas’
• ¾ cup sour cream (Can use more)
• 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese ( I use mozzarella cheese)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro

1. Heat oven to 350 degree, spray large nonstick fry pan with veggie spray, heat over high heat until hot.
2. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic, brown 8-10 minutes, until thoroughly cooked, stirring constantly.
3. Drain well, return beef mixture to fry pan.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, chilies and chili powder, mix well.
5. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, spray 12x8 (2quart) baking dish with veggie spray.
7. Cut each tortilla in half, place 6-8 halves in bottom of sprayed baking dish, overlapping slightly.
8. Spoon half of the beef mixture evenly over the tortillas.
9. Spoon sour cream over beef mixture, spread evenly.
10. Top with remaining 6-8 tortilla halves and remaining beef mixture.
11. Cover tightly with foil.
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
13. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese.
14. Cover, let stand 3 minutes or until cheese is melted, sprinkle with cilantro

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

This was a great every night kind of meal. It is definitely one that you don't have to be exact on. A little of this a little of that, according to taste. My kids and husband gobbled these right up.

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (I used the leftover Kalua pork, it gave it a great smoky flavor)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed to defrost
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas (as usual I made these with the uncooked tortillas)

Mix all ingredients together. Arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Heat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Spray pan with pam. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Shrimp Enchiladas

This recipe was sooo yummy! Camille and Jared were my guinea pigs and I thought it turned out well.

1/2 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided (you can use half pepper-jack cheese for great results)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
8 (9-inch) flour tortillas

Saute red pepper, onion and green pepper in 1/4 cup butter until crisp-tender. Add oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, cream and flour; blend well. Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; stir until melted. Add sour cream, stir to blend. Set aside.

In another skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute shrimp and 1/2 cup onion until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp and chop; return to butter and onion. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Spoon 1/3 cup shrimp mixture into each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of shrimp mixture. Roll up tightly. Arrange seam side down in a 9X13-inch glass baking dish. Spoon remaining cheese sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Aaron and Linday's Chicken Tortilla Soup Extravanganza

Who are Aaron and Lindsay? I don't know. I got this recipe from the This week for dinner blog. This soup tastes a lot like Cafe Rio's Tortilla soup. Just fry up some uncooked tortillas and voila, you have restaurant food and home.

-1 onion, finely chopped
- olive oil
2 green onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ bag frozen corn
- 1 large chicken breast
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 lime (one extra for garnish)
- 1 handful cilantro, chopped
- 4-5 corn tortillas, cut into strips
- 1 avocado, diced
- cayenne pepper
- chili powder
- cumin- salt and pepper
- cheddar or jack cheese, shredded
- sour cream

Sautee onion in olive oil until soft, then add garlic, green onions, cayenne, chili powder, and cumin. Sautee until fragrant (a minute or two). Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Add tomatoes, corn, black beans.

Grill up chicken spiced with cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. (You can also pan-fry it, but it won’t add the smokiness that the bbq does). Cut up or shred chicken and add it to the soup. Try the soup and add more seasonings according to taste, if needed. Add lime juice, cilantro, and avocado.

In large fry pan over medium-high heat, crisp up tortilla strips. Add salt. You may do this with oil or cooking spray. (For a shortcut, use tortilla chips instead).

Serve soup garnished with cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge.

Easy Chicken Tacos

These tacos have great flavor. We loved them. Next time I think I will cut the chipotle amount in half...just cuz of our little non spice lovers.

3 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Salt and pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the orange juice, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 12-13 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking. When the chicken is done cooking, transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture left in the skillet until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the yellow mustard. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet. Add the remaining cilantro to the skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with tortillas topped with lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and avocado.

**To warm the tortillas, wrap them in foil and heat in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Rice Bowls

As you can probably tell this recipe takes some time and a ton of ingredients. Really most everything I already had on hand other than the produce. This was so yummy! I promise it is worth the money and effort. Jared described that it's a mixture between Cafe Rio and Rumbi, two of my favorite places. Yum!!

About 8 servings

Tip: marinate the chicken and make the dressing the night before

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Marinade

4 Lg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

¾ cup vegetable oil

Juice and zest of two limes

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ C finely chopped cilantro

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 pkg. Ranch Dip

1 cup sour cream (or yucky mayo)

1 cup buttermilk

5 tomatillos husked, cleaned, and chopped in half

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tsp. garlic, minced

Juice and zest of two limes

1 jalapeno (seeded or not depending on how spicy you like it)

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Cilantro-Lime Rice

2 cups uncooked rice

4 cups water

4 tsp. garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. butter

2 chicken bullion cubes

4 tsp. granulated sugar

Juice and zest of two limes

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mango Salsa (You could buy some but home-made is so much better)

2 mangoes, finely chopped

2 roma tomatoes, finely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno (with or w/o seeds), finely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lime

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

Salt to taste

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Olive oil, to taste

Assembly Ingredients

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 ½ cups Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

Extra cilantro and limes, for garnish

Preparation

1. Prepare marinade by mixing everything together (I just used the same bag I marinated the chicken in. Place chicken breasts in a re-sealable plastic bag. Add prepared marinade and mix to coat. Marinate for 4 hours to overnight.

2. While chicken is marinating, prepare tomatillo ranch dressing. Place everything in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

3. 30 minutes before removing chicken from marinade, prepare cilantro lime rice. I put the first six ingredients in the rice cooker and mix in the lime juice/zest, and cilantro once it’s cooked. Set aside for later use.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and grill in skillet or on the grill. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then cube.

5. While chicken is cooking prepare mango salsa by mixing everything together,

6. To compile rice bowl, place desired amount of rice in an oven safe bowl (I like to do individual servings and preferably the same bowl you’ll serve it in) Top rice with the following in this order: shredded chicken, cilantro, mango salsa, and finally shredded pepper jack cheese.

7. Place rice bowl under the broiler just until cheese is melted and the dish is warmed through. Serve with a drizzle of the tomatillo ranch dressing, garnish with cilantro and lime.

8. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Toquitos

I crave these now. My family really like them. I did have to double the recipe to feed my large and hungry brood.

Makes 14-16 taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green onion, sliced finely (white and green parts to equal about 2 tablespoons)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I cook large batches of chicken in my crockpot with a little chicken broth and salt, shred it and freeze it for meals like this)
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese (use pepperjack if you like a little heat)

small yellow or white corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix softened cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare this step ahead of time (which I did - I made it the morning of). Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until tortillas are soft and pliable and don't crack while rolling. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of a soft tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. (A few of mine wanted to rebel and come unrolled so I stuck a toothpick through them to keep them right and tight.)

Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they don't touch each other. When ready to bake, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and lightly sprinkle some kosher (coarse) salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Serve immediately. Taquitos can be dipped in in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or any other combination you can dream up.

Spicy Black Beans and Yellow Rice (to go with chicken enchiladas)

Spicy Black Beans: 2 cups (about 1 pound) dried black beans, picked over, soaked overnight 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 medium onion, diced 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 bay leaf Kosher salt freshly ground black pepper In a large pot, soak beans overnight covered in water by 2 inches. Drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1-inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper.

Yellow Rice: 2 cups long-grain rice 4 cups water 2 cloves garlic, smashed 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 bay leaf Put all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

This is a recipe from Tyler Florence on Foodnetwork.com......it is Very good!!!!

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:
Ingredients
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos (I removed all the seeds from all jalapenos in this recipe, and it was plenty spicy for us!)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced (I did a whole lime)

For the salsa: On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven . Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock, storebought
Chopped cilantro leaves
1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 large flour tortillas
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups sour cream
Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish
Spicy Black Beans, recipe follows
Yellow Rice, recipe follows
Guacamole, optional

Enchiladas:
Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.
Serve hot with Spicy Black Beans and Yellow Rice, the remaining tomatillo salsa, sour cream and fresh guacamole, if desired.

Black Bean Soup

John and I are really trying to cut down our grocery bill. Here is another cheap and easy meal. Also a great food storage meal.

1 medium onion chopped
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
3 (16oz.) cans black beans (undrained)
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can chicken broth
3 c. medium or hot chuncky salsa (next time I make it I'm going to use mild, a little too spicey for me)
Juice and grated peel of 1 lime

Cook onion and cumin in oil (use a large pot) over medium heat until onion is tender. Removed from heat. Puree 2 cans beans and their liquid with the chicken broth. Add to pot. Stir in remaining beans, salsa, and lime jice and peel. Bring to a boil; reduce to low heat. Simmer about 30 mintues. I topped it with grated cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro and crushed tortilla chips

Salsa Fresca with Avacados

4 medium tomatoes, diced into small pieces
1-2 avacados, also diced small
1/4 C. diced red onion (you can use a yellow onion also), dice these as small as possible!
Juice from 1 -2 limes
Cliantro (I use about 1/4- 1/2 cup)
1/2 Jalapeno pepper, seeded (optional)
Garlic salt to tast
pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, and enjoy! And yes, I don't like avacado's, but I've found that if I can't taste them, I don't mind them!

Sweet Pork Barbacoa and Lime Rice

This has been edited as of 5/10. I've changed the measurements to how I like to make it (the pork) -Candace

Sorry Candace I forgot to post this until now. I found this recipe on another blog and it actually tastes a lot like Cafe Rio's Pork. Also the rice is really good. I just cooked it in my rice cooker and it turned out great! Although I think I may have added more liquid or less rice so the rice didn't get dried out. Then I served the pork and rice together with homemade(Costco) tortillas. Jared loved it!

Ingredients:
4 lb. pork roast
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 1/4- 1 1/2 C. brown sugar, packed
1 T. cumin
2 c. Dr. Pepper
2 T. molasses
1 T. onion salt
½ t. salt
Pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients except pork, salt, and pepper until sugar is dissolved. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Place pork roast in a crock pot sprayed with Pam. Pour mixture over roast and let simmer until meat is tender and pulls away with fork. (Cook on low all day or overnight if desired.) Shred pork and return to liquid halfway through cooking time. Serve with Lime rice.


Lime Rice

Servings: 4 cups

Ingredients

2 cups Rice
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 (14 oz.) cans Chicken Broth
¾ tsp. Salt
Pepper to taste
Juice of 2 Limes
Zest of 1 lime
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro(I used more because we LOVE cilantro)
¼ tsp. cumin

Directions

Add all ingredients in Rice cooker. Or melt butter with rice in skillet. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Mexican Chowder

This is very good!

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup hot water
1 tsp. cumin
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups monterey jack cheese - shredded
1 can (16oz) cream-style corn
1 (4oz) can green chilies chopped, undrained
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 medium tomato, chopped

Brown chicken, onion and garlic in butter. Dissolve bouillon in hot water, add to pan with cumin and bring to boil. Cover and simmer 5 mins. (reduce heat) add half-and-half, cheese, corn, chilies, and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over low heat unitl cheese is melted. Stir in tomato. Serve Immediately. Makes 6-8 servings (2 quarts)

Garnish with more tomatoes and cheese.

Ooey Gooey Mexican Chicken

4-5 frozen chicken breasts
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 4 oz. can of diced green chiles
1 cup of salsa (your choice)
up to 1 Tb. cumin
up to 1 Tb. chili powder
dash of cayenne pepper
1-2 cups of monterey jack cheese

Put all of the ingredients, except the cheese, into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and add grated cheese. Let the cheese melt and then serve with a dollap of daisy (hehe) and chips. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is really yummy! They are more like chicken chalupas than chicken enchiladas, but it is definately my favorite recipe that I've tried for either. They are also really good because you make the sauce from scratch instead of using cream of chicken soup.

Ingredients

8-10 tortillas, flour or corn, I like the uncooked flour tortillas from Costco
½ cup chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers , I used two
2 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
3 cups chicken, cooked and chopped/shredded
black olives (optional)
tomatoes (optional)
green onions (optional)
Jalapenos, diced (optional) I only used half of one and thought it added a lot of flavor without being too hot.

Directions

Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in 350* oven for 10 minutes to soften.For Sauce: In a saucepan, cook onion, garlic, salt and pepper in the butter until the onion is tender. Stir the flour into the sour cream, and then add to the onion mixture.Stir in broth and chili peppers all at once. (and jalapenos if adding)Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.Remove from heat; stir in 1 C of the cheese.For Filling: Stir 1/2 C of the sauce into the chicken, mixing well.Place about 2-3 soup-spoon-size of mixture on each tortilla and roll up.Arrange rolls, seam side down, in a lightly greased 12x8x2 baking dish.Top with remaining sauce.Bake, covered, in 350* oven for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes.If Desired: garnish tops with olives, tomatoes, and cheese.