Taco Pasta Salad

This is the perfect summer salad.

Taco Pasta Salad

2C. uncooked spiral pasta
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 Pkg. Taco Seasoning
3 C. Shredded Lettuce
1 Tomato (Chopped)
1 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C Chopped onion
1/2 C Chopped Green Pepper
1/2 C Catalina Salad Dressing
Tortilla Strips or Chips

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink: drain. Stir in taco seasoning: cool.

Drain pasta and rinse in cold water: stir into meat mixture. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onion, green pepper, and salad dressing: toss to coat. Serve with tortilla strips or chips.

Chocolate Lava Muffins

These little Muffins are quite a chocolate treat!

Chocolate Lava Muffins
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Makes 1 Dozen

8 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 Stick Butter
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. Sugar
3 TBS. Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
4 Eggs
Butter, to coat muffin tin
1 TBS. Cocoa
Ice Cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Sift these into the chocolate and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat at high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, approximately 4 minutes. Chill mixture.

Coat the top of each cup of the muffin tin with butter. Dust with the cocoa and shake out excess. Spoon mixture into pan. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Outsides should be cake-like and centers should be gooey.

Serve warm with ice cream on top!

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork Burrito

My husband's favorite restaurant is Cafe Rio. Living in Houston he only gets to have them when we visit Utah which is closes to never. I found this copy cat recipe from http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/ and I think she does a pretty close version of it. I think that it is a bit of work to get the meal on the table, but well worth it in the end.
For the sauce:
1 small can diced chilies
1 7 oz. can Salsa Verde
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm. You can also refrigerate it overnight after simmering if you are making it in advance (My husband said it tasted even better the next day after all the flavors had settled). Just reheat in the small saucepan before serving.

For the burrito:
1 LARGE tortilla shell (click HERE)
1 large scoop rice (click HERE)
1 large scoop beans (click HERE)
1 large scoop sweet pork (click HERE)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, to taste
Green Enchilada Sauce (see recipe above)
Lettuce
Pico de gallo
Guacamole
Sour cream

Roll up rice, beans, pork and cheese in large tortilla shell to form the burrito. Slather with a big ladle full of the green enchilada sauce and top with additional Monterey Jack cheese. Place in the oven at 450-degrees until cheese is melted. Serve with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and/or sour cream.

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork

2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

CAFE RIO'S CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 medium potatoes
1/2 c. sour cream
¼ c. butter (melted)
2 c. shredded cheese
1/4 c. bacon bits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes for 1 hour. When Potatoes are cool, cut in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out some of the potato, leaving about ¼ inch of potato inside the skin. Set aside the extra potato that was scooped out. Brush entire surface of each skin, inside and out, with butter. Place skins on cookie sheet, face up, and broil for 6-8 min. Use a potato masher to mix remaining potato, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits and scoop into the skins. Sprinkle shredded cheese and extra bacon bits over the tops. Broil for about 2 more minutes. Dip in sour cream or ranch if desired