You MUST try this!

I don't know if many of you know this but I LOVE to cook and try new recipes all the time. Lately Tim and My roommate Courtney have been my victims, meaning I make them dinner a number of times during the week ( I can't say every night but pretty close). These past two weeks I have had a craving, and I just couldn't control it! It was for a Cafe Rio Chicken salad. Cafe Rio is a restaurant that I would frequent when I lived in Utah. Their salads are SO good!! Its the combination of their salad dressing and marinated chicken that makes it so yummy. Below are the recipes for the dressing and chicken. You must try it, even if you have never had Cafe Rio! It turned out so good that I am having it for lunch today. Cafe Rio Style Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing: 2 cups prepared Ranch Dressing (I usually use a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk mix, but you can make your own Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing or Buttermilk Dressing if you prefer) 1 small bunch cilantro, large stems removed (about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro) 2 large or 4 small tomatillos 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 2 T fresh lime juice 1 tsp. Green Tabasco sauce or 1 diced jalapeno pepper Prepare Ranch dressing according to directions on the package or recipe you're following and set aside. Remove large cilantro stems, then wash leaves and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Add cilantro to food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until finely chopped. (If you don't have a food processor, I'd chop all ingredients well by hand and then blend dressing in a blender.) Add tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, and Green Tabasco or chopped jalapeno to the food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely pureed. Add the 2 cups of prepared dressing and pulse just a few times, until ingredients are well combined. Chill dressing for an hour or two and serve. Friday, February 29, 2008 Cafe Rio Chicken This is a "copy-cat" recipe from a restaurant in Utah called Cafe Rio. They have the most amazing shredded chicken salads ever. I miss those like Californians miss In-N-Out when they move out of state. This recipe is supposed to taste like the shredded chicken they use in their salads. I'd have to say it's pretty darn close. Cafe Rio Chicken Supposedly from Cafe Rio, tweaked slightly by Natalie. 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 1/2 c Italian dressing 1T minced garlic 1 T chili powder juice from one lime 1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped Place chicken in a 4-6 qt. slow cooker. Pour dressing over top and sprinkle with chili powder and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4. Remove chicken from pot, shred with a couple of forks, then put it back in the pot. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes. Add lime juice and cilantro. OKAY NEXT.... Heat up a wheat tortilla and place it in a bowl. Then Add the following: Black beans Corn ( I added stewed tomatoes to the corn with hot sauce in a skillet) Chicken Salad mix ( I did a spring mix but cafe Rio does romaine) Avocado ( optional) Dressing sprinkle tablespoon of cheese ( your choice) Also I tried to make it a little healthier but adding lighter ingredients. I used Light Italian dressing and mayo. Have fun!