Today we are celebrating because Kallie (who is my daughter and Melody’s niece, and works for Brave Girls Club and is married to Jeff, our Office Manager and support guy) is in the hospital delivering baby Sophie today! So since today is a crazy busy day, we are just posting ONE awesome thing…but it is a VERY awesome thing that we think you’re going to LOVE and KEEP and USE! Here you go…
Awesome Recipe for a Crowd
from Brave Girl Camp: Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad
“This is the MOST REQUESTED RECIPE from Brave Girl Camp and now it is YOURS! This is so delicious and SO easy to prepare for a big crowd. So if you are looking for something to serve at a big Christmas celebration, I heartily recommend this salad, served buffet style (everyone makes their own). It’s a big hit with everyone, too…women, men, kids…everyone loves it. And since you let them serve themselves, everyone gets to customize theirs exactly the way they like it.
It’s easy to make assignments if people are bringing food to help out (you bring the cheese, you bring the lettuce, you bring the lime rice, etc.). The recipe is pretty fool-proof. This is the first meal we serve at Brave Girl Camp, and it is DELICIOUS and AWESOME! Enjoy!”
CAFÉ RIO SALAD
serves 10-12
Pork:
4 Lbs Pork Roast, boneless
40 Oz. Tomato Sauce
3 Tsp. Pressed Garlic Cloves (I used minced)
2 C Brown Sugar
4 tsp. Cumin
4 C Dr. Pepper
3 Tbs. Molasses
½ tsp. Salt
Pepper to Taste
Salt and pepper the pork roast (pork shoulder works great). Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the pork in a crock pot. Cook about 8 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high, or until pork is super tender. Use two forks to pull it apart into bit-size chunks.
Lime Rice:
2 T Butter
1 ¼ C. Rice
2 ¼ C Chicken Broth
¾ tsp Salt
Pepper
Juice & Zest of 1 large or 2 small limes
2 Tb Cilantro, chopped
¼ tsp cumin
In a skillet, melt butter with rice and add liquid and other ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Creamy Cilantro Dressing:
1 16 oz. jar of green salsa
1 pkg buttermilk ranch dressing
½ C. Sour Cream
½ C. Lowfat Mayo
½ C. Buttermilk
1 C. Fresh Cilantro
2 Cloves Pressed Garlic
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp. Salt
2 T Fresh Lime Juice
½ tsp Cumin
½ C. Sugar
Few drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.
Pico de Gallo
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 C minced cilantro (or more if you like)
minced jalapeno to taste (if you like it hot)
juice of 1 or 2 limes
salt and pepper to taste
Additional Ingredients:
Lettuce – 2 heads shredded
Shredded cheese – 3 cups
Crispy Tortilla Strips – 1 bag
Black Beans - 3 cans – undrained and heated
Flour tortillas – optional (Best with the fresh uncooked tortillas you can find at Costco or Walmart in the refrigerator section. Cook them on a hot griddle first, of course. )
Set out all the components on a table or bar in separate serving bowls. Everyone builds their own salad…this is the order we like best: tortilla, lettuce, rice (1/4 c), pork (generous scoop), black beans (1/4 c) , pico de gallo, shredded cheese, tortilla strips, and then cilantro dressing.
To make ahead: You can make the rice and pork ahead of time and freeze them…then just thaw and reheat. Be careful not to stir the rice too much during reheating so that it remains whole and fluffy. You can also make the dressing ahead of time. Just leave out the cilantro and keep it in a quart jar in the refrigerator. At the last minute, throw it in a blender with the cilantro and pulse until it’s blended.
Thanks to Chelsea (Camp Kitchen Manager) for this fantastic recipe. You will LOVE it!
love, kathy
(Now I’m off to check on Kallie’s progress!)
