Birthday Party Recipes

Cafe Rio Style Salad Recipes

Sweet Pork

2 lbs. pork
3 cans coke (not diet)
1/4 c brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c water
1 can sliced green chiles
3/4 can enchilada sauce
1 c brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. Add about a ccan and a half of coke and about 1/4 c brown sugar. Marinate 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 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get too dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can coke, chiles, 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 crock pot and cook on low for two hours. Serve on bed of lettuce, with beans (recipe below), rice, cilantro lime dressing (recipe below), sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese and/or other salad ingredients of your choice.


Black Beans

2 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/3 c tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped
Optional: drained can of corn, chili powder

In non-stick 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, add cilantro.

You can also add a can of drained corn with a dash of chili powder and cumin.


Cilantro Lime Dressing

1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 c mayo
1 c buttermilk
2 tomatillos, husks removed, diced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno, sliced (I only use half and NO seeds to keep it fairly mild)

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.


Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 c 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 juice, 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.


All of these recipes seem like a lot of work, but it really goes quite quickly. Enjoy!