CAFE RIO JUNKIE!

I know you're out there...those of you who secretly crave the goodness of Cafe Rio nightly. Don't worry, you're not alone! There is no Cafe Rio in MA, and needless to say, Tim and I have been going through withdrawals! We felt as though we should do something about it...so after an internet search and a few alterations, here is what we came up with...it was so good that we had to share! So here you are fellow junkies, our version of Cafe Rio's grilled chicken salad:

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 ranch envelope (made as per dressing recipe with a little less mayo and milk as calls for)
2 tomatillos (don't get this confused with green tomatoes!)
1 bunch of cilantro
1-2 cloves garlic
Juice of 2 limes
Few drops of tobasco sauce
Ground Red pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Make ranch dressing as per recipe on back. Using a food processor, blend remaining ingredients. Stir blended mixture into ranch mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken
4 chicken breasts
3/4 cup Italian dressing
1-2 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin (use same amount as chili powder)
2 cloves garlic
Ground Red Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and place chicken into marinade. Grill until cooked through. (Side note...this recipe is not exact...but it is good...it gets drenched in the dressing anyway, so plain grilled or even lime grilled chicken would be great!)

Rice
1 1/2 c water
2 chicken boullion cubes
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 to full bunch cilantro
1/2 to whole can green chilis (depending on if you like them or not, we used a 1/2)
1 tsp salt
1 TBL butter
1 small onion
1 1/2 c rice

Boil water in a pot on stove. Add remaining ingredients. Boil covered 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit until rice is cooked through.

How to put it all together!
Take big flour tortillas and sprinkle cheese on top and place them in the oven long enough to melt the cheese. Then, take your rice and pile it on. Then take black or pinto beans and pile those on. Take a prefabbed salad mix and place the greens atop! Then the chicken. Fresh diced tomatoes, or pico de gallo, and avocado! Ooh Yum, you're almost there! And crunch up tortilla chips (hint of lime would be best!) And drench it in the dressing. But most importantly, ENJOY!

PS...please, please, please let me know what you think if you decide to give it a try!