Casa del Rio Copy Cat Salad Recipe

 Tom and I really enjoy the Chef’s Diet Salad at Casa del Rio. It has a bed of lettuce with scoops of machaca (moist, not dried), shredded chicken, cottage cheese, and sliced avocado on top. We like to use their salsa as the salad dressing, too. We like to eat a lot of salads during the summer and I decided to try to replicate that one because chuck roasts were on sale. It came out really good! Here is the recipe. I don’t have measurements for everything yet. I might update as I go along. WARNING: this will feed a whole lot of people!

INGREDIENTS

•        Several bags of Veggie Lover’s salad (each bag will make 3-4 servings)
•        Avocados, sliced
•        Cottage cheese
•        Black olives
•        Cherry tomatoes
•        Your favorite salsa or salad dressing of choice (we bought a quart of Casa del Rio’s salsa for $12)

CHICKEN

•        Rotisserie chicken (I like the ones from Costco), shredded with all skin removed
•        ½ to 1 cup chicken broth

MACHACA

•        6 lbs. chuck roast (boneless)
•        2 Tbsp. chili powder
•        4 tsp. cumin
•        4 tsp garlic powder
•        4 tsp. oregano
•        2 tsp. paprika
•        1 tsp cayenne pepper
•        Salt & pepper to taste
•        ½ to 1 cup beef broth

INSTRUCTIONS

CHICKEN

1.      Shred the entire rotisserie chicken, removing all skin and bones.

2.      Place the meat in chicken broth to keep moist and heat in a crock pot on low for about 2 hours.

MACHACA

1.      Place chuck roast in crock pot.

2.      Add all seasoning and beef broth.

3.      Cook on low for 8 hours.

4.      Remove meat from crock pot and shred with forks, removing and discarding all fat.

5.      Return shredded meat to crock pot for an hour or so to reheat.

ASSEMBLE SALAD

1.      For each portion, place some Veggie Lover’s salad in a large bowl.

2.      Add black olives and cherry tomatoes to the salad.

3.      Place 3-4 slices of avocadoes on top of the salad.

4.      Add a scoop each of cottage cheese, shredded chicken, and machaca to the salad.

5.      Pour on the salsa or your salad dressing of choice.

Enjoy!!!

BEEF STROGANOFF

 

 

4QT                            6-8QT                         INGREDIENTS

1 lb                              2 lbs                            Beef stew meat – 1in. pieces

1 tbsp                         2 tbsp                            flour

1 tbsp                         2 tbsp                           Shortening

1 4-oz can                 2 4-oz cans                    Mushrooms, drained (reserve liquid)

1                                  2                                  Onions, medium, sliced

1 tsp                            2tsp                              Salt

¼ tsp                          ½ tsp                             Pepper

Dash                          ¼ tsp                             Ground Marjoram

2 tsp                            4 tsp                            Dry Mustard

3 tbsp                         6 tbsp                           Catsup

½ cup                         1 cup                           Dairy Sour Cream

 

1.  Roll beef in flour, brown in hot shortening in pressure cooker.

 

2.  Add enough water to reserved mushroom liquid to measure ¾ cup.  (Use 1 ½ cups for 6-8qt recipe).  Add mushrooms, mushroom-water mixture and remaining ingredients except sour cream to cooker.

 

3.  Cover, set pressure cooker for 30 minutes.

 

4.  Cool cooker normally for 5 minutes, then release pressure slowly by opening the valve.

 

5. Stir in sour cream; heat through.  Serve with egg noodles.

CROCKPOT BEEF AND BROCCOLI

1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips
1 cup beef consumme
½ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar or honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooled sauce from the crock pot after being cooked

Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired)
Hot cooked rice (brown rice, or riced cauliflower)

Directions
1. Place beef in a crock pot.
2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar/honey, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine. (If your sauce is not thickening, try bringing your sauce to a boil on the stovetop with the corn starch mixture. Boil until your desired consistency is reached).
4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).
6. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Perfect Rib Roast

I have tried for years to make a good Prime Rib, but every time I tried it tasted just like a regular roast. Last December I finally came up with a way to make the Perfect Rib Roast by combining three or four recipes. It's important to follow all these directions exactly or it won't turn out!

Note: Requires the use of a meat thermometer.

Ingredients:
Standing Rib Roast, minimum 3 ribs (~8 lbs.)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Butter

1 package Au Jus mix
Beef broth

Horse Radish (optional)

Directions:

1. Let roast stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
3. Use a paper towel to pat the roast dry
4. Rub butter on the cut ends of the roast
5. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder together
6. Make 1/2 inch deep slits all over the top and sides of the roast
7. Rub seasonings all over the roast, covering all exposed meat
8. Place the roast uncovered on a rack in a heavy metal pan, bone side down/fat side up
9. Cook at 500 degrees for 15 minutes
10. Reduce heat to 185 degrees and cook for another 2 hours
11. Increase heat to 200 degrees for remainder of cooking time (expect 5-6 hours total cooking time for rare to medium rare, 8 lb. roast)
12. Remove from oven when internal temperature reaches about 120° - 125°. Make sure to insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the roast not touching bone or fat.
13. Cover the roast with foil and let sit for 20-30 minutes. It will continue to cook during this time, reaching a temperature about 5° higher than when pulled out of the oven. This resting period allows the juices and flavors to permeate the roast.
14. While roast is standing, prepare the Au Jus according to the package directions. Pour the small amount of drippings left in the pan and some beef broth into the Au Jus. Do not thicken...you may use this as gravy over mashed potatoes as well as dipping the roast into like Prime Rib.

Serve with Horse Radish if desired.

Rare meats are 120° to 125° with a bright red center that grows slightly pinkish towards the exterior.
Medium rare meats are 130° to 135° with extremely pink center that grows brown towards the exterior.
Medium meats are 140° to 145° with a light pink center and brown exterior.
Medium well is not pink at all and measures 150° to 155°.
Well done is at 160° and above and is uniformly brown.