Baja Chicken Pizza with Bacon and Cilantro

This is another recipe from a friend from K-ville(You can check out her cooking blog here). Very yummy! I just used my pizza crust recipe found here.

Baja Chicken Pizza with Bacon and Cilantro

3/4 c. Open Pit BBQ sauce
2 c. cooked, diced chicken
3/4 - 1 lb. good bacon, cooked and torn into medium pieces
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1/2 c. thinly sliced red onion
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 425 degrees. With lightly greased hands, form dough into a pizza crust by using fingertips to spread dough outwards on counter top. Once in a disk about 6-8 inches in diameter, hold dough up by one edge and rotate around to let the weight of the dough stretch itself out, taking care to not let the center get too thin, but encouraging the edges to stretch as well, until 14 inches in diameter. Remove hot stone from oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place dough on hot stone and situate so it fits nicely over stone. Brush sauce over crust with a pastry brush or bottom of large pasta spoon,getting some on edges of crust. Then sprinkle chicken, bacon, half of cheese, then red onion and cilantro over as well. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes until crust and cheese is lightly browned.

Oreo Bon Bons

Oreo Bon Bons

1 package Oreo cookies
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
Almond Bark

Crush up Oreos to crumbs.(I grind them in the blender in small batches.) Mix crumbs thoroughly with cream cheese(I think mixing with my hands works the best). Roll into balls(they don't need to be very big because the coating makes them even bigger). Melt almond bark according to package directions. I use vanilla flavored, and I find it easiest to melt it in the microwave. Dip cookie balls in the almond bark. Place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. You can then drizzle them with chocolate bark, or just melted chocolate chips or bakers chocolate. Refrigerate to help the coating set. I think these are best chilled. They freeze well and will last a while.

*These are a family favorite and a hit with everyone who tries them. They make great neighbor gifts. So good!!

Cafe Rio Feast

This is amazingly similar to Cafe Rio's pork salad. It is delicious!! I got all of these recipes from various friends when we live in the 'Ville, and we will be forever grateful.

Café Rio Pork
3# Pork roast (butt or shoulder)
1 c Worcestershire sauce
1 t dried oregano
1 t powdered ginger
1 t salt
1 t chili powder
1 t garlic powder
2 T dried minced onions

Cook all ingredients in a crock pot all day. One hour before serving, remove roast and shred it, dump out cooking juices. Put shredded pork back into crock pot and add…
1 c dark brown sugar
1 c red enchilada sauce


Cafe Rio black beans
1 can black beans
1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Heat oil, cumin, and garlic. Throw in the rest until warm

Café Rio Lime Rice (Larry said this was better than Café Rios lime rice)
1 c white rice
2 T chicken broth, + broth to cook rice in
1 T fresh lime juice
1 T garlic powder
1 T dried minced onion
Pinch of salt

Cook all ingredients for rice directions, substituting chicken broth for water. When rice is done, add…
½-1 c chopped cilantro
1 T fresh lime juice
1 c green enchilada sauce

Guacamole (Larry said this was a good guacamole recipe, we just couldn't get very good avocados. I cut this recipe in half, and we still had plenty of guacamole.)
4 ripe Haas avocados
3 Tbs squeezed lemon juice (I think I add more)
8 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper. (I'm pretty sure I always end up adding more salt.)


Café Rio Chicken salad Creamy Tomatillos Dressing(I used this on the pork salad, so I didn’t make the chicken, but I’m including it in case you want to try it with the chicken.)

3 Tomatillos
1 c. cilantro, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 c. buttermilk
½ c. sour cream
½ c. mayonnaise
1 pkt. Ranch buttermilk dressing mix

Husk and cut the tomatillos into quarters, put under a broiler for 7 minutes, then chop or mince. Mix together all ingredients and chill.

Saute chicken in olive oil and garlic. Serve on top of lettuce topped with cucumbers, tomatoes and cheese with the dressing.

How to assemble a Café Rio Salad:
One very large tortilla, toasted with a little cheddar cheese (We like to use the uncooked tortillas found near the cheese section. Then you just heat them up on a low temp in a frying pan, and then melt a little cheese on it.)

chopped greens (romaine, I think)
lime rice and beans (your choice of pinto or black)
your choice of meat (their famous BBQ pork, steak, or grilled chicken)
pico de gallo
guacamole
a few cilantro sprigs
a lime wedge
some kind of Mexican style cheese, when Larry looked it up online it is called Cotija cheese. I found it near sour cream.
tortilla strips, fried and crispy
creamy tomatillo dressing