Lemon-Rosemary Layer Cake

This was the dessert that we had for Eden's baby blessing. My sister, Heather, made them into cupcakes. They are really delicious. But the cake is 756 calories a slice! Eep!


Cake:
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
4 c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. sour cream
6 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. grated lemon peel
3 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

Frosting:
2 pkg. (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened
8 1/4 c. powdered sugar
3 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 1/4 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon juice, peel and rosemary.

Transfer to three greased and floured 9-in round baking pans. Bake at 350 degree for 25-30 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon peel and juice; beat until smooth.

Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 16 servings.

Pico de Gallo

This should be with the Cafe Rio recipes. I forgot it.

8-10 Roma tomatoes (seeded)
1 onion
1 jalapeno pepper
2 medium cloves garlic
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon olive oil (I've never done this)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
*2 avocados

Seed and dice tomatoes. Chop onion, jalapeno and garlic to a fine consistency. To these ingredients, add the fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil and lime. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Best if served the next day.

*I don't put the avocado each time. Usually I do it with tacos, but not Cafe Rio. Since they don't use it. The avocados make it go bad faster though.

Brazilian Lemonade

From Our Best Bites.

Brazilian Lemonade

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk


Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (with hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you're using the WHOLE lime. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk. If it's bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.

Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don't make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

My husband has been making this since before we decided we liked Cafe Rio (we were anti for a while). This dressing is awesome. And such a nice use of the tomatillos we grow in the garden.

3 fresh tomatillos, cut into quarters
1 pkg. Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing powder mix
1 cup mayonnaise*
1/3 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. crushed cayenne pepper OR 1 jalapeno pepper

--Combone all ingredients in a blender and refrigerate at least one hour.

*For thicker dressing reduce mayonnaise to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup sour cream to mixture.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

So I'm actually a huge fan of the pinto beans, but I made this one because everyone else seems to like them so much. My husband tells me these are pretty tasty.

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a skillet, saute garlic and cumin in the olive oil in medium heat. Add beans, tomato juice and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in cilantro.

Cafe Rio Lime Rice

3 cups water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
4 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
1 tsp. lime juice
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cups rice (long grain white rice)

Mix together bouillon, garlic, cilantro, green chilies, lime juice, salt and butter in food processor or blender. Put rice, water and blended mixture into rice cooker. Cook in rice cooker until rice is fully softened.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

I actually don't like the sweet pork, but most people do, so here is the recipe. I hear it tasted very yummy.

6 pounds pork (use pork butt cut or picnic roast)
1 (16-oz.) salsa
1 (12-oz.) Coke
1-2 c. brown sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)

Put in crock pot and cook on high for five hours. Shred pork, put back in crock pot and cook for three more hours on low.

Cafe Rio Chicken

We just got through with our (hopefully) last baby blessing. And we did Cafe Rio Salads. It was awesome and here are the recipes we used. Starting with the chicken.

1 (8-oz.) Bottle Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Cumin
3 Cloves minced garlic
5 pounds chicken breast
--Put all ingredients into a crock pot on high for 4 hours, low for 6-7 hours. Shred chicken then place back in crock pot for an additional hour.