Tomatillo Ranch Dressing! Try me!

 

Have you heard of Cafe Rio???  Their salads are one of my favorite addictions.   And their salad dressings are immensely popular and delicious!  I was going to stop posting recipes due to my cooking defectiveness, but I'm fickle.  Our tomatillos and jalapenos were begging to be picked this morning, so I had to make some Cafe Rio-like dressing for our late lunch today.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not buttermilk)
1 c. mayonnaise
(I use olive oil mayo.)
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
3 medium-sized tomatillos
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 2 limes
1 jalapeno
(Seeds are optional, dependent upon hotness capabilities.  I used about half of the seeds.)

Blend everything and enjoy!

This dressing is ultimately spectacular on a copycat Cafe Rio Barbacoa Pork salad.  Here's my version from a couple of months ago.  The pork is buried.

I based my dressing and my salad off of a recipe found here.  I was too lazy to make the salad today.  We just used it as veggie and chicken dip.  This plate didn't last long.  Evie abrubtly ended my photo shoot and devoured everything!  

Grumpy Grateful Mom Goal of the Day:  Appreciating our weed-filled, but productive garden.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend!

The Ultimate Summer Recipe!

Baked Cinnamon Crisps with Fabulous Fruit Salsa

 Must Try!

Really.  Truthfully.  I have never made this without rave reviews.  I first discovered this recipe here and have been making numerous versions ever since.  It is very easy and oh so delicious! 

Baked Cinnamon Crisps
16 medium-sized flour tortillas
Butter-flavored cooking spray
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat both sides of tortillas with cooking spray, then cut into triangles with a pizza cutter.  (I cut four at a time). Combine cinnamon and sugar in bowl.  Dip coated triangles in cinnamon-sugar.  Place triangles on parchment or foil-covered baking sheet and bake until gold brown, about 12 minutes.  These can be made even weeks ahead.

Fabulous Fruit Salsa

1 lb. fresh strawberries
8 ounces raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 peach or nectarine
2 kiwis
2 apples (I used 1 Fuji and 1 Golden Delicious)
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons peach fruit preserves (adjust amount to desired sweetness)
a bit of lime juice

Chop all fruit, saving apples for last to prevent browning. (I usually use my Black and Decker Food Chopper).  Combine fruit with sugar, preserves, and lime juice.  Keep refrigerated and enjoy with crisps!

Grateful Mom Goal of the Day:  Appreciating the day and salsa with my family.

Buttermilk Syrup with a side of German Pancake!

Just in case you haven't made Buttermilk Syrup yet--you MUST!  It is so easy and comes out as a divine gooey caramel sauce.  We usually put ours on German Pancakes, but it tastes delectable on just about anything.

Buttermilk Syrup
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine everything, except vanilla, in a large pot (syrup will boil up) and start stirring.  Bring to a boil and keep boiling for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently.    Syrup is done when it  turns a light golden brown color.  Remove from heat and add vanilla. That's it!              

German Pancakes
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss butter into a 9x13 in. baking pan.  Place pan in oven, while it is heating, to melt butter. Combine milk, flour, and eggs in the blender and blend well.  Pour mixture into hot baking dish and cook for about 20 minutes until golden and puffy.  Eat right away! 

For Volcano Pancake variation top with cheddar cheese immediately out of the oven.  Last night, I topped mine with raspberries, syrup, and sour cream that I mixed with a little brown sugar.

This was my first serving of five!

I needed to double my German Pancake recipe for my family of 6.  Just one batch of Buttermilk Syrup makes plenty.  My kids and husband kept stealing extra syrup even after the pancakes were gone!

Grateful Mom Goal of the Day:  Eat something a bit healthier for dinner tonight.