Bajio Chicken, Sweet Rice, and Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

These recipes are all courtesy of Jessica Gerber. She gave them out during our first little recipe exchange, so I am posting them in case you didn't make it, and also since I have had so many requests since I made it myself.

It is delish! So thank you Jessica!

Bajio Chicken
5 chicken breast
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tb cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
6 oz. can of sprite (1/2 can) or you can buy the small cans that are about 7 oz.

combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Bajio Sweet Rice
1 Tb veg oil
1/2 of a white onion, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/3 c long grain rice
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup white sugar

Pour oil into bottom of pan. Saute onion until translucent. Add chopped cilantro (no big stems) and saute a minute more.
Add the rice, cooking until it is light brown (be careful not to burn).
Combine the chicken broth and sugar, letting sugar dissolve. Stir into rice until combined. Bring to a boil. Cover and let cook on low, med-low until rice is done, about 25-30 minutes. fluff with fork before serving.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2-3 limes)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed

In the blender combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combines. With the blender running, add oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. If possible, refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Beirdneau Mexican Pork

Brent and I made up this recipe one day. After trying LOTS of cafe rio recipes and being disappointed, we just wanted a mexican pulled pork. Surprisingly this tastes a lot like cafe rio's to me. But I am not going to claim it as a cafe rio knock off. It is just mexican pulled pork that you can eat in burritos, salads etc..

Sorry if the recipe is rather vague.

Ingredients

1 pork roast 

2 cups of coke

BBQ spice rub

Sauce: 

1/2 c apple cider vinegar

1 c ketchup

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c diced onion, or, 1/4 dried onion

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 Tb chili powder

1. Trim off any excess fat from pork roast, and place in crock pot. Pour enough coke on top so that it covers half of the height of the roast (around 2 cups). Generously sprinkle BBQ spice rub on top till it is completely covered. 

2. Cook roast 6-8 hours on low, or until roast can be shredded easily.

3. Shred roast and reserve juices.

4. Put shredded pork back into crock pot

5. Make sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3-4 minutes.

6. Pour sauce over shredded pork. Add reserved juices so that pork is moist and juicy.

Enjoy!

(hope this recipe makes some sense. I just sorta make it, no exact recipe!)

Beirdneau Salsa and Guacamole

I am posting this because we get asked for it all the time. It originally was my brother in-laws salsa recipe (sshh... don't tell him I am sharing), but Brent has changed a few things and made it his own.

There are no exact measurements and honestly tastes a little different every time. But you can play around with the flavors to make it how you like it.

2 cans rotel

1 medium onion

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch of cilantro

2 cloves of garlic

1 Tb sugar

dash of salt

2 heaped spoons of jalapenos

1/2 lime, juiced

Combine all ingredients in blender, pulse a few times till everything is chopped. We like it a little chunky, but honestly it depends on your blender. (you could try a food processor if you have one)

Guacamole

2 avocados

1 1/2 Tb of above salsa 

sprinkle of salt

1/2 lime juiced

Smash avocados, add other ingredients, and you are done! yum!

Oven fried chicken chimichangas

1 1/2 cups chicken breast, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2/3 cup salsa

1 tsp cumin

1 cup cheddar cheese 

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 Tb melted butter

Saute onion and chicken till cooked. Stir in salsa and cumin.

Warm tortillas, pour a little bit of butter on plate. Rub one side of tortilla in the butter, so it has a light coating.

Place about 1/2 cup of chicken mixture in center of tortilla, top with cheese, roll tortilla up and place seam side down on baking sheet.

Bake 400 degrees, for 25 min, or until they are golden brown and crunchy.

(note: I have put lots of different things in these, you can do steak, ground beef, re-fried beans, also can sub onions for green onions etc.... have fun!)