Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Top secret recipe




My hubby would KILL me if he knew that I was posting this - although he got it from a girl at work, he swears that he's got some big secret. It may or may not be the exact recipe that Cafe Rio uses for their tomatillo dressing. But if its not, I cannot tell the difference. Neither can my kids - they beg for this stuff. We make quesadillas with those great tortillas you get from Costco (the ones that come as dough, and you have to cook yourself that taste as good as Cafe Rio's). And contrary to popular belief, there is no crack in this stuff!

Anyway, enjoy:

Cafe Rio Tomatillo Dressing

1 pkg Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dressing
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tomatillos
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 cup of minced cilantro (just the leaves - no stems)
1/2 tsp lime juice
1 small Jalapeno (seeds removed)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. I think it tastes much better if you let it chill in the fridge for a day before consuming. Obviously you can use it as a salad dressing, but my kids prefer to just dip quesadillas into it.

And just in case you're not familar with the goodness that is Cafe Rio (oh how I pitty the poor soul), don't worry - I don't even like Ranch dressing, but this stuff is so good!

Edited to add:

This is a tomatillo. I find them in the produce section, usually by the jalapenos. They are a bit smaller than golf ball size. Hope that helps!

15 comments:

Stephanie said...

I love this dressing. I put it on everything when I make it. I have the Pork recipe too, and it is so yummy.

tiburon said...

Oh yeah! Love this recipe! I have the rice, pork and chicken recipes too - they are all pretty darn close to the real deal :)

carrie said...

I love the dressing, too!! I've made it before...and I think it's fantastic. Hey, tell me where the tortillas are at Cosco...that you're talking about. I guess I'm really dumb....I've never seen them before, but I've heard people talking about how yummy they are. Help!! :o)

Anne Marie said...

THANK YOU for this recipe! I love that dressing, and I also don't like ranch dressing. Where are the tortillas at Costco? I totally want to get some next time I go. Oh, how I love Cafe Rio. My faves are the steak salad and the tortilla soup.

Also, I would like to request more ghost stories if you have them. Yikes, I was so freaked out! And was that one person kidding when she commented and said she didn't leave the last sentence of her first comment that said, "You'll have to keep sharing"? Because that really freaked me out!!!

The Gatherum Family said...

Thanks Christie-I am making the pork burritos this week for din-din and this will complete the meal-you are awesome! Are you having a better week this week? How's the daycare stuff coming along? I wish I knew an alternative for you-the whole situation sucks. Well, I'm thinking of you!

Kristine said...

I'm glad you said to let it chill for a day. I have this recipe, but I've only made it once. It didn't quite taste right so I wonder if it would be better if I let it chill! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Sounds yummy Christie! And you can totally add me :)

Christie said...

Thanks for asking Adrianne! Yes - I am doing much better this week. Its amazing how cathartic it is to even just post my feelings and get it off my chest - and then to read back and see just how silly I sounded. Of course I am finally feeling better physically, and I think that makes a huge difference as well. Oh - and my hubby has a lead on a possibly good job, so we have our fingers crossed.

Gina said...

Oh thanks Christie...Jerry and I miss Cafe Rio soooooo bad. We crave it like crazy, we are going to eat there a ton when we come out this summer!!! I will have to try this recipe for sure!!

Savage Family said...

You are so funny so did you hubby find out that you posted this??

janae said...

All I can say is MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Keep posting recipes. I'm trying to make dinner more often. Keep us posted on the job search and good luck.

Lindsay said...

Does your hubby read your blog - funny. This is so yum, thanks for posting it.

Oceanchild said...

I'm going to have to try this, but I just know that dressing will be the cause of some serious weight gain. Thanks for posting. It's making me hungry!

Jess T said...

Mmm...might have to try this one.

Chelsea said...

Oh man, I'm totally going to have to try this. That dressing is the best part of a Cafe Rio salad!