Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

I have searched high and low for a GOOD ZUPA'S COPYCAT Wisconsin Cauliflower soup recipe. I've tried a bunch. THIS ONE IS EVEN BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL!!

I took ideas from a few different recipes and came up with this. My 14 year old (picky picky eater) claims this is better than the Zupa's soup. I agree!!

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup (Zupa's copycat)

3 Tbsp butter
2 lbs cauliflower florets, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c AP flour
16 oz chicken stock
1 pint heavy cream
1 1/2 c water
8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (keep some for garnish)
1 1/2 t Dijon mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

In a large pot, melt butter over medium low heat. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes until translucent. Whisk in the flour and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream and water. Add cauliflower and heat until boiling. Reduce heat and cook about 15 minutes - until the cauliflower is cooked through.

Transfer to a blender in batches to blend the soup to a luxurious texture.

Transfer back to cooking pot, add salt, pepper, Dijon and cheese a little at a time to let it incorporate into the soup. Cook for about 10 minutes to allow it all to come together. Serve warm!

The Cheesecake Factory 4 Cheese Pasta Dupe

We just got back from a soccer tournament in Las Vegas. I feel like we ate 24/7 - we always chose somewhere easy to get into. So our last dinner there was at the Cheesecake Factory.

Our 10 year old ordered this dish and she FELL IN LOVE. She took her leftovers back to the hotel and her sister (who chose to go bowling w her teammates instead of go with us) came back starved and asked to eat those leftovers - our 10 year old wouldn't share no matter what. I ended up promising her that I would find a dupe and make it for dinner later that week. It was a deal - so here is the recipe I followed! The only real difference in the one I made from all the other recipes out there is that I didn't add eggs - we have a child allergic so I just omitted them.

Doesn't look real pretty - but she was OVER THE MOON!

Cheesecake Factory 4 Cheese Pasta Dupe

8 oz Penne pasta
24 oz Marinara Sauce
1 c Ricotta
2 ¼ c Mozarella, grated
¼ c chopped fresh basil
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper, freshly ground
4 Fresh mozzarella balls, cut into quarters
¾ c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Garnish
2 T ricotta cheese
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 11x8-inch (3.5 Quart)baking dish.
In a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, cook Penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking, heat marinara sauce in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, fresh basil, garlic powder and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Add hot pasta and the heated marina sauce to the ricotta mixture. Stir until pasta is thoroughly coated with the creamy sauce.
Transfer pasta mixture to greased 11x8-inch (3.5 Quart) baking dish. Place quartered mozzarella balls evenly over top of pasta. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake, covered in 350°F oven for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and place under broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Garnish: In a small bowl, combine 3 Tablespoons ricotta cheese and 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Divide evenly among four individual servings and top with freshly chopped basil.

Cafe Rio House Dressing

I am making Cafe Rio Pork Salad for dinner tonight and went to double check the ingredients for the dressing that goes with it and WHAT?? I've never posted my absolute favorite dressing of all time. Shocking. Abomination.

So sorry for keeping this gem to myself all this time!!

Cafe Rio House Dressing

1 pkg dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (original or buttermilk)

1 c mayo

1 bunch cilantro

2 cloves garlic

3 tomatillos (I use salsa verde instead)

1/3 c buttermilk or sour milk*

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/2 T sugar

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before eating.

*Since I very rarely have buttermilk on hand - I make sour milk. Combine 1/3 c milk with 1 T lemon or lime juice.

Alice Springs Chicken

There was a phase in my life where every single time we went to Outback Steakhouse, I would order the Alice Springs Chicken. I was obsessed with it. Damn Skippy...

Alice Springs Chicken

3 chicken breasts

1/2 lb bacon

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

cheddar cheese*

salt and pepper to taste

Schultz gourmet premium seasoning and rub** (or your fav seasoning)

EVOO

Butter

Honey Mustard Sauce

Prep chicken with EVOO, seasoning, salt & pepper on both sides. Grill - medium heat about 8 minutes a side depending on your grill and the size of your chicken breast. The internal temperature for a properly cooked chicken breast is 165 degrees.

While the chicken is on the grill, cook the bacon and sauté the mushrooms and onion in a pat of butter. Last night, we planned ahead and actually cooked the bacon on the stovetop and THEN sautéed the mushrooms and onion in the leftover bacon fat instead of butter - woah baby.

In the last minute of cooking your chicken on the grill, top the chicken with 2 slices of bacon and cover with cheese slices on top. Cook until the cheese is melted.

At Outback Steakhouse, they serve the chicken breast smothered w mushroom & onions, bacon and topped with cheese. At my house, we serve it just as I stated above with the sautéed mushrooms and onions on the side - because my kids freakin' love it that much. Yes, mushrooms. MUSHROOMS. An item that I would've rather gone to be without dinner when I was growing up - but prepared this way - my kids will eat them all day long.

*Pictured, we used both cheddar and muenster cheese (b/c that is what we had on hand). You can really use any cheese you like.

** Schultz gourmet premium seasoning and rub can be found at Costco - or online

Cafe Rio Black Beans

Cafe Rio Black Beans
2 T EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced or pasted
1 t cumin
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
¾ c tomato juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Stir until heated through. Use a slotted spoon to plate.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Couple this rice with the other ingredients listed in Cafe Rio Pork Salad - or serve it as a bright side dish to any mexican feast.

Cilantro Lime Rice
1 c. uncooked rice (I use Jasmine or Basamati)
1 t butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t freshly squeezed lime juice
2 c chicken broth
1 c water
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
2 t sugar
3 t fresh chopped cilantro

In your rice machine (or saucepan) combine rice, butter, garlic, t lime juice, chicken broth and water. Cook until your ricer alerts you it’s ready – or according to package directions in your saucepan. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine remaining lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Cafe Rio Pork

This is the main component in the Cafe Rio Pork Salad - my kids also love to eat this meat on a hamburger bun topped with crispy coleslaw.


Cafe Rio Pork
5-6 lb pork roast
1 T cumin
1 c packed brown sugar
12 oz bottle La Victoria Red Taco sauce (mild)
20 oz Coca-Cola (I've also used Dr. Pepper)

Cook roast on low for 12 hours (I do overnight) in crock pot with water added half way up the roast. After 12 hours, drain water off roast and add remaining ingredients and continue cooking on low for 4 more hours. Then shred the meat and cook on Low or "Keep Warm" setting 2 more hours.

*I made this recipe many, many times using the method above. But there have been times that I didn't stick it in the crock pot the night before. In that case - I just cook it with all the ingredients (no water) on HIGH for 6 hours and then check it - then turn it down when it's tender enough to shred. Shred it, put it back in the juice and keep it at low or keep warm until you're ready to eat.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

Cafe Rio Pork Salad was the first recipe I posted on this blog over 2 years ago. I also posted recipes for the famous Cafe Rio Pork in the salad Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans, and Cilantro Lime Dressing. BUT - I posted them all mixed up - so that it wasn't obvious that all of those ingredients together make the Ultimate Sweet Pork Salad aka Cafe Rio Pork Salad. I have now remedied that:)

Cafe Rio restraunt is in only a few western states - but everyone in the world must try this salad - it really is that good.
This is the end game - so I'll go ahead and tell you how to assemble this bad boy.
1. Nice fresh tortilla warmed on a dry skillet on the bottom of the plate
2. Thin layer of the Cilantro Lime Rice
3. Thin layer of the Black Beans
4. Layer of the Sweet Pork
5. Layer of the romain lettuce
6. Spinkling of pico de gallo
7. Dollup of both guacamole and sour scream
8. Sprinkled with cojito cheese* and tortilla strips.

The perfect salad.

*Cojito cheese can easily be found at your supermarket - it will be in with the specialty cheeses. I have seen people mention that parmesan cheese can be substituted for cojito cheese (I assume b/c they look similar) but I disagree. Cojito has it's own distinct mild flavor and texture.

Outback Steakhouse Ranch Dressing

My copycat of Outback Steakhouse Ranch Dressing:

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix (buttermilk recipe)

2 c mayonnaise

1 c buttermilk (*or sour milk)

1/2 t fresh cracked pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix well. refrigerate for at least an hour before serving - it needs time for all the flavors to marry.

*Sour milk. If you don't have buttermilk on hand (for any recipe) you can substitute the same measurement of buttermilk called for (in this recipe 1 c) regular milk and add 1T lemon or lime juice to it. In some recipes, using this substitute can make it a little tart - just balance that with a bit of sugar.

Southwestern Lasagna

This is SO good. I found the recipe for Southwestern Lasagna on Yummy Fun - and let me tell you - it was Yummy and Fun to see all the smiles at my table. Southwestern Lasagna – Yummy Fun8 small flour tortillas
3-4 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/2 sweet onion
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
1 sm can diced green chilies (I puree these for the kids)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 C frozen corn
1 Can black beans
juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 C water (as needed)
1/4 or less chopped cilantro (to taste for garnish)
3 C monterey jack cheese - grated

Combine cooked chicken, onions, Rotel, green chilies and spices into a pan and saute. Let simmer until slightly bubbly. Then add corn, black beans and water if necessary to obtain an ever so slightly soupy consistency.

Lightly grease baking dish. In a 9x13" casserole dish (or 2 8x8's) Put a single layer of tortillas on the bottom. Scoop 1/2 chicken mixture on top of tortillas then with 1/2 monterey jack cheese. REPEAT. Then cut a couple of tortillas into small triangles, place on top of casserole and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Preheat oven 350, bake 20 minutes covered and approx 20-30 more minutes uncovered.

I was really curious how the 'triangle tortillas' would affect the dish. Would they be dry? Would they burn? Is that really a good idea? Turns out - the tortillas on top get nice and crispy and add a totally AWESOME layer of texture to the dish!

I served this with Avocado Dressing - as an homage to "Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls and Avocado Dipping Sauce" and it really hit the spot! I told my hubs where I got the recipe and the idea for the sauce and he had a great idea. Buy the smallest tortillas, fill them with the chicken mixture and cheese, wrap them up like little burritos - bake and serve as appetizers with the dipping sauce! BRILLIANT - I am definitely doing that for our next get together.

*I did a very few things differently. I totally spaced the lime juice - and it was still amazing - next time I make it I'll be sure to include it. I also didn't have frozen corn, so I just used 1 can of corn and I didn't add cilantro (my husband thinks it tastes like soap).

Avocado Dressing/Dip

I wanted to serve something on the side of the Southwestern Lasagna to as an ode to "Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce" and this was the ticket baby! I sorta 'winged it' and didn't measure my spices - so tweak it to your preference. I was really pleased with how it turned out - the perfect compliment to the Southwestern Lasagna:)

Avocado Dressing/Dip
1/2 Avocado
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c sour cream
1/8 t salt
1/8 t dried parsley
1/8 t onion powder
Dash dill weed
Dash garlic powder
Dash pepper

Blend all ingredients together (I use my immersion blender!) Refrigerate before serving to get it chilled and to allow the flavors to marry.

Cafe Rio Chicken

I added this picture 10/9/09 after making it again - I should've taken the pic with the final product (salad) but I didn't - just so you could see the basic ingredient and its potential in SO many dishes!!
Cafe Rio is one of my favorite Mexican joints. I have been making Cafe Rio Pork forever - it's one of our favorites - so when I saw this recipe for their chicken - I had to make it.

Saturday, I had a lot of errands to run and knew I would run out of time for dinner. So, I threw everything in the crock pot and went to run errands. When I got home, Sweetness and friends were in the garage brainstorming on one of our current projects. I walked into the house and this whiff of deliciousness filled the garage - lots of yummy noises and questions about what I was cooking... I went in and out of the garage several times (unloading groceries) and by the time I was done unloading, they had all planned a BBQ at our house b/c they couldn't resist! I had their mouths watering...

Everyone gobbled it up (kids included!) The adults had it as a salad and the kids had this as burritos or quesadillas. Yum. Super versitile - so impressive and the crock pot does all the work!I saw this recipe on 365 Days of Crock Pot Recipes.

Café Rio Chicken
5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thawed
8 oz Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
3 cloves minced garlic
Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a bowl. Place chicken on bottom of a greased crockpot. Pour mixture in bowl over the top of chicken. Cook on high 5-7 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and reserve juice to pour over chicken when serving.

**As far as crock pot cooking goes, I like the marinade to cover the protein. With this recipe, I doubled the marinade/dressing so that the chicken would be covered. IT WAS GOOOOOD.

***I just remembered - I got this recipe from 365 Days Of Crock Pot Cooking (see our sidebar)

Chili's Caribbean Salad

I used to frequent Chili's restaraunt a couple of times a month. Every single time I went there - I had the Caribbean Salad - with Honey Lime dressing - yummmm. The last time I went - they had taken it off the menu! How dare they!! I have had to resort to making my own version. I searched online to find a copycat dressing recipe. None of them were 'perfect.' So, I have come up with my own - a combination of sorts from 4 different 'copycat' recipes - and I am telling you - THIS IS THE ONE BABY! To all my sisters and my Mom - you have to make this - it is exactly the salad we have eaten so many times at the restaurant!! If you've never tried it, it sounds like an unusual combo of flavors - but it is sooooo good (did I say that already?)

HONEY LIME DRESSING

1/4 c Grey Poupon mustard (the smooth kind)

1/4 c Honey

1 c Mayonnaise

1 T Sesame seed oil

1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 t lime juice

1 1/2 T sugar

Blend all together, cover and chill. I make this a little ahead so the flavors have time to mesh. I usually double the recipe - it keeps for about a month.

SALAD

Lettuce (I use romain)

Corn

Black beans

Tortilla chips

Mandarin oranges

Pineapple chunks

Your favorite teriyaki sauce (mine is Yoshidas)

chicken

pico de gallo (or like tonight - I just used fresh salsa and drained the juice out of it)

and I add cucumber

Marinate the chicken in Teriyaki sauce for atleast 2 hours - grill and cube. Add all other components - and try not to drool before you take your first bite.

This is the best way to get your kids to eat salad! They have so many choices - they can make the salad to their liking! My 6 year old had chicken, corn, mandarine oranges and cucumber. My 4 year old had that plus pineapple and lettuce. Lil Boo (16 mo.) added black beans and corn. Of course -hubs and I had the works!! *I put all the ingredients in the fridge (except the chicken) a couple of hours ahead of time - so everything is nice and cold and crisp!