Mango Salsa

Sometimes grilled chicken sounds so boring and unappetizing to me. BUT, bring mango salsa into the picture and it's a whole different story.  I love this stuff.  It adds a lot of color and flavor pizzazz (I just made that term up) to grilled chicken.  

I went camping in the desert last night for the first time.  It was an adventure, to say the least.  A fun and sleepless adventure.  I took marinated chicken to grill and this mango salsa.  It made for an easy and delicious camping dinner: just throw the chicken on the grill, top with a huge mound of mango salsa, and enjoy while sitting on the beautiful beach.  Perfect.   

I didn't give super exact amounts in the recipe below.  You can make this the way you like and use more or less of certain ingredients depending on your tastes and preferences.  The ingredients are all so good, you really can't go wrong!     

MANGO SALSA

• 2 large ripe mangoes, diced  
• 1 red bell pepper, diced 
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• olive oil
• salt and pepper 

Combine mangoes, red peppers, red onion, and cilantro.  

Add lime juice and drizzle with olive oil.  

Add salt and pepper to taste.   

Serve on top of grilled chicken and cous cous, if so desired.   

Source:  Marsha Porter

Toffee Apple Dip

This is the perfect fall treat!  And, it feels a little less bad than the average dessert because you eat it with fresh apple slices.  Right?  I spend a lot of my life justifying my food choices. 

TOFFEE APPLE DIP

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Heath bar, chopped up

Cream cream cheese, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and vanilla. 


Add chopped up Heath bar.


Chill before serving. 

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

And now, for the last, but still very important, part of Cafe Rio style meals:  Creamy Tomatillo Dressing! 

CREAMY TOMATILLO DRESSING

• 3 tomatillos, cut into quarters
• 1 package ranch buttermilk dressing mix
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (leaves, stems, the whole lot)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or chili powder for milder flavor)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well. 


Chill in fridge for 1 hour prior to serving. 

Lemon Chicken & Peanut Sauce

I love, love, love these two dishes.  They are so good together.  They are pretty easy and so flavorful.  A super bonus is that the peanut sauce is good for a MONTH in the fridge.  I love that.  Once again, we have Ina to thank for two fabulous recipes.  What would we do without her?   

 

 

LEMON CHICKEN

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• chicken tenderloins

Place lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic in gallon-sized Ziploc bag.


Add chicken and toss in bag to coat evenly. 


Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Grill the chicken on each side, until just cooked through.

 

PEANUT SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2/3 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small, heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent, 10 to 15 minutes.


Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, and lime juice


Cook for 1 more minute.


Cool and use as a dip for Grilled Lemon Chicken skewers.


Yield: 1 1/2 cups


Source:  slightly modified from Ina Garten.