like cafe rio's shredded chicken salad

"tastes like" recipes below:

cafe rio shredded chicken ~ slow cooker

low-fat creamy cilantro lime dressing

cilantro lime brown basmati rice

the best thing about this salad is everything can be prepared ahead of time.  i used my slow cooker for the chicken, mixed the salad dressing in the morning (it's best if all of the ingredients have time to incorporate in the fridge for a few hours anyway) and, my rice cooker has a timer option so i can put everything in early and then set it to go on two hours before dinner will need to be ready (brown basmati takes about two hours in the rice cooker - fyi).

low-fat creamy cilantro lime dressing

recipe source skinny taste

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup fat-free plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup cilantro

1 green onion, chopped

1 tomatillo, husks removed & chopped

juice from 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/8 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp kosher salt

add all ingredients to a food processor to combine

makes 8 servings

2 tbsp = serving

Nutrition Facts two tbsp serving creamy cilantro lime salad dressing Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 64 Total Fat 5g       Saturated Fat 0.7g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 5mg Sodium 136mg Carbohydrate 3.6g       Dietary Fiber 0.4g       Sugars 1.9g Protein 1.5g Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 8% Calcium    3% Iron 1%

cafe rio shredded chicken ~ slow cooker

recipe source perry's plate

3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cup light italian salad dressing

1 tbsp chili powder

3 cloves garlic, minced

mix dressing, chili powder and garlic in a small bowl.  place chicken in slow cooker and pour dressing mixture over top.  cook on low for 7-8 hours.  shred chicken before serving.

(**i gotta be honest, i was leery of this recipe. the italian dressing just sounded weird and not how i recall cafe rio's chicken tasting like at all.  but! it was really good and seriously, it tasted very similar to cafe rio's shredded chicken so, what do i know?)

makes 6 servings

Nutrition Facts cafe rio chicken Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 256 Total Fat 6.2g       Saturated Fat 0g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 120mg Sodium 1413mg Carbohydrate 5.2g       Dietary Fiber 0.4g       Sugars 4.1g Protein 46.2g Vitamin A 7% Vitamin C 2% Calcium    0% Iron 1%

cilantro lime brown basmati rice

2 cups brown basmati rice

4 cups liquid as follows:

squeeze juice from 1/2 lime into 1 cup measuring cup.  fill remainder with low sodium chicken broth = 1 cup total liquid. add 1 more cup of chicken broth and then 2 cups of water = 4 cups total.

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 - 4 oz can mild green chilies

1/3 cup cilantro

blend chilies and cilantro in food processor.

combine all of the ingredients in a rice cooker or heavy bottom sauce pan.

for rice cooker, follow manual for cooking directions.

for stove top, bring rice everything to a boil over medium-high heat stirring occasionally.  reduce to simmer and cover.  cook for 50-60 minutes (for brown rice). 

(**if you use anything other than brown rice, make sure to follow the rice : liquid ratios on the package.  brown rice requires more liquid and longer cook times).

makes 6 servings

Nutrition Facts cilantro lime brown basmati rice Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 222 Total Fat 2g       Saturated Fat 0g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 204mg Carbohydrate 46.9g       Dietary Fiber 2.9g       Sugars 1.8g Protein 6.4g Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 8% Calcium    1% Iron 6%

my girl helped me put our salads together (just she, the hub and i had salad.  the boys had burritos).

i bought pie pans for the full effect.

we used la tortilla factory whole wheat tortillas (costco!) and spread a layer of sharp cheddar on on each tortilla.

melt cheese on tortillas in a warm oven pre-heated to 300 degrees.
prepare salad as desired.

additional topping ideas:

black beans

light sour cream

guacamole

pico de gallo

tortilla strips

ground parmesan cheese

cilantro

yum!