Cafe Rio Copycat Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

This is the best. You need to make this dressing. I made this dressing to serve as a condiment to my Beef Taquitos.  It was better than salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.  This dressing enhanced the flavor of the Taquitos with its  tanginess and slightly spicy flavor.

This dressing also tastes great on salads.




Cafe Rio Copycat Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
From Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1-ounce package ranch dressing mix (ignore directions on package
1 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
1/2 cup buttermilk (plus more if necessary to thin out the dressing)
1–2 limes (enough for 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup green salsa
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Hot sauce, to taste

Instructions
Place buttermilk, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and ranch mix in a blender. Add the garlic and green salsa and blend until smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse until the cilantro is well combined. Add hot sauce to taste. Chill for several hours before serving (if possible.)

Chimichurri Shrimp

The other night for dinner, I made a delicious shrimp dish marinated in a combination of cilantro, parley, oil, lime juice, and spices. This concoction is known as chimichurri.  A  very tasty savory sauce that also doubles as a marinade in this recipe.    I let the shrimp marinate for a few hours  in the sauce and then cooked them in a skillet until they were pink and golden.  I served some of the reserved marinate with the shrimp.

This was a delicious and simple dinner to make.  I served it with a green  salad, some rice, and veggies.  A winner with the family and on my to-make-again list.

Chimichurri Shrimp
From The Pioneer Woman Cooks A Year Of Holidays
Ingredients:
1 large bunch cilantro, stems removed
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed
3 garlic cloves
Juice of 3 limes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
3 pounds raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
2 tablespoons olive oil

 Directions:
1. Fill a blender or food processor with cilantro and parsley.
2. Add the garlic, lime juice, cumin, cayenne, and salt.
3. Place the lid on the blender, then remove the center piece.  With the blender on low, drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil.
4. Blend until the chimichurri is totally pureed and somewhat smooth.
5. Place the shrimp in a 2-quart baking dish and drizzle in half the chimichurri.  Pour the other half into a small dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for serving later.
6. Toss the shrimp in the sauce, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.
7. When you are ready to make the shrimp, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Throw in the shrimp and cook them stirring them around for 3 to 4 minutes.  Cook until they are a nice pinky-gold.
8. Serve the shrimp with the remaining chimichurri sauce.