Cafe Rio Dressing

People around here go crazy over Cafe Rio. I am not a huge fan of their "candy" meat and the lack of flavor and spice. However, I have to admit their salad dressing is amazing! In our church cookbook, there are three different recipes all claiming to be "Cafe Rio", so I thought I would try them out and see which one I liked the best. The best part about this is I do not have to actually go to Cafe Rio, and I can tweak it a bit a raise the level of spiciness.

This first recipes claims it is the "closest knock off". I don't know if it is the closest knock off, but I do know I love it. I don't know if the other two recipes will be as good. my favorite thing to do with the dressing is make vegies wraps. I fill a flour tortilla with lettuce, chopped broccoli, avocado, and cucumber with the dressing on top. I have also used it on taco salads! Trent and I also dipped egg rolls in it.

Cafe Rio Dressing

1 pkg buttermilk ranch dressing mix-make as per recipe (you can just use the regular ranch dressing mix and make it with buttermilk** too)
3 tomatillos*, peeled and quartered
1 c cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of one lime (or about 2 tbsp)
1 jalapeno (I included the seeds in mine to make in spicy, oh and it is soooo good).

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. It is important you use a food processor because the blender makes the dressing very runny. In the food processor it is nice and thick. Refrigerate.

*You can find tomatillos right next to the jalapenos in the produce section. They look a little like green tomatoes with a green paper like shell around it.
** I never buy buttermilk because it is so easy to make your own! Just take 1 cup of milk (whole is preferred but not necessary) and  either 1 and 3/4 Tablespoons cream of tartar or 1 tbsp white vinegar or 1 tbsp lemon juice.