Almost like a Cafe Rio Salad

Before going Gluten Free we used to practically live at this restaurant! But their Gluten Free menu is a little disappointing. Not even the blacks beans are on the "safe" list. So, if there's any of you out there (like me) that miss their salads, this next recipe is for you. 

Ps- Unlike other Cafe Rio copy cat recipes I use chicken not cooked in a liter of Coke. ;) I feel it's healthier. 
Give this one a try! 
 

Gluten Free Cafe Rio Salad Copy Cat Recipe

Adapted by jalene

Ingredients:

• Zesty Italian Chicken or Ginger Chicken
• 1 recipe of Cilantro Dressing
• Gluten-Free Tostadas or corn tortillas
• Romaine lettuce
• black beans (see note)
• 1 recipe of Cilantro Lime Rice (see below)

To assemble: 
Place a tostada or a heated corn tortilla on your plate, then rice, beans, lettuce, and chicken. Top with Cilantro dressing. A slice of lime and guacamole are also delicious with this salad. Sometimes I will take half of another tostada, crunch it, and blow it on top of my salad like Nacho Libre. (ha ha) Just kidding. 

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cilantro Lime Rice 
Ingredients: 

• about 4 cups Gluten-Free Chicken Stock (see below)
• 2 cups white rice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 large lime, juiced
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped fine (I have also used dried cilantro and it worked great) 

Directions:

1. Juice lime first and put into a large measuring cup. Add enough chicken stock to equal 4 cups total. Throw all ingredients into a rice cooker and cook rice as normal. Vola! 

(And if you don't have a rice cooker, place all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a bowl. Turn heat to simmer or very low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes.) Store leftovers in the fridge.

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Note from jalene:

WHY WE DON'T USE CANNED BLACK BEANS: The dangers in canned foods

 "Found in the lining of most food and beverage cans, BPA (Bisphenol A) is linked to reproductive harm, cancer, and abnormalities in brain function and fat metabolism in animal studies," say Sarah Janssen M.D., senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

We use a pressure cooker to cook all our beans (and a lot of other food). WHY IT'S WORTH IT: You can make 1 can of beans for around 20 cents! That savings alone pays for the price of the pressure cooker over time!