Connie Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (10128188)

Vegan Red Lentil Soup

Reviewed: Oct. 14, 2010

This recipe is absolutely DIVINE! I followed someone else's advice and added 1 whole can of lite coconut milk (instead of half a can of regular) and upped the water to 3 cups total. I also added shiitake mushrooms, red baby potatoes and carrots. I would recommend just quartering the red potatoes and not chopping the carrots too small as mine got a little bit too mushy (still very good though!) Also did not have nor could I find fenugreek so I left that out.

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Red Lentil Curry

Reviewed: Feb. 14, 2010

This is such a versatile recipe with a very good spice base. It is excellent as is, served over rice, but I now make it with lots and lots of added veggies. Depending on what kind of vegetables I'm in the mood for, I'll add about a 1/4 cup of any number of the following: broccoli, red or green peppers, potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, peas, etc. You can really use your imagination and add whatever you like - just remember to double the spices accordingly to compensate for all the extra veggies. Also, I steam or boil the veggies first and then add them into the onion spice mixture while it's still in the pan (before adding the lentils). Sure, it's a little extra work but it's worth it! If you don't feel like chopping vegetables, you can also buy pre-chopped fresh ones at your grocery store (although I think it's still fresher and better when you chop them yourself). Also, add about a 1/4 cup of GOLDEN raisins at the end for an extra sweet kick!

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Chicken Biryani

Reviewed: Oct. 5, 2009

I was somewhat disappointed by this recipe after putting in about 2 hours of preparation. The potatoes were not completely cooked (had to pick them out and microwave them for a minute or two), the chicken didn't absorb any flavor and was very dry, and some of the rice wasn't cooked all the way either. I was disappointed by how bland it was in spite of all the spices used. It was all around okay but I probably wouldn't make it again.

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Herbed Chicken Nuggets

Reviewed: Sep. 21, 2009

I made a few modifications to this recipe and it turned out very good, and even healthier. I used 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs and 2 T parmesan cheese along with the rest of the spices mentioned in the original recipe. I completely left out the vegetable oil as it didn't seem necessary. As another reviewer suggested, I used a slotted spoon so that excess egg could drip off the nuggets easily before dipping them in the bread crumb mixture. After I laid the nuggets out on the cookie sheet, I sprayed them with some coconut oil cooking spray. For a dipping sauce, I combined equal parts dijon mustard and honey, mixed with a little basil. I served this with a side of rice and steamed vegetables which made for a beautiful presentation! My boyfriend loved it. This is a keeper for sure!

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Mango-Banana Smoothie

Reviewed: Aug. 26, 2008

I am currently addicted to Starbucks' Orange Mango Banana Vivanno smoothie, but all the stores in my area are out of them so I decided to see if I could find a replacement! I'm so happy I did because this is EVEN BETTER! This is an incredibly delicious, flavorful drink, chock full o' vitamins and nutrients. I will definitely be making this very often! Thank you so much for posting this delicious, healthy, and simple recipe.

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36 users found this review helpful

Baked Chicken Nuggets

Reviewed: Mar. 20, 2008

These are so yummy. I also made some modifications to make it healthier: for dipping sauce, I used 2 beaten eggs as recommended by others. I used Panko bread crumbs because they were the only type I had on hand and added the spices as indicated in the recipe. I used a light coating of cooking spray on the cookie sheet and then put in oven at 400 for 15 min as recommended. I then broiled, but only for 2 or 3 min as they would otherwise burn. They came out so tender and so delicious! Some reviewers recommended the Honey Mustard Sauce from this site, but I thought it was extremely fatty so I left out the mayo. I just added equal parts spicy brown mustard and clover honey and voila - a great dipping sauce for these yummy nuggets, and much healthier to boot!

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Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Reviewed: Feb. 11, 2008

I followed the recipe using MarcieJ's recommendations (like many others here) but when I mixed the flour into the sugar/butter mixture, the resulting mix was extremely crumbly and difficult to work with. When I went to roll up some of the dough into a ball, it would crumble, making it impossible to put a thumbprint indentation on the dough. I had to wind up sprinkling some water on each ball so that the dough would stick. The end product was good, but it was rather on the buttery side and became very overwhelming after the last few bites. After baking, I had to add more raspberry jam to each cookie to even out the strong butter flavor. I doubt that I will make these again.

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Healthy Banana Cookies

Reviewed: Feb. 6, 2008

These cookies are very bland. I did add raisins to them and that's all I can really taste. I added some spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) but you can't really notice. I think we'll eat them anyway since we hate to waste food and they're not altogether horrible.

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Best Brownies

Reviewed: Jan. 10, 2008

I had a craving for something chocolately about an hour ago, and decided to whip up these brownies... my craving was well satisfied! As I try to make desserts on the healthier side, I followed another reviewer's suggestion and used apple sauce in place of the butter, which saved a lot of fat and calories. Also, I just dumped all of the ingredients into a bowl and mixed with a wooden spoon (didn't use a mixer). I left it in the oven for 30 minutes and it came out light, fluffy, and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.

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Fresh Spring Rolls With Thai Dipping Sauce

Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2008

I followed the recipe exactly as stated, but these didn't turn out very good at all. The wrappers became very mushy and could barely hold the shrimp/veggie mixture inside. Also, the taste was extremely bland overall.

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3 users found this review helpful

Mini Shrimp Rolls

Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2008

I agree with the other reviewer that these were a little on the bland side and that using crab instead of shrimp would probably be better. Also, it is very time consuming to wrap each roll; plan lots of extra time to prepare these.

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2 users found this review helpful

Spiced Sweet Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2008

I made this recipe exactly as stated and thought it came out great. It seemed just a tiny bit on the bland side, but I think I will try to make up for that by adjusting the spices next time. Otherwise, a great appetizer that I plan to make again. I served it with hot pita wedges (store-bought and toasted in the toaster)

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Chickpea Curry

Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2008

I made this recipe exactly as stated with the exception of using 1 tsp cinnamon in place of the cinnamon stick. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but it didn't come out very good. The spices were so overpowering that they canceled each other out and it tasted very bitter over all.

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Black Bean Chili

Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2008

I'm not sure if I did something wrong or not, but I found the spices in this recipe to be overpowering. My boyfriend and I both had watery eyes by the time we were through with a bowl of it! I made the following adjustment, per the suggestion of another user: used one can diced tomatoes in place of fresh roma, and one can Rotel in place of the jalapeno (to add more tomato and add just a little more kick). I think I will make this again, but next time I will drastically reduce the amount of pepper and chili powder I add to it. Overall, I think this is a delicious recipe and I will definitely make it again. Next time I am going to add another can of black beans (because we love them so much), and a shredded rotisserie chicken. Also, definitely try to puree some of it if you can - this really adds to the texture!

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Spicy Shrimp Creole

Reviewed: Dec. 7, 2007

This is an excellent recipe, especially if you love really spicy food. My boyfriend and I like moderately spicy food, so I used 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper instead of 1/2 tsp. I also greatly reduced the amount of tabasco sauce, using only a few drops. Even so, the sauce was still so spicy that it caused my boyfriend's eyes to water while he was eating it! Next time, I think I will completely omit the cayenne or add just a very small pinch as it is spicy enough on its own. Next time I will also add green peppers and maybe mushrooms to thicken the sauce. With the exception of the ultra spiceyness, this recipe is amazing! Also, instead of rice, I served it over linguine which made for an elegant combination.

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Apple Squares

Reviewed: Dec. 4, 2007

This is excellent! I just took it out of the oven and am sampling it right now... the only difference I will make next time is to greatly reduce the cinnamon/sugar topping. Even though this recipe is very good, the topping is way too sweet. The layer underneath, however, is DELICIOUS!!

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Apple Hermits

Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2007

These cookies are unbelievable! I made them for my boyfriend because he loves pretty much anything with apples in it. I got tired of making apple pies and apple crisps , so I was very happy when I came across this recipe for something different. They were easy to make and it is easy to put in healthier substitutes (wheat flour for regular flour/Smart balance for the butter). Even with the substitutions, these cookies are very yummy. It has been two days since I made them, and they are almost gone but still have remained moist and chewy. I made them with and without nuts and both taste great. Thank you Aunt Mikie!

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Egg Noodles

Reviewed: Nov. 10, 2007

I made these noodles for home-made chicken noodle soup. They were very good - much heartier and tastier than what you would buy at the store. I will definitely make again.

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Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

Reviewed: Nov. 10, 2007

This is soooooooooo good! I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of using home-made egg noodles instead of store bought yolk-free noodles. I'm sure that it's still delicious with either type of noodle. I also didn't have poultry seasoning on hand, but the soup still turned out excellent. The only change I might recommend is using a little bit less evaporated milk at the end. I think this is a great finishing touch, but I prefer my soup to be a little bit more brothy. I will probably use 1/2 cup next time. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a quick and delicious chicken noodle soup. **EDIT** My boyfriend recommended adding peas and it turned out amazing! I used 1/2 box frozen peas and it came out very good. I will continue to make this soup at least twice a month from now on because it's that good.

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42 users found this review helpful

Lemon Coconut Cake

Reviewed: Sep. 9, 2007

I made this exactly according to the recipe and it couldn't have turned out better. Everyone who had it came back for seconds. I will definitely make this again!

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4 users found this review helpful