cookin'mama Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (1014309)

Thai Monkfish Curry

Reviewed: May 8, 2012

Excellent! After cutting the monkfish into chunks I pounded it to make it a uniform size and to make it tender; monkfish can be a bit chewy, like lobster. Don’t be tempted to substitute light coconut milk for regular. The fat in the coconut is a healthy fat and the flavor and creaminess of regular coconut milk cannot be beat. I squeezed a little more lime over each individual serving and it was delicious served over cauliflower rice with fresh asparagus on the side. I will definitely make this quick, easy, and healthy fish dish again.

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Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Reviewed: May 3, 2012

We love this recipe. I add a bit more chipotle pepper because we like some heat. If you like the smoky flavor but not the heat you can sub smoked paprika for the chipotle pepper. To take it over the top add some coarsely grated manchego cheese. Excellent side with grilled meats!

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Avocado Feta Salsa

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2012

I can’t even say rookie mistake…it was just a plain old mistake not to read the reviews before making this. I had fresh oregano in the fridge so I went with it. As soon as I tasted the salsa I knew it was a mistake. Cilantro, as reviewers suggested, would have been the way to go. I must say, though, it was not ignored on the appetizer table.

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Remoulade Sauce a la New Orleans

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2012

With olives and capers in the recipe a teaspoon of salt is not necessary and I am very happy that I left it out. I made this recipe because I could not find the remoulade recipe I have used in the past. I could not find creole mustard anywhere so had to improvise my own with mustard and creole seasoning. Due to the fact that I did not have the creole mustard called for, and the fact that my husband liked it, I am giving it an additional star. I will continue to look for my previous recipe, though, which was much more reminiscent of what I have had in New Orleans.

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Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2012

Don’t be tempted to save a few calories by using ground turkey breast. Using ground turkey, white and dark meat, produces a flavorful and moist meatloaf. I never use a loaf pan for meatloaf but always bake them free form on a baking sheet. I was tempted to skip the brown sugar/ Worcestershire topping but I am glad that I went with it as it added significantly to the wonderful flavor of the meatloaf.

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Dennie's Fresh Lobster Salad

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2012

Lobster and butter are a classic match-up…think salt and pepper and peanut butter and jelly. Visit us in New England and you will find that your lobster roll will consist of lobster with a little mayo and perhaps a little celery served on an exquisitely buttered grilled bun. Knowing that I have no idea why I was so reluctant to try this take on lobster salad. I was looking for an elegant but easy appetizer for an Academy Awards party and this salad tucked into wonton cups fit the bill. I made the salad as directed except that I couldn’t resist adding some finely chopped celery. For the wonton cups I tucked wonton wrappers into mini muffin cups, brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled them with a little Himalayan sea salt. I baked them at 350 degrees until browned and crisp, eight to ten minutes. I made the cups and the salad in advance and filled them right before the party, garnishing with some finely chopped seeded plum tomato. I have made a lot of lobster salad but I will never make it any other way from here on out. Worth the splurge!

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Tasty Lentil Tacos

Reviewed: Mar. 7, 2012

Having heard about these tasty tacos for years I have no idea what took me so long to make them! Wasted time, in my opinion, because these are fabulous! Even the carnivores in your life will be wild about these tacos. I used thinly shredded cabbage instead of lettuce as a topping because I like the added crunchiness and nutrition. We don’t have “regulars” in our house but these are destined to become just that. My husband is already asking for them again.

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Green Beans with Almonds and Caramelized Shallots

Reviewed: Feb. 17, 2012

This is a tasty, company worth vegetable dish that can easily be made ahead. I toasted the almonds and steamed the green beans in advance, leaving the green beans just a bit crunchier than I like. I caramelized the shallots with just a touch of sugar; 2 Tablespoons of sugar would have been way too much for my taste. When ready to serve I warmed the shallot/red pepper mixture on the stove, briefly microwaved the green beans to warm before adding them to the shallot mixture, and sprinkled the almonds on top of the beans in the serving dish. Very good!

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Portuguese Kale Soup

Reviewed: Feb. 17, 2012

This is a good, easy, healthy soup and a perfect way to introduce children to important green veggies! I did not have beef soup bones so I used a combination of low sodium canned beef broth, low sodium canned chicken broth, and beef consommé. Because I love the buttery sweetness of cabbage after a long simmer I added the cabbage midway through the cooking of the beans. Don’t let not planning ahead send you scampering for a can of beans for this recipe. Dried beans are healthier, tastier, and have a better texture than canned. If you can’t soak the beans overnight just bring them to a boil for two minutes and then let them soak for one hour before draining, rinsing, and proceeding with the recipe.

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Smoked Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2012

I skipped the half-and-half after taste testing the soup. It was a little salty for my taste due to the smoked turkey which probably would have been remedied if I had added the half-and-half. Otherwise it was very good and easy.

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Slow Cooker Sweet Chicken Chili

Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2012

Very easy and good. I do not like things too sweet so I cut the sugar in half as I generally do. It probably was not a necessary adjustment in this recipe. The Asian chili black bean sauce added a lovely complexity to the recipe.

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Ultimate Green Beans

Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2012

What doesn’t bacon make taste better? The good news is that just a small amount of bacon adds a lot of flavor without breaking the nutritional bank. I cooked the onion and bacon, omitting the red pepper flakes, ahead and then steamed the beans right before I was ready to serve them. I served them with a marinated roasted pork tenderloin, corn risotto, and Spectacular Marsala Glazed Carrots with Hazelnuts from this site. It was a perfect meal.

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Spaghetti Squash I

Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2012

What a fabulous recipe! I served it as a vegetarian main course but it would be just as wonderful as a side with grilled meats. Fresh basil is a must in this recipe but I used canned organic diced tomatoes with excellent results. For those who have not tried spaghetti squash this is a perfect recipe to get started.

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Tiramisu Layer Cake

Reviewed: Dec. 2, 2011

Not being a lover of cake in general, cakes made with box cake mixes in particular do not tend to tickle my taste buds. I made this for a dessert buffet at Thanksgiving, however, and have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I used strong espresso coffee and a little extra Kahlua, and found the flavor to be just perfect. It keeps very well in the fridge so it is a home run for entertaining, being both easy and able to be made ahead.

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Amena's Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Reviewed: Oct. 26, 2011

This is a good recipe to use up leftover chips. I think that the recipe needs more than one cup total chips, though. I added dried cranberries and still thought that the chip to dough ratio was a bit sparse.

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Chile Verde II

Reviewed: Oct. 19, 2011

Authentic and distinctive, with one major modification, this Chile Verde recipe is a winner! Only about half of the chicken broth called for in the recipe is needed to make the Chile Verde a perfect consistency. I followed the lead of naples34102 and roasted the tomatillos, jalapenos, and poblano peppers to intensify the flavors. It was delicious served over brown rice topped with shredded Mexican cheese and sour cream; leftovers were equally as good served in whole wheat tortillas with avocado, cheese, and thinly shredded cabbage (I like the crunch and added nutrition of cabbage but shredded lettuce would have been good, too). Four stars because ingredient amounts were off by quite a bit, but five stars for flavor!

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Corn and Zucchini Melody

Reviewed: Sep. 28, 2011

Although not huge zucchini lovers we did really enjoy this recipe. I used uncured apple smoked bacon and added some grape tomatoes for color and a small clove of garlic, minced, for flavor. It took less than five minutes for my vegetables to be crisp/tender. Although I used fresh corn frozen would have worked just as well. The cheese was not necessary to make this a five star veggie combo. Served alongside a simple baked haddock topped with Boston’s Legal Seafood style oyster cracker crumbs, this was both a tasty and attractive dish.

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Ocean Packets

Reviewed: Sep. 24, 2011

Excellent! Next time I will add a little crushed garlic to the packet. This would be an excellent meal for company because you it can all be made ahead of time and then just throw them on the grill. Don't seal the packets, though, until you are ready to cook them so the clams remain alive. Discard any clams that do not open.

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Hot Bacon Dressing

Reviewed: Sep. 23, 2011

Fabulous dressing! I halved the recipe and it still made a lot of dressing. I served the dressing over fresh baby spinach, sliced mushrooms, red onion, and hard boiled egg.

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Johnny's Grub Rub

Reviewed: Sep. 23, 2011

Nicely balanced flavors make this rub a star! I am glad that I doubled the recipe so I will have it on hand; I can imagine using it on various grilled meats and vegetables. The only change I made was subbing smoked paprika for a portion of the paprika called for in the recipe. Great!

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