VORCHA Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (18805408)

Filet with a Merlot Sauce

Reviewed: Sep. 13, 2007

This is absolute divine. The main key to having this turn out great is using an excellent red wine that you want to drink. If you don't want to drink it out of the bottle, you won't love the sauce. Take the time to find a good wine, splurge a little if you have to. I add sliced mushrooms to the pan sauce.

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24 users found this review helpful

Marinated Cheese

Reviewed: Sep. 13, 2007

This a very classy appetizer. I prefer to use fresh mozzeralla or other mild cheeses. Quite often the flavor of the cheddard will clash with the marinade. You can dizzle the marinade over the cheese, over fresh cut vegetables or save for dipping bread in.

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9 users found this review helpful

Pork BBQ

Reviewed: Aug. 28, 2007

Extremely disappointing! The meat didn't come out tender at all and the sauce had a funny taste that no one liked. I ended up dumping this out and ordering take out. I won't be making this again.

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12 users found this review helpful

Egg Rolls a la Paye

Reviewed: Aug. 28, 2007

Very good, but I made a few changes since several people commented these were too salty. I used cooked salad shrimp from the seafood counter instead of canned, used 3 cups cabbage instead of bean sprouts and used garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I baked mine for 10-15 minutes, turning 1/2 way through, because I don't like dealing with the mess of deep frying.

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34 users found this review helpful

Lobster Colorado

Reviewed: Aug. 22, 2007

Very easy and elegant! I recommend buying the best quality filet that you can afford, it will make a huge difference in the quality in the finished dish. I added a 1/2 cup of white wine to the lobster. To ensure the the lobster doesn't get tough, under cook it, the broiler will finish it.

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33 users found this review helpful

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Reviewed: Aug. 9, 2007

Good but this needed a little tweaking. The potatoes took longer than 20-30 minutes to cook through, nearly 45 minutes. Also, at 475, the outsides ended up burnt before cooked through. To fix this, I dropped the temperature to 425, covered the pan with foil for the first 20 minutes then removed. The steam from the potatoes helps them cook through without burning.

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7 users found this review helpful

Firehouse Clam Bake New England Style

Reviewed: Aug. 9, 2007

Loved this, loved this! We spent a day on the Oregon coast clamming and crabbing. Pit cooking just brings out all the flavor of the seafood. Instead of lobsters, we used dungess crabs and halibut instead of cod. No body likes sweet potatoes so I increased the amount of white potatoes. Fantastic. Just remember to bring lots of napkins and big hefty plates to enjoy this properly.

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11 users found this review helpful

Chuckwagon Stew

Reviewed: Aug. 1, 2007

You really need to take the time to season the meat and brown it prior to adding to the slow cooker, otherwise it ends up bland and mushy tasting. I used 2 lbs of chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flake. I browned the meat in 1 tablespoon of oil before adding to the slow cooker. After I browned the meat, I sauted the onion along with 2 cloves of garlic until lightly golden. Doing this may take a little bit of time, but it does wonders to add flavor to the final stew. Also, I needed to add a 16 oz bottle of barbecue sauce to ensure there was enough sauce. I thinned it with a 1/2 cup of beef stock. Garnished the stew with cheddard cheese and served over biscuits.

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32 users found this review helpful

Grilled Poblano Pepper and Mango Quesadillas

Reviewed: Jul. 26, 2007

As written this is pretty bland; yes, the peppers are flavorful but the cream cheese adds nothing to the flavor or the texture. Next time, I will ditch the cream cheese and use either Montery Jack/ Colby cheese or cheddard instead and serve with a mango salsa or pepper salsa on top.

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3 users found this review helpful

Frogmore Stew

Reviewed: Jul. 24, 2007

Don't think of this as tradional stew; this is a Southern take on the traditional seafood bake. I added 1 can of beer to the water, 2 cloves mashed garlic, a hardy pinch of kosher salt, and the juice of one lemon to the water. I made the traditional sauce of melted butter with a shot of hot sauce to serve with the stew. This dish is messing so serve outside, line the table with newspaper, and hand out plenty of napkins.

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7 users found this review helpful

Good Ole' Southern Frogmore Stew

Reviewed: Jul. 9, 2007

This is phenomenal! Yes this is really basic but everything comes together and tastes like you spent all day slaving away. Think of it more as a Southern verison of a clambake rather than a traditional "stew". Fixed two big pots of this for 4th of July over my grill. Briefly grilled the corn before adding it to the pot. Everyone loved it though be warned it's a bit messy to eat.

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5 users found this review helpful

Original Homemade Italian Beef

Reviewed: Jun. 20, 2007

Since several people complained about the salt levels, I only used one package of Italian dressing mix. I browned my roast before placing in the slow cooker. I then added 3 smashed cloves of garlic and 1 onion sliced to flavor the drippings. This gave the beef a lot of flavor without being salty. I used crusty kaiser rolls instead of hamburger buns; they can hold up to the juices better than the buns.

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3 users found this review helpful

Chile Colorado

Reviewed: May 24, 2007

Wonderful authetic chili! Yes, it is simple, but it's simplicity that makes it so fabulous! My only change is I cooked 4 slices of bacon chopped and then browned the beef and onions in the drippings. It really adds a richness to the chili.

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7 users found this review helpful

Catherine's Sirloin Tip Roast

Reviewed: May 24, 2007

Excellent but the directions for cooking this will leave you willleave you with a well-done, dry roast. I used a 7-Bone Chuck Roast and pulled it out when it read 120 on the therometer and let it rests for 15 minutes before carving. Much more tender and the garlic doesn't burn!

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2 users found this review helpful

Bratwurst and Shrimp Boil

Reviewed: May 9, 2007

Fixed this last weekend for a family reunion so I ended up tripling the ingredients. I fixed it over my gas grill, so I briefly grilled the brats before adding them to the water. Instead of adding the lemon, I just added 1 tbls of juice so it didn't overwhelmed. We all loved it, though it is a bit messing. Lay down several layers of newspapers and have a large stack of napkins and paper towels. Great for outdoor feasts but I would caution serving this indoors.

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25 users found this review helpful

Parma-Wrapped Chicken with Mediterranean Vegetables

Reviewed: Apr. 24, 2007

As previously mentioned, the potatoes take quite a bit longer to cook than the rest of the veggies. I ended up starting them 20 minutes before everything else than adding in the rest of the veggies and chicken. I used Roma tomatoes instead of cherry, much better flavor, tossed 1 spring of fresh rosemary. Next time, I might try bone-in chicken breasts. I've always loved their flavor better than boneless but boneless are easier to serve.

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4 users found this review helpful

Doug's Killer Sauce

Reviewed: Apr. 24, 2007

I have used this a number of times over the years. Depending upon what I use it for, I tweak it. For spaghetti, I add 1/2 lb of Italian sausage and 1 cup red wine, nixing the red pepper flakes. For sloppy joes, I make it a bit soupier, not cooking it down so much. For chili, I add back in the pepper flakes and add toasted chilis and chili powder. It uses are as limitless as your imagination.

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11 users found this review helpful

Bacon Wrapped Barbeque Shrimp

Reviewed: Apr. 12, 2007

Fantastic and really, really easy. I grilled mine in a grill basket instead of baking. The grill gave them a great grilled, smoky flavor that brought out the flavor of the shrimp. Make sure to turn them so they don't become charred on one side.

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5 users found this review helpful

Shrimp Linguine

Reviewed: Apr. 5, 2007

Very good and really easy. Instead of using pre-cooked shrimp which can turn rubbery, I used fresh shrimp and cooked them in the butter. This lets them absorb all the wonderful flavor of the sauce. Serve this immediately, otherwise the sauce can congeal and get nasty.

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2 users found this review helpful

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Reviewed: Apr. 5, 2007

We love this and have made this many times now! I don't flour the ribs, it actually hinders the meat browning and developing its flavor to the fullest. I have found that the flavor is best if you cook it the day before and reheat in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes. This also lets you degrease the dish fully since short ribs can release alot of grease.

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315 users found this review helpful