French Spring Soup

Reviewed: Apr. 9, 2012

A really fine soup woth a wonderful fresh taste: it is really a potage parmentier with some asparagus, carrot, and spinach added. You can vary the proportions depending on which flavor you want to be dominant. I find it doesn't need any rice because the potatoes add enough starch, and although the heavy cream tastes nice, most of us are better off with something less fatty and caloric. Personally I just like to intensify the veggie flavors by adding garlic and parsley. But it's a great recipe and I've had lots of fun with it this spring. Thank you Papergoddess.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Slow and Easy Beef Stock

Reviewed: Mar. 26, 2012

Thank you for the clearinstructions. I have always wanted to be able to make this, and I agree that the pure beef flavor makes the most useful and versatile stock. Since today's slow cookers are set at a higher temperature than the ones originally made, it is nw perfectly possible to make this stock in one of them from start to finish. I buy beef bones from an Asian market (in case you can't find them in hyour supermarket).

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2012

The beauty of this recipe is that you can put it together in five minutes or less, if you have a good can-opener! However, my family won't eat it unless I freshen it up a bit. You can do this while the bulk of the ingredients are already in the pot on the stove. It takes very litte time to strip an ear or two of corn - and fresh does taste better than canned. If you have some left-over chicken roasted or baked, or even poached, it will most certainly taste better than canned. If you happen to have frozen your very own chicken stock or broth and are generous enought to use it, you'll be in gourmet territory. Just substitute any or all of these fresh elements for the canned ones while the pot is already simmering. If there's time, you could even flash-fry a cut-up skinless, boneless chicken breast and dump it in. Whether or not you have made thse "improvements", do add some garlic squeezed in your garlic press, some lemon or lime juice if you have either of these fruits lying around (don't bother with the b ottled kind), and chop a handful of parsley or cilantro and /or scallions if available. Spice it up with fresh chilis or a pinch or two of cayenne pepper if your crowd likes it. Now - you've got a soup no one could sneeze at, and you got there easily, knowing that you could do it all with cans if you wanted to!Thanks to Terryn for helping me con myself into cooking when I was really too tired!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Dave's Mocha Chicken

Reviewed: Mar. 5, 2012

Loved this recipe!! Was a little worried about the amount of soy sauce, so put in a little less and a bit more coffee. I didn't have sherry, so gave it a shot of whisky...not really the same, but the basic recipe idea is fantastic!Everyone loved it!! I also browned the chicken in a pan, then finished the legs in the oven, without the marinade. I simmered the marinade down to about half, then thickened it with a knob of butter ( didn't use oil) then poured it over the chicken before serving.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Pyjama Chef

Supporting Member (Click to learn more about Supporting Membership)

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Fig and Lemon Chicken

Reviewed: Feb. 13, 2012

this worked perfectly! The only change I made was to add a little moe sugar (1/3 cup) and I used balsamic vinegar, as that's what I had in the kitchen! superb taste, everyone loved it

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Pyjama Chef

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Fig and Lemon Chicken

Reviewed: Feb. 13, 2012

this worked perfectly! The only change I made was to add a little moe sugar (1/3 cup) and I used balsamic vinegar, as that's what I had in the kitchen! superb taste, everyone loved it

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Pyjama Chef

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Homemade Yogurt

Reviewed: Jan. 29, 2012

Thanks for reminding me that this is possible. I first made yogurt from the Whole Earth Catalog in the 1960's when I had small children and no money. The powdered milk saves money, and, just as important, saves on fat content. Someone asked if you can thicken it. Yes, you can. Either add powdered milk to bottled milk of whatever kind you prefer, or use more powdered milk with water. Just make sure the powder is mixed in well. You can experiment to see which proportions give the result you prefer, but remember that more powder means more calories, so you may want to serve smaller portions. You can also experiment to see which yogurt culture you like best, whether it's Dannon or Fage or some other. This is easier and cheaper than buying powdered cultures from specialty stores. In my experience it's better to add the fruit after the yogurt has fermented. I also made my own granola from the Whole Earth Catalog. Those were the days! and now I'm retired, I'll do it again!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
8 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Danish Rice Pudding with Almonds

Reviewed: Jan. 18, 2012

My husband is Danish, we have this every Christmas and eat it leading up to Christmas with just slight alterations. We make a large pot of rice plain without almonds, vanilla and cream the day before and eat it for supper with a little butter and sugar cinnamon sprinkled on, the next day we add the cream and almonds and true Danish style top with Cherry sauce. Nom Nom Nom. Niels makes it for my family in Scotland and they LOVE it! Mustn't forget a marzipan pig for the prize when the whole almond has been found!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

racincake

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Chicken with Peanut Curry Yogurt Sauce

Reviewed: Jan. 14, 2012

It's not that it tasted bad but I was expecting something fresh and spicy with a nutty base and instead this was quite bland, even with extra salt and pepper, extra garlic and a heavy helping of cumin. I probably won't be making this again.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Lisa L. Hansen

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Køge, Sjælland, Denmark

Poached Salmon

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2012

A very good way to caook salmon! I had to feed 18 people and bought a whole side of a huge salmon - so long I had to cut it in half to fit my largest roasting pan. So I had to poach it in the oven - at 400f it got done in 15 minutes. I made a court bouillon for the liquid and seasoned it much as in this recipe, except that I prefer fresh herbs, so I used lemon and pepper instead of lemon pepper and a bunch of parsley instead of parsley flakes which really taste like dead grass. I did use some chicken broth, but used fish stock and a little shrimp stock rather than water for the liquid. I came out very tasty and I froze it to reuse for the next fish I poach. You need jst enough to cover the fish in the pan. The sauce is gorgeous and multiplied up nicely, but I used an English cucumber instead of zucchini. The sauce multiplied up very nicely - no change of proportions needed. If you use cucumber be sure to salt and drain it and squeeze it as dry as possible. The thicker a Greek yoghurt you use, the better - but it can be entirely without fat, and you can use low fat mayo too, so the whole dish doesn't get too rich, but tastes delicious. This recipe was a huge success for me, and I am grateful.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
6 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Janet's Rich Banana Bread

Reviewed: Jan. 6, 2012

Only change I made was swapping nuts for chocolate chips. I will never use any other banana bread recipe again.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

racincake

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Beer Butt Rosemary Chicken

Reviewed: Dec. 5, 2011

Fabulous chicken! I agree with others that a beer can is not the best thing to use - there are many ways to prop up a chicken - one is to set it up on the center of your bundt pan and put the pan in a roasting pan. Tehn you can pour your liquids and vegetables into the bundt pan and add the drippings from inside the chicken to the liquid after it's done. Since I didn't need a beer can, I used some wine instead. I had fresh rosemarym but I don't like orange with chicken so I used a barbecue chicken rub to flavor it up a bit. So I ended up with a different recipe, but it was Debbie's that got me going, and it came out marvellous. Thanks, Debbie.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Banana Cake with Marzipan

Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2011

This cake is incredible

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Alolka

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Green Tomato Relish

Reviewed: Nov. 14, 2011

absolutely perfect! The whole family loves it. I didn´t have any celery seeds, so put in coriander seeds instead, which works really well. I also put a little mild chili in.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Pyjama Chef

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Steak and Kidney Pie I

Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2011

I love steak and kidney pie, even more so with puff pastry which is delicious moistened by the gravy. But I think the author made an error or two. There is no need to use beef tenderloin in a stew preparation - you'll get a much better flavor from chuck or even leg of beef, and even those cuts would not need to cook for three hours - maybe an hour and a half at most. And at the top of the recipe the cooking time is given as 1 hr 30 mins, not the 3 hrs 20 mins the instructions say. In addition, I usually soak the kidney in milk for several hours before cooking (this gets out some of the urine taste and smell, but doesn't destroy the unique flavor). It's a good idea to use a pie bird or funnel to hold the pastry off the gravy so it will be nice and crisp when baked - the inside will still be moist. I'm rating the pie five stars because if you carry out these suggestions it will be very good indeed, and I don't want to put anyone off making a splendid steak and kidney pie!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
4 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Butternut Squash Soup

Reviewed: Nov. 2, 2011

You really don't need any cream cheese at all in a butternut squash soup, so unless you are trying to fatten up starving wilderness survivors, I'd leave it out! The suggestion of apple cider or juice in another review is a good one as a fruity variation. Personally I like it savory with prebaked squash and garlic. If you have time to make your own vegetable or chicken stock, it's a huge improvement on chicken cubes. Isn't butternut squash an absolutely wonderful rewarding vegetable to cook with?!!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Fruity Butternut Squash Soup

Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2011

Very good soup and very popular in restaurants right now. It costs very little to make. In response to other reviews, I agree that the soup is probably better without adding potatoes, or sweet potatoes, or carrots. As a matter of fact, it can just be made with squash and vegetable or chicken stock, though I think that onions add a pleasant pungent sweetness and celery a slightly herby taste. The addition I recommend is a pear - which, of course adds some fruitiness. Also, I wouldn t mix in the sour cream because it deprives people of the opportunity to cut those calories. And finally, you can use plain skim milk yoghurt (or any other kind you prefer) instead of sour cream. Some might even prefer its lightness.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Butternut Squash Soup II

Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2011

Very good soup and very popular in restaurants right now. It costs very little to make. In response to other reviews, I agree that the soup is probably better without adding potatoes, or sweet potatoes, or carrots. As a matter of fact, it can just be made with squash and vegetable or chicken stock, though I think that onions add a pleasant pungent sweetness and celery a slightly herby taste. The addition I recommend is a pear - which, of course adds some fruitiness. Also, I wouldn t mix in the sour cream because it deprives people of the opportunity to cut those calories. And finally, you can use plain skim milk yoghurt (or any other kind you prefer) instead of sour cream. Some might even prefer its lightness.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

chaplainesque

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Milky Way® Cupcake Icing

Reviewed: Oct. 9, 2011

YUM

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
4 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

racincake

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Seminary Muffins

Reviewed: Oct. 9, 2011

I followed the EXACT recipe i.e no changes made but what I saw in the recipe. They were nice, I liked them but that is all.. the other half however.. thought they were the best thing since Internet invention.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful