VNITSIRK Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (1161498)

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2011

Awesome! (with the soy/balsamic proportion swap) Words I never thought I'd hear: "Mom, instead of dessert, could you make more asparagus?"

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1 user found this review helpful

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2011

Yum! I skipped the zucchini because I didn't have any on hand and I subbed cilantro for parsley because I am madly in love with cilantro (and therefore, so is my garden). I also used a whole diced onion, which was closer to 2 cups. (Big thank you to the reviewer Nikki who translated cups into quantities of veggies!) Everybody raved except my 9-year-old, so I think when I make this again it'll be on a grown-ups night, and I'll use hot Italian sausage and some maybe some black or red pepper. I accidentally put in one can of beef broth plus a carton of low-sodium chicken broth. I know it doesn't make a huge difference, but I was irritated with myself (I literally just grabbed the wrong carton from the pantry!), so I "noticed." Again, everybody raved, and I see other reviewers used chicken broth on purpose (not just because they were on the phone with their mother and not paying attention...), but I will definitely use beef next time because I think that little extra richness and saltiness would have made it EVEN better! Thanks for the recipe!

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3 users found this review helpful

Addictive Mashed Potatoes

Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2011

WARNING: if you like trying new recipes, do NOT make these for family, friends, or coworkers! They are SO GOOD, you will never be allowed to bring anything but these mashed potatoes to get-togethers ever again! MAN, are they good!!

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3 users found this review helpful

Maple Salmon

Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2011

When I told my 9-year-old we were having salmon for dinner, he carefully explained that he does NOT like salmon and would NOT be eating any dinner. Then he got too hungry to stay stubborn and tried a bite. Now I am under strict orders to make it again next week...and the next week...and the next week...turns out he was a big salmon fan all along and didn't even know it! :)

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4 users found this review helpful

Focaccia Bread

Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2011

For the first batch I didn't proof the yeast, and it did rise...eventually. Second batch--I dissolved the yeast & sugar in a couple ounces of the (warmed) water and let it proof while I was measuring the rest of the dry ingredients. It was already nice and foamy by the time I was ready to add the rest of the water and oil, so I didn't bother to wait the full 10 minutes. That dough rose quickly, and by the time I pulled it out of the oven, the first, non-proofed batch was finally ready to be punched down. The two results were basically identical, but since the non-proofed batch took triple the time to rise, I place my vote with the proof-your-yeast camp. I'm no chemist, but it makes sense that letting the yeast and sugar get to know each other before introducing them to the rest of the ingredients gives their process a headstart. That being said, I definitely didn't mind having two batches! The fam gobbled it right up! 2 batches x 3 people = 0 leftovers! Thanks for the recipe!

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2 users found this review helpful

Bourbon Sausage

Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2011

Yummy! This is a great dish to throw together at a moment's notice, so it's handy to keep the ingredients around for drop-in guests or last minute get-togethers. My nine-year-old DEVOURS it, so I've been known to put it over rice, steam some broccoli, and call it dinner. I toss the sugar and cocktail sauce in my mini crockpot on low while I brown the sausages, then I deglaze with the bourbon for a few minutes (to get all the alcohol burned off) before I dump it all into the crockpot. Travels well like that too!

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3 users found this review helpful

Chicken Breasts Pierre

Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2011

Oh, so GOOD!! I doubled the recipe, replaced some of the water with white wine, cut back on the chili and met in the middle on the tomatoes: 1 can stewed, 1 can fire-roasted diced. I had just started some brown minute rice when I remembered I had leftover "addictive mashed potatoes" (from this site) in the fridge. I don't know what got into me, but I decided to combine the cooked brown rice, a little olive oil, and the mashed potatoes, and somehow (weird as it sounds) it was the perfect sturdy yet absorbent starch for this rich, flavorful, tangy dish. My 9-year-old devoured two huge helpings, and my boyfriend went crazy over it! He took the leftovers for lunch the next day, and he works with five guys. That night, ALL FIVE significant others called me for the recipe! This is now in my regular rotation (and at least five other households'!) Thanks for the recipe!

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1 user found this review helpful

Spooky Witches Fingers

Reviewed: Oct. 31, 2011

You know how frustrating it is to pull that last half inch of waxed paper off the roll right in the middle of a recipe?! If this happens to you, it IS worth the trip to the store--I handled the first batch too much and they melted pretty flat in the oven. For a second batch, it worked really well to use a glass baking dish to squish the dough to about half an inch thick between two sheets of waxed paper to chill (for closer to an hour--20-30 minutes wasn't quite enough). Then I cut "french fries" that I could pull out of the fridge 2 or 3 at a time and quickly roll into finger shape--saves time and the less handling the better! Mine also got a bonus hour in the fridge before baking (my family decided they needed dinner), which helped keep them firm. I colored half the dough green and the other half purple, and gave each finger a wart or two of the opposite color. I mixed red food coloring with chocolate syrup and coated the almonds in that before placing them on the gel. Then I added red sugar sprinkles to the colored syrup for texture and dipped the "severed" ends into that. I was really pleased with the results--very gory! Last but not least, adults raved about how delicious they were, and the kids liked them but weren’t quite as crazy about them—they aren’t overly sweet.

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2 users found this review helpful

Bruschetta with Shallots

Reviewed: Oct. 24, 2011

I was the belle of the cocktail hour with this dish! The Romas were looking a little anemic that day, so I used 2 containers of grape tomatoes, 2 small shallots, and about half a head of garlic. Chopped and combined everything but the basil in the morning, tossed the basil in about 6 hours later, and it was awesome!

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4 users found this review helpful

Raspberry Tilapia

Reviewed: May 20, 2006

There are too many flavors competing in this dish--seemed they were all trying to cover each other up.

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1 user found this review helpful

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce

Reviewed: May 20, 2006

This is really, really great! The pork is terrific by itself, and like others, I used extra mustard. The sauce is better the next day, so put it together the night before, too. Spring for the chives!

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17 users found this review helpful

Leslie's Strawberry Breakfast Chops

Reviewed: Apr. 25, 2003

I really liked this! I grilled the chops, and I sauteed some diced red onion in butter before I added the rest of the ingredients. It was a cool change of pace--great summer dinner!

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6 users found this review helpful

Pan-Fried Asparagus

Reviewed: Mar. 17, 2003

This was extremely salty! I used kosher salt and I didn't even use all the salt called for! Also, it was a ton of butter and oil. Just grilling or steaming--even boiling it is easier and much tastier.

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2 users found this review helpful

Champagne Shrimp and Pasta

Reviewed: Mar. 17, 2003

This was great! I doubled everything except the shrimp for a friends-dropped-in dinner, and it was the perfect quanity for six. I put the shrimp in the champagne while I chopped everything else, and the bubbles brought stray pieces of shell & tail to the top, so I could pick them out easily. I used grape tomatoes and added some ground white pepper towards the end. Very elegant and tasty!

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4 users found this review helpful

Avocado Salsa

Reviewed: Mar. 17, 2003

I love this! I add cilantro as well as the oregano, and it is definitely spice-up-able with green chiles or jalapenos. A friend of mine loves it so much, he brings over all the ingredients occasionally as well as a bottle of wine, so I will make this for him. Of course I could give him the recipe, since it's simple enough for even a super-mega-bachelor, but, come on--he pays me with wine!

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6 users found this review helpful

Cheese Enchiladas

Reviewed: Mar. 17, 2003

Yummy! Followed others' suggestions: taco seasoning, fresh sauteed mushrooms, and well over double the cheese called for. It just takes a minute to grate the cheese, and blocks of cheese are typically much better quality than bags of shredded (often cheaper as well!). When I tried to dip the tortillas they really broke up a lot, so I slathered the sauce on the inside, added the filling, rolled it up, and then poured the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, making sure not to leave any naked tortilla. This was a lot easier!

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78 users found this review helpful

Catherine's Spicy Chicken Soup

Reviewed: Mar. 17, 2003

I really liked this, but like others, I made changes: I left out the whole tomatoes and chili beans; used frozen corn rather than canned and tub of fresh salsa rather than jarred; I didn't have the patience to shred all the chicken, so I diced about half of it and it all broke up just fine; I spooned the sour cream on top of the serving bowls (good without, too) with sliced black olives--all yummy options! This definitely eats like a meal, but you can decrease the chicken if you're just looking for a side dish. Also, it freezes well. Everybody else may already know this, but I accidentally discovered that condensed tomato soup does a GREAT job cleaning electric stove elements and underpans. Those little discs in the middle of the elements are supposed to be silver! News to me!

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193 users found this review helpful

Brown Butter Cookies

Reviewed: Feb. 27, 2003

Very good! I completely spaced on the glaze, but still wonderful without it! This is exactly what I look for in a cookie: not especially sweet, but very flavorful! It's a great rainy day/don't want to grocery shop recipe.

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1 user found this review helpful

Aussie Chicken

Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2003

Yummy! Good, quick, easy...I'll be making this again!

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1 user found this review helpful

Philly Steak Sandwich

Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2003

This was great, authentic or not! I take the sirloin right out of the freezer and slice it very thin with a slicer. I marinated the sliced meat with the herbs and spices plus some vegetable oil, soy sauce and worchestershire overnight the first time, but when I've made it since, I just let it defrost/marinate on the counter while prepping everything else and/or sides, and it imparts plenty of flavor. Thanks for the great recipe!

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2 users found this review helpful