Meli Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (13321852)

Simple Scones

Reviewed: Sep. 10, 2011

SO good!! Used fat-free ricotta instead of sour cream (it's what I had!) and used blueberries instead of raisins. They were PERFECT!

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

Grilled Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Reviewed: May 15, 2010

I use cream of mushroom soup with skim milk whisked in to make up volume instead of cream here. I also add some sliced mushrooms near the end of cooking, and increase the Gorgonzola a bit (okay and I add a bit of garlic... I love my garlic!). Make sure to use a nice, high quality cheese. I tried it once with an amazing goat Gorgonzola, and another time with a cheaper pre-crumbled variety. You can definitely taste the difference and I think I'd have to double the cheaper one to get the same flavour out of it.

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

Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce II

Reviewed: May 10, 2010

WOW this was goooood! I needed a bbq sauce for ribs for people with food sensitivities and this was amazing! I made it pretty much exactly as written but substituted the brown sugar with brown sugar substitute Splenda (one person was diabetic and I figured the honey and molasses were enough), and used margarine instead of butter (another has milk product sensitivities). What a great flavour! One person actually poured more of the sauce on his plate so he could keep dipping the ribs over and over! I'm not a rib or a bbq lover at all, but I polished off 4. I actually didn't need the second tbsp of cornstarch since mine got thick enough with the cooking... it was also easy to add more hot sauce (we like the spice) but would be easy enough to use less for people who don't like it. I thought the entire bulb of garlic was perfect! The margarine at the end wasn't entirely necessary as I liked the taste before, but I'm glad I added it anyway. Thanks for the recipe!

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

Chocolate Mousse Cake V

Reviewed: May 9, 2010

This was SO good. I needed a dessert for a reduced sugar, gluten free and dairy/lactose free meal and this did the trick! I replaced the sugar with splenda, the cream with cool whip and the butter with margerine. It was STILL good!! I'm giving it 5 stars even though I modified it (some people seem to think that shouldn't be done) because I figure if this tasted so good with the modifications I made it's a pretty stellar recipe! It came out so light and airy but rich, and not too sweet (or not sweet enough) at all.

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

Cheesy Quinoa Pilaf with Spinach

Reviewed: Jan. 31, 2010

A really nice side. We didn't have the goat cheese so used pepper-jack instead. We also didn't have the lemon juice so I ended up having to use some balsamic vinegar, some Greek seasoning and pepper. I also added some red pepper flakes, which made all the difference for me.

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

Christmas Morning Pie

Reviewed: Dec. 27, 2009

Wow did this hit the spot! My fiance and I made it Christmas morning and it was a huge hit!

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

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread

Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2009

Yum! This was as moist and dense as advertised. I didn't even realise it was a vegan recipe until I had made the dough/batter and checked and double-checked that there were no eggs! It turned out very nicely regardless! I used Splenda instead of the white sugar and applesauce instead of the oil and was very happy I did. Not only was it a super tasty bread, but I felt pretty good about eating it too! All of the party-goers at our Halloween pumpkin-themed party also really enjoyed it!

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

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2009

I wasn't sure how I would like these, but they were very good!! The batter have a very doughy consistency and wasn't the easiest to get into "pretty" looking cookies, but they tasted amazing! I used 1/4 tsp Allspice instead of the cloves, since I can't even stand the smell of cloves for some reason... no one seemed to notice! The icing/glaze was a really nice touch!

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

Zuppa Toscana

Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2009

I have never had this at Olive Garden but this was very good! Four stars only because I had to make some changes to make it a little healthier for me... I used Turkey Kielbasa sausage, a 3 bacon slices and no-fat half and half (I will forever be indebted to the reviewer who suggested that -- I had no idea no-fat half and half existed!!). I also threw in 1/2c of orzo when I added the potatoes (I actually used sweet potatoes since I like them better and their nutritional content is higher than normal ones) just because I wanted something a little extra in there. I found it a little bit too salty with the bouillon but I may just have to buy reduced fat bouillon. I also added a little pepper and cayenne pepper before eating, since I like things with a bit of a kick!

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

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Reviewed: Apr. 9, 2009

My fiance loved these, but I found they lacked something I couldn't put my finger on. Maybe I'll try adding the vanilla as others suggested next time, and will ad more peanut butter. They did come out nice and moist, and had a good consistency though. Update: I tried these with a tsp of vanilla and they were perfect... Upped my review from 3 to 4... they are a 5 for me with the vanilla but that's personal preference!

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

Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread

Reviewed: Mar. 20, 2009

Really good! I had to substitute vinegar and milk for the buttermilk since that's all I had, but otherwise stuck exactly to the recipe. I did follow others' suggestions of cooking it at 350 degrees, though my oven cooks hot and it was done in 40 minutes (luckily I smelled that it was done!). Basically just watch the cook time, as it seems to vary. Also, I found that I could make it entirely in one big bowl (I mixed by hand), rather than kneading it on another surface that would have needed to be cleaned!

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

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2009

I love this recipe! I've tried a few whole-wheat pancake recipes and this is definitely my favourite so far. They turn out nice and fluffy (for whole-wheat pancakes anyway... they're more dense than those with white flour, but that's what I was going for!), and I don't find the taste of baking powder stands out as it does in some other recipes I've tried where they use more to compensate for the whole wheat flour. I also like that it doesn't use any white flour. I use a bit of honey instead of the artificial sweeter, and add some vanilla when making them with berries. I really enjoy playing with this recipe, and have a lot of success adding some chopped apple and cinnamon instead of the berries when the mood strikes.

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

Beefy Spanish Rice

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2009

A nice easy meal for one of those days when you don't feel like doing anything overly complicated! I added fresh chopped garlic, and used a can of spicy okra and tomato (had a little bit of corn in it too, but not much) instead of the corn. I also added some chili powder. I grated in some cheese at the end, since I love cheese and rice and enjoy how it makes it a little gooey! I could easily see this becoming a staple for me, though I think if I'd made it exactly as the recipe called I may have found it a little bland. That's entirely personal preference though... this is a nice dish!

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

Whole Wheat Muffins

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2009

This recipe is a GREAT base to start from when trying to make a healthy muffin. I gave it 4 stars as I didn't think it was a good recipe just by itself... if you get creative though it's definitely 5 stars. I added a little bit of vanilla, and half a cup of chopped strawberries and raspberries, and some blueberries. I also used brown sugar rather than white. So good! Next I may try apple and cinnamon, and may use honey as the sweetener. I like the idea of using applesauce instead of sugar, and will do that when I next have some on hand!

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

Easy and Elegant Pork Tenderloin

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2009

This was very good. I took the advice of a few other reviewers and marinated the pork tender-loin in a honey-mustard marinade I made. I coated the meat with the bread crumbs, then mixed some egg into the rest of the crumbs and pressed it on to the outside for some extra coating. This was my first breaded meat dish and I'm very glad I tried it! I did find that it definitely needs to be covered as several reviewers have noted, and that I needed to avoid having too many bread crumbs on around the base of the meat, as those cooked much faster than the rest and I actually had to pull it out of the oven and scrape the extra away. I'll definitely make this recipe again.

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

Split Pea and Sausage Soup

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2009

This recipe is simply amazing! I LOVE the use of the sausage over the ham... such a neat variation! We couldn't eat enough of this! I've made it several times, twice in a normal pot and once in the pressure cooker, and all were perfect. I liked the idea of making it with kielbasa so much I also tried it with lentils rather than split peas and added some spinach and diced tomatoes. 6 Minutes on high pressure in the pressure cooker and it was amazing! Thanks for the great recipe.

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

Slow Cooker Spicy Black-Eyed Peas

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2009

I made these last night and they were excellent! I did sub out the ham with turkey kielbasa, and the bacon with turkey bacon (cheaper and lower fat). I also added a little bit of paprika. They have a nice little bit of spice to them. I cooked them in my pressure cooker rather than a slow cooker. 15 minutes at high pressure and they were cooked perfectly (I did not pre-soak).

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

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ricotta Cheese

Reviewed: Jan. 13, 2009

I made this for Christmas dinner and it was to die for! I used some finely chopped onion and garlic instead of the shallots, and didn't have the sage on hand. Even without the sage they were wonderful! I grated some Parmesan cheese on each and put them under the broiler for a bit at the end. Yum!

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

Cornbread I

Reviewed: Jan. 13, 2009

Very nice, quick and simple recipe. I cut down the salt to 1/2 a tsp and cooked it for only 13mins before it was done. I also used ricotta cheese rather than shorting to cut down on the fat.

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

Italian Style Meatloaf I

Reviewed: Jan. 13, 2009

I'm not a fan of meatloaf, and my fiancee hates it, but after reading this recipe and liking all the ingredients I decided to give it a try. We both LOVED it! I made it with ground turkey rather than beef for decreased cost and fat content, and used diced tomatoes with chilis (I know it's not Italian but we love spice). I also added diced onion and garlic, and used italian-style bread crumbs. I served it with some home-made cornbread and baked sweet potato fries -- we were in heaven!

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