Jolie Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (13777474)

Drunken Shrimp

Reviewed: Apr. 12, 2012

The cooking time was way too much. I should have followed my gut instead of the instructions, as after the 10 minutes that it calls for (5 before beer, 5 after), my shrimp were overcooked and rubbery. Also, the instructions don't say when to add the red pepper flakes. It should have been with the black pepper, but I didn't notice until the end and then it was too late for the flavor to really meld. In general, not flavorful enough and I ended up adding old bay. Disappointing for me, but at least guests had high praise.

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2 users found this review helpful

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Reviewed: Feb. 27, 2012

I followed this recipe pretty much to the letter, though I used "Mexican blend" cheese on top. Hubby told me it's the closest thing to authentic Mexican that he's had in a while, reiterating "Delicious!" while regaling me with tales about "real" Mexican food that he had while based out West. The cream cheese was subtle, and even though my salsa was hot, it wasn't particularly spicy. But it was creamy. His only suggestion was to grill the chicken after marinating, while I only boiled it, but he actually put two thumbs in the air and told me to keep the recipe.

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6 users found this review helpful

Spiced Carrot Strips

Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2012

This was pretty good. I thought they were a bit too salty, but hubby disagreed. Not 5 stars because it didn't blow us away, but definitely pretty good. A nice change to have cinnamon paired with savory flavor, not just sugar.

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0 users found this review helpful

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2011

I am blown away by this. I had no idea it would turn out this good. Even my husband said it was really, really good, and he's a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. I halved the salt and still think it's salty, so maybe next time I'll use 1/4 teaspoon, but that's my only complaint. I did sprinkle some sliced almonds over the asparagus after it was spread out on the baking sheet, and that was a nice touch.

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3 users found this review helpful

Pork Chop Dinner

Reviewed: Oct. 22, 2011

I had high hopes for this, but it wasn't anything special. It was good enough, but nothing to really get excited about. Kind of disappointing. And I did follow the recipe exactly, except that I used fresh mushrooms instead of canned.

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1 user found this review helpful

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Reviewed: Sep. 9, 2011

The first time I made this, I had just moved into my own apartment. I didn't realize until it was underway that it called for a blender or food processor. I had neither, so I improvised with a big knife and with a potato masher. The soup was lumpy but tasted good. It's been about 5 years and I tried again, this time with a blender. Fantastic. I didn't do much to alter this, except adding a sprinkle of extra nutmeg, plus a sprinkle of ginger and even a tiny sprinkle of cayenne pepper, but I'm not sure I even added enough for that to count. The texture was good, the taste was great, I was very pleased. Hubby doesn't like pumpkin or soup so I won't try to get his opinion, but that's fine - more for me. :)

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1 user found this review helpful

Juicy Peach Crisp

Reviewed: Aug. 30, 2011

My husband took one bite, then looked at me and pronounced that it was "dangerous." He didn't speak again until the bowl was licked clean. Success! I blanched the peaches to peel them, as some suggested (drop in hot water, then icy water). I used about 3/4 cup sugar rather than the full cup. I also used vanilla extract instead of almond (that's what I had), added a sprinkle of lemon juice to the fruit, and added about 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the topping. I think I might try replacing some of the flour with oats, as some suggested - I forgot until after the flour was measured. Thanks for this! Super easy, super delicious.

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7 users found this review helpful

Crumb-Coated Chicken Thighs

Reviewed: Jul. 20, 2011

I made this for two reasons: (1) I had chicken thighs, and (2) I wanted something ridiculously easy because I had no time. Super easy, and the best part? Hubby LOVED it. He said it was juicy, flavorful, and almost like fried chicken. He said "It's a keeper" and asked me to make it again.

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1 user found this review helpful

Absolutely Fabulous Greek/House Dressing

Reviewed: Mar. 3, 2011

I scaled this down to 20 servings. It was delicious! It was very tart, so I'd reduce the vinegar to match the oil next time (1 cup each at that scale). Too late this time, so I added a touch of sugar and that took care of it. Delicious. My coworker loves it too. Note: you can't quite eat it right away, as the basil and oregano need time to soak up the fluids and soften. If you try to eat it too soon, you'll get a mouthful of crunchy, dried leaves. Letting it sit overnight solved that.

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12 users found this review helpful

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Reviewed: Mar. 3, 2011

I made this last night for my husband, and I was shocked at how well it turned out. Neither of us are big fans of fish, and I'd never successfully broiled anything before, but I was feeling adventurous and wanted to give it a try. The topping was creamy, flavorful, and had the right amount of tang to it, and the fish was very pleasant. My only change was halving the recipe, since I only had 1 lb of fillets.

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1 user found this review helpful

Pollo Fajitas

Reviewed: Feb. 15, 2011

Hubby thought this was all right, but I liked it much better than any "fajita seasonings" packet that I've ever purchased and mixed in with my chicken and veggies. Flavor was more subdued and yet more pervasive, having marinated for a while. Chicken was juicy. Changes: added 1 tsp cumin; included green and red bell peppers, instead of just green, and skipped the lemon juice.

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5 users found this review helpful

Shrimp Scampi Bake

Reviewed: Feb. 2, 2011

Wow. My husband devoured this, and he's not usually enthusiastic about dishes that don't involve Italian sausage or beef. I used 3/4 cup butter rather than 1 cup, and kept everything else the same. Oh very delicious. Flavorful, with nothing standing out too much. I served over rice. The only reason we have any left is because we both got too full to continue...

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15 users found this review helpful

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Reviewed: Jan. 21, 2011

I doubled everything for the rub, since some people said it wasn't enough. It was very, very flavorful. I meant to add chicken broth to the final sauce, but forgot. It would have thinned it out a bit, so I wish I had. Hubby's only complaints were (a) chicken was a bit dry, and (b) he wished I had used boneless thighs, as he's not really white meat person. I think that the cooking times were too much for the chicken that I used - 3 breasts, each cut in half and tenderized slightly. Should have seen that coming, not the recipe's fault. In general, very good and flavorful. Good to serve with rice and a veggie. Will make again.

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4 users found this review helpful

Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo

Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2011

My husband made this for me last night because he knew I needed warm, gooey carbs after a bad day. He did everything as written, except for adding 8 strips of bacon (crumbled) and substituting whole cream for the half-and-half. It was incredible. We agree that maybe the cream was a bit rich, but it was delicious, flavorful, and amazing - definitely a keeper. Best husband ever :)

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4 users found this review helpful

Busy Day Chicken

Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2011

Taking the suggestion of many reviewers, I made the following changes: (a) removed the skin and excess fat from the chicken prior to cooking, (b) seasoned the meat with chicken rub, (c) stuffed the bird with a sliced apple, (d) placed aluminum foil balls in the bottom of the slow cooker, (e) poured water in the bottom (maybe 1/2 or 1 cup), and (f) used more sauce, probably about 2 1/4 cups. After 6 hours, the meat was so tender that it fell off the bone, and serving it was very messy. Husband was silent until halfway through his second serving, at which point he declared, "This is very good!" The leftovers will be BBQ chicken sandwiches. Mmmm.

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11 users found this review helpful

Moist and Savory Stuffing

Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2010

Stuffing was always my favorite Thanksgiving dish growing up, and I was a bit disappointed in this. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. Not sure what was wrong. Perhaps I put too much in the bird and didn't give it room to expand?

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4 users found this review helpful

A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey

Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2010

This was my first time roasting a turkey. It turned out beautifully - a crisp, golden brown skin and very juicy meat. Only complaint is that so much juice stayed in the bird that I had to use chicken broth in my gravy, as there weren't many drippings. Definitely worth it, though - I can't ever remember Thanksgiving turkey being so juicy. Tip: Always let the turkey sit after you pull it out of the oven. I've had turkey carved immediately and carved after a half hour or so, and it's definitely juicier when you give it a chance to rest and reabsorb the juices.

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9 users found this review helpful

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2010

I had originally planned to nix all pumpkin desserts from my Thanksgiving menu, as hubby isn't a fan, but a friend insisted that her fiance loves this cheesecake despite disliking pumpkin. Hubby was very pleasantly surprised and told me it was delicious. I had fought the urge to add more pumpkin than the recipe called for, as it didn't seem like much, but it was perfect. A light flavor without being overwhelming. I'll make this again. P.S. Dog owners: dogs LOVE canned pumpkin. If you opened a can for this recipe and don't know what to do with what you didn't use, consider giving them a treat. They'll love you for it. :)

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2 users found this review helpful

After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2010

My husband is NOT a soup person, and doesn't usually have more than 1 serving of the soups that I make, but after tasting this last night, he told me not to bother freezing the leftovers because he planned on eating it for the next week or two. It had a great taste to it, and the creamy texture really made it pleasurable. Other than adding a lot of leftover turkey and a touch of garlic powder, I made it exactly as written and will definitely keep this recipe for future Thanksgivings. Delicious.

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2 users found this review helpful

Mama Corleone's Sausage and Peppers

Reviewed: Nov. 3, 2010

I've got to be honest, I got major brownie points with my hubby just for texting him that I was making a Godfather-inspired meal for dinner. I did make some changes (2-3 cloves of garlic instead of 1, added a can of drained italian-style diced tomatoes, a splash of red wine, 1 chopped small onion, multi-grain penne instead of spaghetti, and extra sausage cut into bite-sized pieces), but I don't think any of these changed the character of the dish too much. It was tasty and filling, and while he ate, hubby picked up an Italian accent as he told me about movie references to food in The Godfather. I guess that means it was a success - I'll make it again.

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20 users found this review helpful