Paula Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (1591084)

Applesauce Bread I

Reviewed: Nov. 15, 2011

Delicious and easy. I didn't have enough applesauce so I added a drained can (small) of fruit cocktail (minus the cherries - yuk!). I substituted chopped walnuts for the raisins. Brought it to a gathering and had several requests for the recipe.

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3 users found this review helpful

Pickled Squash

Reviewed: Oct. 12, 2011

This recipe is very similar to one that I use to make bread and butter cucumber pickles every summer. It's delicious. I've given several jars away already. It made 6 full pints, although I may have had closer to 3 pounds of squash. Because I knew I had more squash than the recipe calls for, I increased the sugar and vinegar proportionately. We'll be happy to have this in the cellar all winter. Thanks for the recipe.

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3 users found this review helpful

Ricotta Bread

Reviewed: Jul. 28, 2011

I made this yesterday using my bread machine. Doubled the ingredients as others suggested (didn't quite double the ricotta - used a little less than 1 cup). It made a delicious loaf of bread. The taste and texture were both good. Next time however, I think I won't bake it in the bread machine. The quantity of dough when it finishes kneading and rising looks like many other doughs I've made in the machine, but after it baked the loaf was overflowing the sides of the bread pan. It's possible that 2 t. yeast was a little too much. Cutting back on the yeast might have been a good thing to do but it's not likely that I'll do much experimenting with this. So, because it's such a good recipe, I think I'll make the dough in the machine, then take it out and divide it between two bread pans and bake in the oven. It was a terrific way to use up some ricotta without having to make pastry or lasagna - both of which we like, but for two older people watching their diets, we don't need.

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3 users found this review helpful

Pumpkin Bavarian Cream Tart

Reviewed: Nov. 19, 2010

This is delicious but I wouldn't recommend it for in inexperienced cook. It took a long time to put together and used much more equipment (bowls, mixers, spatulas, sauce pans, etc.) than a less complicated recipe might require. That aside, it's a mighty fine tart. Note: the recipe doesn't specify this, but I used a 9" tart pan with removable rim, about 1.5 inches high. Good thing I did too. A "normal" tart pan would have been too shallow given the quantity of filling.

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39 users found this review helpful

Famous Chicken Adobo

Reviewed: Sep. 1, 2010

I made this for the first time this week. We both enjoyed it. I followed a couple of different suggestions from other reviewers (lowered amt. of vinegar, added coconut milk to the sauce and cooked the jasmine rice with a combination of coconut milk and water). The next time I make it I think I will finish it with a few chopped peanuts or cashews. This might not be traditional but I think I would have enjoyed the texture of some nuts. I've filed it away in my "Quick and Easy Dinner" folder. Those are the best recipes: quick, easy and delicious.

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6 users found this review helpful

Buttered Biscuits

Reviewed: Aug. 23, 2010

Finally I've found the perfect biscuit recipe. These are terrific. I added a little sugar to the dough. I formed the dough into 7 large-ish patties, placed them in a greased ceramic dish with their sides touching and baked at 425 for 20 minutes. They were cooked but the tops weren't brown (which I wanted for the sake of presentation) so I turned my broiler on low to brown them (watch carefully!). I had just made a batch of fresh raspberry jam - we were transported to Heaven! Thanks for the recipe. P.S. I often do a lot of complicated, gourmet cooking and I am constantly surprised how some of the simplest, easiest recipes result in a supremely satisfying treat. I enjoy the challenge of gourmet cooking but I enjoy good food even more!

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3 users found this review helpful

Rummage Relish

Reviewed: Aug. 19, 2010

It's funny....this is the second recipe I've come across this week that I first saw in a 1963 cookbook published by the Farm Journal. (The other recipe is for Ambrosial Jam which is fabulous - peaches, oranges, lemons, cantaloupe and pineapple - YUM). The point is I guess that classic recipes never die. Rummage Relish is just the thing for all of the green tomatoes in my garden.

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13 users found this review helpful

Easy Butter Chicken

Reviewed: May 19, 2010

This is delicious. I used boneless chicken thighs and fresh tarragon, also a little more lemon juice. It's quick and easy too. The name of the dish is a little confusing though - Butter Chicken is a classic Indian dish, nothing like this one. I've changed the name in my recipe file to Easy Lemon-Butter Chicken.

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4 users found this review helpful

Fiery Fish Tacos with Crunchy Corn Salsa

Reviewed: Feb. 11, 2010

These were not a hit in our house. I should have realized that the cayenne was going to make the dish too spicy for our tastes. It's a time consuming recipe (lots of chopping, etc.) and the results weren't as good as I'd hoped. Especially was disappointed in the salsa. It was very dry. There's another fish taco recipe on this site that we like better. Tilapia is our fish of choice for tacos.

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2 users found this review helpful

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Reviewed: Dec. 20, 2009

I agree with everyone who raves about these cookies. They're terrific. The one mistake I made was to put too much frostingon them. I ran out. Next time I'll either drizzle (not spread) the frosting or make one and one-half the recipe for the frosting. Even without the frosting they're divine.

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2 users found this review helpful

Almond Orange Pithiviers

Reviewed: Dec. 11, 2009

I learned to make Pitiviers in a professional cooking course. I had to make the puff pastry from scratch. It was well worth the effort. However, Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry makes the whole job a lot easier and just as good. The important thing is that this is well worth any effort it takes to make it. It's a classic dessert that doesn't get as much attention as it should. I applaud Campbell's/Pepperidge Farm for offering this recipe to give it a wider following. You won't be sorry you tried it. Hint: one version I made included canned apricot halves that had sat in some Amaretto for a few minutes. It was well received by all who tried it. This is a good recipe for experimenting if you feel like it.

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50 users found this review helpful

Russian Tea Cakes I

Reviewed: Dec. 6, 2009

These deserve 10 stars. I got the recipe from the original Betty Crocker cookbook when I was married in the '60s. This is the only cookie I've made at Christmas time for many years. My family look forward to them every year. Friends always appreciate a gift of these scrumptious little bites. They're so easy to make; my only comment is to treat them very carefully when making them. If you do, you're guaranteed to have light, crumbly confections. You can't beat these - they're crowd pleasers.

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3 users found this review helpful

Italian Bread Using a Bread Machine

Reviewed: Oct. 26, 2009

This is a terrific recipe. I made two beautiful, delicious loaves. I put a pan of hot water in the bottom of my oven during the cooking time. If you're not sure they're cooked through, use your digital thermometer - it will read 200 degrees when they are ready to remove from the oven.

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5 users found this review helpful

Dark Molten Chocolate Cakes

Reviewed: Oct. 26, 2009

A variation on this recipe is to add 2 oz. semisweet chocolate and 2 T. some flavor liqueur (orange, hazelnut, raspberry, etc.). I served these with vanilla ice cream. Next time I may serve with creme anglaise (or just melt some high quality ice cream). I'm not sure how you could get 12 servings from these ingredients. I made 6 (7 oz.) custard cups. I also may experiment by putting a Lindt chocolate truffle in the center of each before baking. As many others have commented, this is an easy, crowd pleasing dessert.

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Pumpkin Risotto

Reviewed: Oct. 23, 2009

This is even better if you can make it with a richer stock (duck is good; use inexpensive duck legs to make a broth). The finished dish is excellent with oven roasted salmon fillets. A tasty meal for a cold, fall evening when you want to serve something special.

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3 users found this review helpful

Quick Savory Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin Roast

Reviewed: Oct. 18, 2009

Very tasty pork roast. I found the time/temp a little off. Pork should be cooked to 140-145 degrees and then set aside to rest for 15 minutes; the internal temp will go up and the juices will seep throughout the meat. A foolproof rule of thumb to use is 15 minutes per pound @ 350 degrees. In my experience, cooking to an internal temp of 160 or above usually results in unpleasantly dry meat. For succulence, give my suggestion a try.

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235 users found this review helpful

Crispy Chinese Noodles with Eggplant and Peanuts

Reviewed: Aug. 19, 2009

At first, the flavors of this dish were delightful, but after 3-4 bites, I realized that the vegetable base needs something. Not sure what. This clearly was written as a vegetarian recipe but if I were to make it a second time (doubtful) I'd add sauteed chicken or pork to give more texture to the vegetables. I loved making the crispy noodles. Hadn't done that before. I learned a few things and am confident that next time I could improve on my technique. It was a fun recipe to try; it used up some Asian eggplants that are growing prolifically in my garden and it gave me an opportunity to try something new. Thanks for contributing it, Jen.

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4 users found this review helpful

Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Reviewed: Feb. 27, 2009

Excellent! This is an adaptable recipe. Along with the squash, I roasted 2 Anjou pears and some parsnips that I needed to use up. Otherwise completed the recipe as written. My family and guests loved it.

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38 users found this review helpful

Cream of Artichoke Soup I

Reviewed: Nov. 14, 2007

This is delicious and it's fairly easy. Fresh artichokes always are a bit of extra work as far as I'm concerned, but the flavor extraction makes them worth it. I steamed 4 artichokes, discarded the leaves, cut up and added the bottoms and the steaming water, then I added a can of artichoke bottoms to make up for the missing pulp from the leaves. Nothing was lost I'm sure. Instead of celery I used 1/2 a celeraic bulb I happened to have on hand. This result was a flavorful, creamy soup just right for a chilly fall evening meal, along with some cheese tortellini and steamed broccoli in a butter-EVOO garlic sauce.

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8 users found this review helpful

Walnut Raisin Scones

Reviewed: Feb. 23, 2007

For 20 years or more I have used a scone recipe from the Mt. Saviour Monastery Cookbook (Arnold Jerome's Famous Irish Scones). I decided to try this one just for a change. The ingedients are slightly different but basicaly the same, with the exception of the buttermilk-sugar-nut glaze and the cooking temperature (420 vs. 375). I've treasured the Jerome recipe but now I think I've found a competitor. Try these scones. They're over the top--truly delicious. (I used cried cranberries and chopped pecans as that's what was in my pantry).

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4 users found this review helpful