Realmom Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (18674084)

West African-Style Chicken and Fennel Stew

Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2011

I stumbled upon this when searching for a recipe to use the fennel I got from my produce co-op. It was delicious! I had to make a few substitutions because I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand: great Northern beans for chickpeas and dried herbs for fresh. When I mixed the spices I went easy on it for the kids, but ended up adding more later. The spice combination is delicious. I had reservations as I cooked the fennel (like the previous reviewer I preferred mine softer, so I cooked them until almost caramelized-next time I will chop smaller) and wasn't sure what to think of the french onion soup, but it came together beautifully. We served ours over cooked lentils. This is definitely a keeper!

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7 users found this review helpful

French Dip Sandwiches

Reviewed: Oct. 3, 2011

This is quite good as written, but after making it a few times I think I've figured out how to make it perfect! First, rub the roast with garlic salt (or onion salt) and black pepper. Then brown it well in a heavy pan before placing in the slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with the boullion mixture and scrape all the bits into the crock pot. Use only 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Also, I'm usually getting this in a little late, so I cook it on high for a couple of hours before setting it to low. Finally, use a fat separator to remove the grease from the broth. We were trying to move to more meatless meals, but this is still making it into our rotation at least twice a month. It's so totally worth it!

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3 users found this review helpful

Cuban Ropa Vieja

Reviewed: Aug. 21, 2011

Delicious! Had to make a few minor changes due to ingredients on hand (red peppers, balsamic vinegar), but this was great. I"m sure it would have been excellent as written, but I also added some cumin toward the end of cooking time because the spices usually tend to lose flavor in the slow cooker. This will definitely be added to our rotation.

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2 users found this review helpful

Best Buttercream Frosting

Reviewed: Aug. 1, 2011

Oh wow! Light and creamy with a delicious buttery flavor. I usually detest frosting, viewing it as a necessary evil for decorating a cake or cupcakes. But this recipe made me view cake as a vehicle for frosting. It is quite soft, so wouldn't work well for detailed decorations, but it was made lovely 'swirly roses' on cupcakes. Be careful not to overwhip it, or it almost becomes too smooth and buttery (there's a fine line between gritty and buttery, but I like to use the granulated sugar). I will definitely make this again just as soon as I can fit back into my jeans. ;)

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3 users found this review helpful

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Reviewed: Jul. 29, 2011

This soup is simple, quick, and infinitely healthier than most of the butter and cream versions I've seen. I don't really love the oregano because I feel it overpowers the broccoli flavor, so I omit it or cut way down. Also great with cauliflower!

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4 users found this review helpful

Marshmallow Fondant

Reviewed: Jul. 28, 2011

This is terrific-I've made it several times and it's the only fondant I use. I think those having trouble with stickiness could cut back on the water a little (humidity, maybe?). It's pretty tasty, for fondant, and really easy to work with. If you don't like the flavor, try adding more vanilla or almond flavoring. The butter isn't really necessary once you have enough powdered sugar worked in, but it adds a nice shine. You can add the coloring in with the water or later. One of my favorite cakes was an "ocean" cake, so adding color later and not working it in completely gave it a nice swirl effect.

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3 users found this review helpful

Banana Boats

Reviewed: Jul. 18, 2011

These are a quick and easy dessert that is great for kids! I marked it down to 4 stars only because the cooking time is off (I put ours in for 10 minutes at 400 degrees). I happened to have Reese's peanut butter chips on hand so I added those as well and it was great, but they're also really good with just the chocolate. I echo one reviewers advice to create a 'pouch' so all of your toppings don't stick to the foil. We serve them by cutting off the ends after cooking and pulling the peel off as we roll them onto the plate. Great for camping AND home.

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3 users found this review helpful

White Sauce

Reviewed: Jul. 7, 2011

This is the base for so many of our dinners-I'm so glad it's on this site! One of the very first things my mom taught me to cook. :)

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2 users found this review helpful

Thai Fried Chicken

Reviewed: May 23, 2011

I was really excited about this, but it was a disappointment. I really didn't think this was anything to write home about. It was kind of flavorless. We didn't even finish the leftovers, which is kind of a rarity around here.

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3 users found this review helpful

Summertime Tropical Fruit Salad

Reviewed: May 23, 2011

This was so good it almost qualifies as dessert (okay, given the sugar content it DOES qualify as a dessert). The combination of fruits was terrific, though I did add bananas as well to make it go further. I served this at a large family dinner and found that many adults did not add the topping, but ALL of the kids did. I will probably make this again, perhaps without the dressing, which was yummy, but not really needed. I may also make the topping to serve as a fruit dip; it would work well for all kinds of fruit.

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3 users found this review helpful

Dannon BLT Salad

Reviewed: May 23, 2011

I really enjoyed this recipe. Of course, bacon is always a winner, but the dressing also had a nice lightness that counteracted the heavy bacon flavor nicely. We let the kids use ranch dressing, but I think they missed out. I also added green onions to my own and they were a nice touch, but not really necessary. I'll definitely be making this one again.

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7 users found this review helpful

Asparagus Potato Soup

Reviewed: Apr. 28, 2011

This was absolutely delicious comfort food, perfect for a cold day. As my husband said, "it has all of my favorite foods-bacon, cheese, and asparagus". Of course, it is also kind of a heart attack in a bowl, but totally worth indulging once in a while!

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5 users found this review helpful

Dad's Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Reviewed: Mar. 28, 2011

This was a delicious recipe for that leftover turkey. I was lazy and topped ours with mashed potatoes (I am incapable of producing a 'pretty' pie), but I am sure the pie crust would have been terrific. There's a nice combination of vegetables here, but I think this is one you could play with a little based on what you have on hand. This is my new base recipe for pot pie.

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5 users found this review helpful

Shrimp Quinoa

Reviewed: Mar. 26, 2011

This is a terrific recipe: beautifully colored, easy, and healthy (with one small change). Like another reviewer, we only used half of the shrimp required and it was still more than enough-I was thrilled because it made the recipe healthier and more economical. I also omitted the raisins because my kids dislike "cooked raisins', but I'd like to try an adult version some time that had the raisins and some extra heat (I was thinking sweet chile sauce). This is going to become part of my regular rotation!

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11 users found this review helpful

Pro Ganache

Reviewed: Mar. 24, 2011

Delicious (okay, REALLY delicious), easy, and beautiful! I used it on the eclair cake listed on this site and now I'm sneaking tastes of the leftover ganache by itself! This is definitely part of my dessert repertoire from now on!

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2 users found this review helpful

Crispy Barbequed Tofu Slices

Reviewed: Mar. 24, 2011

I froze, I baked it, I egged and floured it, I fried it, I marinated it, and I broiled it. And it was...terrible. The texture was okay and the flavor was, well, icky. Normally I think of tofu as having little flavor, but I got a strong tofu flavor with every bite. Those who are giving this positive reviews are either tried and true vegetarians or lacking taste buds. I rarely give bad reviews (I rarely find a recipe this bad that has so many good reviews), but this was really awful. This was a whole lot of work for really disappointing results. This will not be part of my 'meatless meals' rotation. Blech.

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2 users found this review helpful

Eclair Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2011

This was REALLY terrific! I actually used a different ganache recipe because of ingredients on hand, but this was a real crowd pleaser at our big Sunday dinner. I also made a homemade cooked pudding instead of using the instant packages (we have some obnoxious allergies in this house!) and I think that added as well. Next time I may top it with some fresh berries as well. It was really quite rich. Now I have to make something with meringue to use all of these egg whites!

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3 users found this review helpful

Salmon Cakes II

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2011

These were really good and the kids liked them too! I think the portions are a little off-I got six nicely sized patties. Also, I used packaged bread crumbs, so I added an extra egg to keep it together, but that may not have been necessary. An easy and inexpensive way to get more fish in your family's diet.

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3 users found this review helpful

Molten Chocolate Cakes With Sugar-Coated Raspberries

Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2011

These were easy, terrific, and impressive. I topped ours with strawberries (in season right now) and whipped cream. Ours were a little overcooked (8 minutes means 8 minutes), but still soft and gooey inside. I will DEFINITELY be adding these to our dessert rotation.

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2 users found this review helpful

Tofu Salad

Reviewed: Mar. 3, 2011

This was easy, healthy, and delicious. The kids even ate it. This will now be a part of my regular rotation. Note: I substituted Napa cabbage for the red cabbage because I had it on hand. Still great!

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2 users found this review helpful