Becky Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (18696619)

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Reviewed: Nov. 15, 2010

I love these cookies! Really moist and delicious, not overly sweet, just yummy! I reduced the butter to 8 tablespoons and the cookies did not spread at all. I loosely formed them into balls and then flattened them slightly on the cookie sheet. Baked until they just looked dry and barely began to brown. They held their shape and stayed moist. I added one teaspoon of orange zest and this gave them an added level of flavor. I used fresh cranberries. Two cups was pushing the limit, I think 1 1/2 cups would have been plenty, adding enough tartness without going too far. Really a nice cookie recipe, something different, great for the holidays!

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3 users found this review helpful

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Reviewed: Oct. 17, 2010

Great soup for a cold winter night! I followed the recipe exactly and found that it has some heat using "original" variety of Rotel. You could use mild variety Rotel to tame it a little. Pass bottled hot sauce at the table for those who like more heat. I loved, lovedd the ease of this recipe. I assembled it the night before and stuck it in the frig. In the morning, I just pulled it out of the frig, set it on low and let it go. Dinner ready when we got home! Love that! I made some cornbread to go with it. This recipe made a thick, hearty stew. Add some chicken broth if you are looking for a thinner, more soupy soup.

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1 user found this review helpful

Todd's Famous Blueberry Pancakes

Reviewed: Sep. 26, 2010

Some reviews suggest that there is no need to wait an hour as stated in the recipe. I disagree -- I think the wait time is essential to making these pancakes just right. If the wait time is a problem, mix up the batter the night before. It works great!! Just take it out of the frig in the morning, heat up your griddle and you are ready to go. This makes a thick pancake, but with exactly the right texture -- hearty and satisfying, but not heavy. I'm not a big pancake eater, but these are really terrific. I have substituted half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour, and it turned out fine. Today I also stirred in a couple of tablespoons of flax meal, to try to make it healthier. Delish! These pancakes are not very sweet on their own. You'll get the sweetness from your syrup. Add more sugar if you want sweet cakes. Do give these a try, especially if you want a quick hot breakfast that you can mix up the night before and cook quickly in the AM.

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5 users found this review helpful

Chicken with Blueberry Sauce

Reviewed: Sep. 26, 2010

LOVE this recipe! I was looking for a way to use up some fresh blueberries. This filled the bill perfectly! A few reviewers didn't like the vinegar, so I used slightly less than called for in the recipe (1/4 cup instead of 1/3), but it was fine and I think would have been perfectly good with the original amount. The tanginess of the vinegar and mustard was nicely balanced by the sweetness of the fruit. I didn't have apricot preserves, so I used raspberry and strawberry preserves. I also added about 1/2 cup water while simmering the chicken, because it seemed too thick with no liquid. It turned out perfectly. This is a unique dish, very easy and delicious!

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13 users found this review helpful

Quinoa and Black Beans

Reviewed: May 27, 2010

This was our first time trying quinoa and we loved it. My husband was very impressed with this dish. I made the recipe exactly as written except that I used dried black beans cooked with chicken broth instead of canned beans. This recipe is a very healthy, one-pot vegan meal, but I chose to add a simple quesadilla (made with whole wheat tortillas, monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, and some leftover grilled chicken) and some steamed broccoli to round out the meal. No more Spanish Rice for me: from now on, I'll be making this recipe to complement any Mexican style meal or as a meal in itself. One warning: the cilantro flavor was strong. I love cilantro, but it is a flavor that some people don't care for. If you prefer, you may want to reduce the cilantro. I'm looking forward to trying other ways to cook quinoa, but this recipe will be hard to beat!

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2 users found this review helpful

Juicy Roasted Chicken

Reviewed: Apr. 15, 2010

Very easy, and the juiciest chicken I have ever made! We prefer white meat, so instead of a whole chicken, I did just some bone-in chicken breasts. I cut the celery stalk in chunks and put it in an 8x 13 pan, and laid the breasts on top. Then I sprinkled them with garlic powder (my mistake, as the recipe calls for onion powder, but it was fine) and dotted them with margarine. I used much less margarine than the recipe calls for, about a teaspoon per piece. These were large, meaty breasts so I cooked them for an hour or so. I let them stand for awhile after removing from the oven. They turned out very moist and tender. I was looking for an easy way to make chicken for all those recipes that call for "chopped, cooked chicken" and I think I've found it! I'm going to use this chicken in the Holiday Chicken Salad recipe from this site, but it would be delicious as a stand-alone entree, and the drippings looked like they would make an outstanding gravy.

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1 user found this review helpful

Pollo Fajitas

Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2009

Awesome recipe! I used this recipe for a party and recieved rave reviews -- and every last bit of chicken was eaten with not a scrap of leftovers. I prefer white meat, so I used chicken breasts. I marinated them for several hours starting in the morning, and then cooked them on our gas grill when the party started that evening. The chicken breasts cooked quickly on the grill. Wonderful flavor! I sliced them into strips after grilling. they were a huge hit at our party. I will absolutely use this recipe again!

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4 users found this review helpful

Pesto Chicken Florentine

Reviewed: Mar. 8, 2008

If I could give more than five stars, I would! We loved this recipe! So easy and absolutely delicious. I used a 16 oz jar of prepared alfredo sauce, otherwise followed the recipe exactly. So creamy and delicious, and I loved the extra flavor the pesto added to a plain alfredo sauce. Next time, I will definitely use more spinach as others have suggested. This is a great recipe when you don't have much time. Throw together a tossed salad, heat some italian bread, and you have a restaurant quality meal in no time! Yummy!

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1 user found this review helpful

Fabulous Homemade Bread

Reviewed: Mar. 8, 2008

My whole family absolutely swooned over this bread. Fantastic! I added 1/2 cup each flax and sunflower seeds, and about 1/3 cup wheat germ. This made a delicious, hearty bread. It took a bit less flour than the recipe called for after these additions, I think I used about 8 1/2 cups. This makes a LOT of bread! I don't have that many loaf pans, so I tried freezing some of the dough for later use. That was a mistake, it did not turn out well at all when thawed and baked later. Take my advice: just bake it all at once, or scale down the recipe. I will be making this bread regularly!

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8 users found this review helpful

Crunchy Cabbage Salad

Reviewed: Mar. 6, 2008

I'm sorry to say that my family found this salad disappointing... and that's a shame because it has so much going for it: lots of very appealing color, very nutritious ingredients, easy to prepare. But still, it just didn't make the cut for us. The dressing seemed to be lacking in flavor and too oily. The uncooked ramen noodles also didn't do anything for me. The cabbage and toasted nuts provide plenty of crunch, and the raw ramen doesn't add any flavor. We followed this recipe to the letter except for omitting the sweet red pepper because we had none on hand. I don't think we will make it again.

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2 users found this review helpful

Daddy's Popcorn

Reviewed: Jan. 14, 2008

This was absolutely delicious! The oil and butter combine to make a perfectly seasoned snack without being greasy. We used to make air-popped popcorn and drizzle on melted butter -- tasty but greasy. Then we switched to microwave popcorn -- easy and quick, but it always has a weird, artificial taste (you know what I'm talking about -- that strange coating it leaves in your mouth). Then I decided to get back to nature and found this simple recipe. Being raised in the days of Jiffy Pop and progressing to microvwave popcorn, I never knew it was so simple to just make popcorn in an ordinary pot. This was so easy --popped up very fast (I just listened to the pops and took it off the stove when popping slowed), very tasty, and virtually no unpopped kernels. If no brown paper bag is handy, no problem. Just put the popcorn in a bowl lined with a paper towel. I'm going to experiment with using smaller amounts of oil and butter to see how lean I can make this without sacrificing taste. I really like the flavor and texture of this popcorn, and I enjoy serving a fresh snack without the preservatives, artificial flavorings, colorings and chemicals that are found in packaged microwave corn. I'm never going back!

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36 users found this review helpful

Red Enchilada Sauce

Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2008

Very good! Was a little thin, but that was easily remedied by mixing a couple of spoonfuls cornstarch with a bit of water and stirring into the simmering sauce. Otherwise, I wouldn't change a thing. Heat level can be adjusted to your taste by increasing or decreasing the chili powder. Make a double or triple batch of sauce so you can keep some on hand in the freezer. Much cheaper than buying canned sauce!

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1 user found this review helpful

Spinach Enchiladas

Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2008

This dish was just OK. It seemed too bland, like it was missing something. Maybe some cooked, shredded chicken meat mixed in with the filling mixture would have helped. Some fresh cilantro could help too. I made it with fresh spinach wilted in the pan with the onions, and used flour tortillas instead of corn. Instead of canned enchilada sauce, I used the Red Enchilada Sauce recipe on this website. My family ate all of this, but it wasn't a *Wow!* dish for us.

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1 user found this review helpful

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Reviewed: Nov. 4, 2007

Wow, I really went wrong with this recipe. I followed the instructions to cook sprouts to the "darkest brown" and found them to be way, way overdone. They were cooking fast, so I turned down the oven temp early on. Still, they were quite well done in less than the time called for in the recipe. Very lightly roasted, they might have been fine. But cooked according to these directions, I found them to be horribly overcooked. They had an intriguing, nutty flavor that might be ok on its own, but was completely overpowering with my menu of salisbury steak and mashed red potatoes. I'll try roasted brussels sprouts again, using exactly the same technique of tossing with salt, pepper, and olive oil -- but I'll forget the instruction to cook til blackened. Instead, I'll lightly roast and and remove from the oven while they still have some green.

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10 users found this review helpful

Zucchini Soup II

Reviewed: Nov. 4, 2007

Yummy! I loved this soup. I don't care for mushrooms, so I used cream of celery soup instead. Otherwise, I followed the ingredients as listed. Carrots take much longer to cook than zucchini, so start the diced carrots first... then add the onion and celery, and finally, when they are almost tender, add the zucchini. (or, perhaps consider grating the carrot which would then could very quickly) When you get to the puree step, make sure to also puree the cream of ? soup. In my case, I had a delicious soup, but with some random lumps from the cream of celery soup. Should have pureed that too. The flavor of this soup was wonderful, very rich and absolutely delicious. What a fantabulous way to get your daily dose of veggies! Yum!

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27 users found this review helpful

Tasty Whole Wheat Bread

Reviewed: Oct. 13, 2007

Enjoyed this recipe -- nice flavor and texture. It makes a very good basic bread, good for sandwiches or to complement a meal. I made 2 standard loaves, one braided loaf, and a dozen cloverleaf rolls from this recipe. Cut the recipe in half, or freeze half after baking, if your family can't use 4 loaves before they become stale.

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5 users found this review helpful

Chicken Cordon Bleu II

Reviewed: Apr. 11, 2007

Really liked this recipe. The sauce is fantastic! The prep is a little time consuming, with the pounding and assembly, but not difficult. Chicken rolls could be assembled ahead of time and then proceed with cooking when needed. I sprinkled lots of chopped fresh parsley over the finished dish to give it some color; otherwise, I wouldn't change a thing. Delish!

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6 users found this review helpful

Salisbury Steak

Reviewed: Jan. 26, 2007

This is a super recipe! Very easy and quick. Great for a weeknight supper when you don't have much time. The patties cook up very quickly, and then while they simmer in gravy you can prepare a couple of simple side dishes. We loved it! This is also a perfect recipe for doubling: make twice as much, then put half in the freezer. It freezes very well, and when needed, you can just pull out of the freezer, heat, and serve. The recipe is also very forgiving: You don't have to measure everything exactly, just eyeball it. If you have any fresh herbs on hand, sprinkle a bit on top for garnish or stir into the gravy. Minced parsley or oregano work nicely. Paired with a heaping helping of mashed potatoes, this is just the ticket when you are in the mood for comfort food!

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4 users found this review helpful

Cream Cheese Penguins

Reviewed: Dec. 25, 2006

Wonderful! Received rave reviews at our Christmas party. I made a penguin "habitat" with 3 layers of one inch thick styrofoam. The bottom layer was left uncut. The middle layer had a small "pool" cut out. The top layer had a larger cutout over the pool, making a sort of ledge. I put a blue piece of paper and a layer of clear saran wrap under the pool cutout to look like water, and frosted the whole habitat with whipped cream cheese, to look like snow. Made an "igloo" cheese ball using a bowl to shape the igloo, and more cheese ball mixture was made into a cone shape and rolled in parsley flakes to make a Christmas tree. The tree was studded with small bits of red pepper for ornaments. We made a diving board and lawn chair by the pool with slices of zucchini. Believe it or not, it was not too time-consuming. We made the styrofoam habitat and the cheese mixtures (the cheese igloo, tree, and stuffing for the olives) the night before. On the day of the party, we only had to assemble the penguins and put the whole thing together. With a helper, it came together fairly quickly. We added a packet of Good Seasons Garlic and Herb Salad Dressing Mix to the cream cheese before stuffing the olives. My teenage daughter loved helping me with this, and our guests loved eating it!

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4 users found this review helpful

Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Turkey

Reviewed: Dec. 25, 2006

Oh my gosh! This was fantastic! Best turkey I ever made. Super tender and juicy, falling off the bone, great flavor. And so easy! I did not have a can of turkey gravy, so I just put in the gravy packet that came with the turkey breast. I left the skin on, and I cooked longer than the recipe called for, about 11 hours, just because of timing for my Christmas Eve meal, but it would probably be fine timed as directed. I tied the breast with string as other reviewers have suggested and it looked beautiful coming out, nicely browned. When near serving time, I removed the breast from the crockpot and added about 2 cups of chicken broth to the drippings for gravy. I stirred a couple of tablespoons of flour into some broth and added that to the mix, and turned the crockpot to high to thicken. The result was an out-of-this-world gravy to go with the turkey. I am so pleased with this recipe. Can't wait for turkey sandwiches tomorrow! This is definitely a keeper, I'll be making it throughout the year.

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199 users found this review helpful