megaelim's Profile

From: Portland, ME USA

Joined: May 8th, 2010


Latest review:

September 7th, 2013

Aubergine with Buttermilk Sauce from Plenty

Really delicious and easy to make. I don't know if the Greek yogurt we get is just that much thinner than European Greek yogurt, but my sauce was much thinner than the picture on the cover. And do... read more >


recipe reviews (65)
book reviews (1)
useful review votes (32)

megaelim's Reviews


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65 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title

Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

24th August 2010 (edited: 24th August 2010)

Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Wonderfully moist muffin. Great with a cup of tea.

useful (0)  


Website: All Recipes

allrecipes.com
 

24th August 2010 (edited: 24th August 2010)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Due to bad planning, I ended up making this without chocolate chips, but it still had a lovely chocolate flavor to it. I'll probably repeat the mistake.

useful (0)  


Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

By Judi Kingry, Lauren Devine
Robert Rose - 2006

6th January 2012

Apple Rhubarb Chutney

This isn't a traditional chutney - there's onion or other savory component. (The rhubarb blends into the sweet background.) It was pretty easy to make, and I've been using a couple spoonfuls in my morning oatmeal. Very good!

useful (1)  


6th January 2012

Peach Salsa

Easy to make, and great flavor. I've already been requested to make more next year.

useful (1)  


Website: Better Homes & Gardens Recipes

www.bhg.com/recipes
 

24th August 2010

Gingerbread Brownies

This is my favorite application of gingerbread flavor. They're wonderfully moist, and good dipped in leftover lemon curd.

useful (1)  


Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry

By Liana Krissoff, Rinne Allen
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2010

These beans have a nice, non-traditional pickle taste to them because of the Indian spices. My pickle-hating BF even liked them, and requested more. They're also very easy to make.

useful (1)  


6th January 2012

Red Onion Marmalade

I wasn't sure what to expect from this jam, but it turned out to have great flavor. It's very good in sandwiches (I've been using in all my grilled cheeses.)

useful (1)  


6th January 2012

Pickled Beets

I picked this pickled beet recipe because it was purposefully less sweet than regular recipes, but I actually find that I would like it to be a little sweeter. It's not bad, but not quite my cup of tea.

useful (1)  


6th January 2012

Cardamom Plum Jam

This is a really lovely jam - I really enjoy the touch of cardamom, but if you don't like it, don't make this recipe.

It also took a while for this to set, and it's still a little on the loose side, but not so much to be unusable.

useful (1)  


6th January 2012

Hot Chile Jelly

This has been a really big hit with everyone that's tried it. It's not too hot, and the apple gives it a nice tang.
I used cranberries for color, and it is a nice red.

useful (1)  


4th March 2012 (edited: 4th March 2012)

Simple Pickled Jalapeno Slices

These were good - simple to make, and kept well. Once I fished out the garlic, made a good sub for the canned ones.

useful (0)  


The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Delicious Recipes

By Ellie Topp, Margaret Howard
Firefly Books - 2001

5th February 2012

Blood Orange Port Marmalade

I ended up with caramel, and I was watching this pretty closely as it cooked. I think it's too small a batch to easily pull off.

useful (2)  


Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can't Wait to Make

By Melissa Clark
Hyperion - 2011

This is a really good stick to your ribs winter soup. The crispy onions are fabulous. It's also pretty easy to prepare as soups go.
Like most soups, it's better the next day, and the crispy onions actually hold up surprisingly well if you just stir them into the leftovers like she recommends.

useful (0)  


Really excellent flavor, and so easy to make since you can make it the night before. The chicken was really moist.
I left out the jalapeno seeds, and there was barely any heat to the dish, though YMMV depending on the jalapeno.

useful (0)  


I happened to have exactly the vegetables needed to make this in my last CSA box (which matched pretty perfectly to the September placement in the book). It was super easy to make, and quick enough for a weeknight.

If I made it again, I think I'd amp up the garlic, and get few more hardy herbs in while it's roasting. Still, it was pretty good comfort food.

useful (0)  


This was really lovely - the ribs were fall off the bone tender, and the marinade made a lovely sauce.
A word of warning - this is not what you'd probably think of when you think ribs (my BF was very confused when I brought this out after I told him we were having ribs) - it's definitely a moist braise. Super yummy though.

useful (0)  


Cooking Light
(December, 2007)

 

Easy to make ground turkey chili. I actually like it a little bit better without the chocolate melted in at the end. Even though it's unsweetened, it makes the overall chili seem a bit too sweet.

useful (1)  


Cooking Light
(December, 2008)

 

Easy to make, and good flavor.

useful (1)  


Cooking Light
(April, 2003)

 

24th August 2010

Beef and Bok Choy Hot Pot

Great flavor - one of my favorite lazy winter recipes. I've made it in the crockpot several times successfully.

useful (1)  


Website: Eating Well

www.eatingwell.com
 

These had a great, meaty flavor, without too much fuss.

useful (0)  


Website: Eating Well

www.eatingwell.com
 

Good flavor, and a cinch to make. First time I ever used self-stable gnocchi, which are now my favorite variety.

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Website: Eating Well

www.eatingwell.com
 

Really great flavor.

useful (0)  


Website: Epicurious

www.epicurious.com
 

I really enjoyed this dish. I ended up using about half the chicken, but the same amount of sauce, and it still tasted right.

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Website: Epicurious

www.epicurious.com
 

Great flavor.

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Website: Epicurious

www.epicurious.com
 

Wonderful flavor. The hazelnuts are a bit fiddly, but the finished product is worth it. However, the gremolata does not store nearly as well as the soup does, so enjoy it quickly.

useful (0)  


Website: Epicurious

www.epicurious.com
 

I don't normally use a recipe for Caprese salad, except that I once came across this one, and noticed the English dry mustard in the dressing. I used it the next time I made a Caprese salad, and it's now my standard. The mustard adds great zing to the dressing.

useful (0)  


The Food Matters Cookbook: 500 Revolutionary Recipes for Better Living

By Mark Bittman
Simon & Schuster - 2010

This dish inspired a new rule in my house - I am never again allowed to prepare a meal with Brussels sprouts that aren't roasted.

I was ok with it, but certainly couldn't stick out eating all the leftovers myself, and will therefore probably never be able to eat it again.

useful (0)  


Really great flavor - the quick preserved lemons give it a nice zing.

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This was really good with salmon, and it's nice and light, which is not something I'd expect from a bean dish.

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I really liked the concept of this dish - the flavors are good, and the shredded sweet potatoes were an interesting way of preparing those.

But, it really needed more beef. I know the whole point of this book is a diet that advocates less meat, but there just really wasn't enough meat in this recipe. I'm not a big "MEEEEEAAAAT" person by any means, but there's no way you can parcel out 8 ounces of meat between servings

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I really like this version of tuna salad - it's got a great freshness to it, and you'd never in billion years guess there were beans it. It's a nice alternative if you're sick of regular tuna salad.

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Not a bad soup, but I'd definitely be upping the seasoning and herbage combination if I made it again.

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Don't make this with dried beans. That's all I'm saying.

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The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes

By Ted Allen
Clarkson Potter - 2005

A little fussy to make, but so delicious, it's well worth the effort.

useful (1)  


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Website: The Food Network

www.foodnetwork.com
 

The sauce was the best part of this recipe. It was plate licking good.

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Website: The Food Network

www.foodnetwork.com
 

24th August 2010

Wild Mushroom Tartlets

Incredibly easy to make. I think I'd actually leave out the truffle oil if I made these again. It's a little on the overpowering side. But they all disappeared at the party I brought these too, so I don't think anyone noticed.

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Website: The Food Network

www.foodnetwork.com
 

Really wonderful cupcakes. Very moist and delicious.

useful (0)  


In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite: 150 Recipes and Stories About the Food You Love

By Melissa Clark
Hyperion - 2010

I made this with pasta instead of the breadcrumbs (after seeing it that way in a couple of blogs), which was a great way to turn this salad into a main dish.

The dressing is excellent, and I loved how well the kale stood up to wilting. And I would not recommend making this with any other type of kale except the lacinto - it has a different texture that's actually appetizing raw - other types of kale would not hold up in this recipe.

useful (2)  


Really great flavor, and super easy to make. I did use half the amount of chipotle called for (I'm somewhat of a heat wimp), but it was still plenty flavorful.

useful (3)  


15th October 2011 (edited: 6th January 2012)

Roasted Eggplant with Basil Green Goddess Dressing

I already knew I liked roasted eggplant - the texture is just so lovely and smooth. The dressing was a welcome extra touch - it complimented the eggplant beautifully.

useful (2)  


Great soup - easy to make, with lots of down time once it's actually cooking.
I actually wouldn't have minded a bit more seasoning, this was probably the least developed flavors I've ever gotten from this author. Not that was bad, just not quite as good as I usually expect. I would probably amp up the spices a bit if I made it again. That said, the overall recipe is great.

useful (0)  


The best thing about this recipe was how easy it was to prepare. It was probably harder timing the rice to be done at the same time as this came out of the oven than to actually make this.

The flavor was really nice - the other reviewer noted she'd used some cheaper gin - I snuck some of hubby's good gin, and it worked really nicely with the rest of the flavors. I would have liked a little more sauce, but MC was upfront up the fact that this isn't a very saucy dish.

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Long Nights and Log Fires: Warming Comfort Food for Family and Friends

By Ryland Peters & Small
Ryland Peters & Small - 2009

11th February 2012

Chicken Jalfrezi

This is really flavorful, and pretty simple to make. Once you've done all your chopping, and done a quick browning of the ingredients, you can pretty much leave it alone for the rest of the cooking time. The leftovers are good too, since the flavor has some more time to develop.

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Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven: Over 200 Recipes for Uncommon Soups, Tasty Bites, Side Dishes, and Too Many Desserts

By Mollie Katzen
Hyperion - 1997

18th June 2010

Kale Crunch

This is really easy to make, and tastes really, really good. The crunch is a bit surprising for kale, but really enjoyable.

useful (1)  


This is good, basic recipe. It's a really easy weekend night meal with the frozen spinach and canned tomatoes and beans. I'll sometimes add a precooked sausage for a little extra flavor, but it's plenty good on its own.

useful (2)  


15th October 2011

Eggplant Strata

I had some CSA eggplant to use up, and was immediately attracted to this recipe because you didn't have to precook any of the vegetables. In hindsight, that wasn't actually the best thing about the recipe. If I made it again, I'd precook the veggies. But I would consider making it again - the flavor combo was delicious.

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Website: My Recipes

www.myrecipes.com/recipes
 

24th August 2010

Grilled-Steak Soft Tacos

This my new favorite taco recipe. The lime juice and the rub absolutely make the meat. It's a great prep method. If you think you're going to miss having cheese, the avocado replaces the mouth feel, and you won't miss it - but you do definitely need the avocado, or you will sense something isn't there. I also usually grill up the red onion along with the steak.

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Website: My Recipes

www.myrecipes.com/recipes
 

24th August 2010

Spicy Herb Roasted Nuts

These are really good. The maple syrup also hardens in the oven like you wouldn't believe, so prepare your baking dish accordingly.

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Website: My Recipes

www.myrecipes.com/recipes
 

24th August 2010 (edited: 24th August 2010)

Fresh Cranberry Muffins

The original cranberry version of this is good, but this has actually become my goto blueberry muffin recipe. It has a lightness to it that I really like for a breakfast muffin.

useful (0)