Double Take: Stir-fried Broccoli

We are making our rounds through the sections, and today's recipe comes from the "Side Dishes" section. Five recipes down, 1245+ to go!

The goal this week was to pick out a side dish that would come together easily and be enjoyed by all. We'd originally picked out a mashed potato recipe, but at the last minute we noticed that the recipe called for red potatoes, which aren't quite in season yet. So look for that recipe later this spring (or next year). Broccoli is available year round, so Tabitha picked out "Stir-fried Broccoli."

Super Amazing Brownies

Hubby and I both love brownies, and I started making them from scratch several years ago. I always used the Baker's One Bowl Brownie Recipe with great success, but when we moved to Germany, Baker's Chocolate was no longer an option. And unsweetened chocolate was no longer an option. I found some baking chocolate that is about 60% cocoa, and I made decent brownies with that by reducing the sugar in the recipe. But I'm an avid blog watcher, and my watching paid off.

In the bowl over the pan, just before the butter melts.

Double Take: Chicken Breast Saltimbocca

My kitchen is clean now. Thank you Double Take challenges. 

I have this brand-new, beautiful cookbook, and I can't bare the thought of it getting yucky just yet. So I carefully clean the entire kitchen before making a Double Take challenge. Which means my kitchen has been thoroughly cleaned four weeks in a row now. Woohoo.

Daring Cooks Challenge: Brunswick Stew

Blog Checking Lines- The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this month's challenge. Brunswick Stew. Oh wow, where do I begin. A southerner myself, I'm no stranger Brunswick Stew, but it's never really done it for me. I've asked Hubby about his feelings on Brunswick Stew in the past, and he's never seemed thrilled by it either. So I was nervous about telling him what I had to make this month. And I was nervous about whether or not I would like it. 

MacCain and Cheese

I don't have a recipe for you today, but I do have a picture! I'm making mac and cheese for dinner tonight and had to go to my original post for it to get the recipe. While there, I remembered that I never posted the delightful picture of my Red, White, and Blue Mac and Cheese that I not-very-cleverly dubbed MacCain and Cheese for the 2008 election night. Well my folks, Meghna was kind enough to send me the picture, so you get to see it. Despite it's gross appearance, it was actually quite tasty!

Check back on Wednesday for this month's Daring Cooks Challenge and Thursday for the next edition of Double Take! 

Double Take: Caramel Sticky Buns

I'm not a candy maker. I've never made candy before. I've watched my mom make her fudge icing a bajillion times, but I never watched for the purpose of learning, only to get the soft ball of caramel when the fudge hit the soft ball stage. But that is the entirety of my candy making experience.

I figured it was my turn to pick a recipe for the Double Take series. Thus far, we've made a sandwich and pork chops. So I wanted something completely different. I went to the breakfast/brunch section, and picked out Caramel Sticky Buns because I was 90% certain Hubby and Tabitha would like them even if I didn't get excited about them (I have rather strange feelings about cinnamon). Hubby and Tabitha approved, and we were off.

Spring Time Means Grill Time!

Throwdown with Bobby Flay inspired another one of our favorite meals: Jerk Chicken. Unlike the Cuban Burger Recipe, we did not end up using Bobby Flay's recipe, nor the one from his opponent, The Kitchen Diva. However, the recipe we use again and again is much closer to The Kitchen Diva's recipe than to Bobby Flay's recipe. I have not made either of their recipes, so I cannot comment on them, but I do know we love this recipe!

Double Take: Stuffed Pork Chops

Tabitha gave Hubby a list of six items she wanted to make from The all-new ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. I handed him the cookbook, opened to the first recipe on the list: Stuffed Pork Chops on page 313. He looked at the ingredients, said "Sure," and went back to watching Star Trek Deep Space Nine. So Tabitha and I made plans to make them, and here we are, with the second recipe in our Intercontinental Cooking Event.