Kale Sausage and Beans

I have a new weeknight staple that is so quick and easy it gives cereal a run for it's money.  I came across this recipe for Kale, Sausage, and Beans on Cup of Jo and it looked so easy and good I had to try it.  I get all the ingredients at Trader Joe's {I love the Sweet Italian Pork Sausage and the already chopped Kale in a bag} and this comes together in no time.  The recipe isn't really a recipe - you adjust by how many people you're feeding and your tastes {when it's just me I'll usually do 1-2 sausage links and half a can of beans, then cook up the rest of the can the next night}.  I love that it's super tasty and filling and it looks way more gourmet than it actually is - you could even get fancy and serve it on crunchy pieces of toast.  For a quick weeknight meal to impress {even if you're just impressing yourself} grab these ingredients right away and enjoy!

Kale, Sausage, and Beans

Ingredients
Ground sausage {or links, casings removed and broken into pieces}
Kale, chopped
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper
1 can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Lemon juice
Grated Parmesan

Instructions
1. Brown sausage in pan.  Add chopped kale, a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a splash of water.  Cover and cook until kale is wilted {just a few minutes}.
2. Stir in beans and cook until everything is warmed.  
3. Finish with lemon juice and top with grated Parmesan.

adapted from cup of jo

xoxo,
stephanie marie

One Pan Pork Chops with Apples & Onions

Ok, this picture isn't great, but trust me that the dinner was good :)  Trying to use up all of those apples from my parents house, I found this recipe on Pinterest for One Pan Pork Chops with Apples and Onions and it just screamed "fall" to me.  I love a one pan meal {yay less clean up!} and the flavors of the apples, onions, and herbs were absolutely perfect for a chilly fall evening.  And the fact that this delicious and impressive meal came together in just about 30 minutes?  Even better!  If you have some apples to use up or are just looking for something cozy on these chilly evenings, I'd highly recommend trying this one out {and checking out her website for some better pics :)}.

One Pan Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Ingredients
2 Tblsp olive oil
3 - 4oz each pork chops
Salt & Pepper
3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 tsp grainy dijon mustard
1 Tblsp fresh sage
1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp fresh thyme {note: instead of buying all of these herbs separately, I found them together in a roast chicken herb mix - way less wasteful}
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 medium apples thinly sliced
1 small red onion thinly sliced

Instructions 
1. Season both sides of pork with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 Tblsp olive oil in pan over medium high heat.  Add pork chops to pan and sear about 5-7 minutes on each side, until mostly done.  Remove pork to a plate.
2. In small mixing bowl, mix together chicken stock and mustard and set aside.
3. Add remaining 1 Tblsp olive oil to pan and add apples & onions.  Cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften.  Add salt, pepper, and herbs.  Stir to combine.
4. Pour stock mixture into pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan.
5. Add pork chops back to pan, nestling between the apples and onions.  Cook until chops are fully done.

Serves 3

adapted from the chunky chef

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Get Well Dinner

Last week, after a few days of being horribly sick, I finally got my appetite back and my sweetie offered to make me a real Swedish meal.  I slowly sipped on a glass of wine while he baked cod seasoned with dill, scalloped potatoes, and hard boiled eggs all drizzled with melted butter.  He assured me this is exactly like something he would eat back at home, and I loved the thought put into some Swedish comfort food to make me feel better :)

waiting for someone to drop food

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Quick Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops

I've been trying to do a little refrigerator/freezer clean out lately and when I saw I had an extra lime in my fridge, I instantly thought of these Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops from Skinnytaste that I've had on my Pinterest board forever.  I had everything I needed for the recipe, so I took some pork chops out of my freezer that had been in there forever and got to work.  I made the marinade the night before cooking the chops and soaked them in it for almost 24 hours to get lots of flavor.  Since all the chopping and mixing was done, when I got home from yoga last night I simply turned on the broiler and stuck the chops in the oven.  I also had a bag of frozen cauliflower rice from Trader Joe's that I heated up and added a green onion to, and in less than 10 minutes I had a delicious home-cooked meal on the table without having to make a trip to the grocery store.  Not bad eh?  I'm definitely adding this one to my weeknight repertoire :)

Quick Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops

Ingredients
4 lean boneless pork chops {I only used 2 and had lots of marinade}
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp salt  
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions
1. In large bowl, combine garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Squeeze in lime juice and zest and stir until combined.
2. Place pork chops in large bowl or plastic bag and cover with marinade.  Refrigerate 20 minutes or overnight for more flavor.
3. Line broiler pan with foil for easy clean up.  Place pork chops on pan and broil about 5 minutes each side or until browned.  Alternatively, you can grill over medium high heat for 5 minutes on each side.

Serves 4

adapted from skinnytaste

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Spanish Beef & Rice Bowls with Avocado

It has been brought to my attention that I have a lot of magazines lying around the house.  What can I say?  I love reading magazines.  There's just something about it......but let's be honest - I'm not gonna go back and read the old ones anytime soon, so I decided this past weekend it was time to purge.  I flipped through a few to rip out some good looking recipes and in January's Real Simple found these Spanish Beef & Rice Bowls with Avocado that I had to immediately try.  They were super simple to put together and can be customized based on what you have {I squeezed some lime juice over my leftovers when they were feeling a bit dry and it was delish}, and I loved the flavors of the roasted red peppers and green olives - they really gave the dish it's yummy factor.  See?  Good things come from hoarding magazines :)

Spanish Beef & Rice Bowls with Avocado

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
3/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup pitted green olives, sliced
1 Tblsp drained capers
1 Tblsp red wine vinegar
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 tsp cumin
Salt & Pepper
4 cups shredded green leaf or romaine lettuce
1 avocado, quartered

Instructions
1. Cook rice according to directions.
2. Combine peppers, olives, capers, and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add ground beef {add some oil if you have very lean meat} and cook until browned.  Reduce heat to low.  Add cumin and 2 Tblsp of pepper and olive mixture.  Stir and cook 2 minutes more.  Season with salt & pepper.
4. Divide rice evenly among bowls.  Top evenly with beef, lettuce, remaining peppers & olives, and avocado.

Serves 4

adapted from Real Simple

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Queen Margherita

This past weekend, Mom and I saw Matilda at the 5th Avenue {so awesome!!  But so dark for a kid's play!  I totally forgot how scary that book is.}.  Afterwards, we headed back to Magnolia during the epic wind and rain storm and decided to take cover at Queen Margherita, a hidden little neopolitan-style pizza place in the village.  Luckily, they were playing the Seahawk preseason game, so we settled in with some glasses of wine and watched the game.  We decided on a few salads and one pizza to share, and it was the perfect amount of food to share while we watched the game.  I love this little spot in Magnolia that you would never think of coming too - it's definitely one of my favorite pizza places I've come across in the city.  Thanks for dinner Mom - and Go Hawks!

 salad mixta and the watermelon salad

 pizza romana with mushrooms

the cutest little place :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Napa {The French Laundry}

Saturday night was one of those night's I will never forget, as the group and I had dinner at The French Laundry.  It was a bucket list item for John, and something I never thought I would do in my lifetime {mainly due to the pricetag and impossible to get reservations}.  But when the invitation presented itself, I couldn't say no.  We all got dressed up in our best for our 6PM dinner reservations, and after deciding on a few bottles of wine, we all chose the Chef's Tasting Menu.  It had 12+ courses {4 alone just of dessert!}, and each were better than the last. It truly was one of the absolute best meals of my life, something that can probably never be topped.  It still feels surreal to think that we actually had dinner there :)  From the sommelier who treated minion Dave like a guest to giggling like little kids every time something "fancy" would happen, it was such a fabulous experience.  Thank you John for the most incredible and memorable evening - I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

 "oysters and pearls" 

{'sabayon' of pearl tapioca with island creek oysters and white sturgeon cavier}

 the yummiest bread basket

 "galia melon soup"

{brokaw avocado, celery, coconut and lime 'gastrique'}

 "slow cooked wild king salmon"

{roasted garden eggplant, purslane, sweet onion relish and brentwood corn 'veloute'}

 "chickpea crusted pacific abalone"

{stewed garden squash, roasted lipstick peppers, and fino verde basil}

 amazing wine

 "supreme de canard"

{hibiscus poached sour apples, garden turnips, and sicilian pistachio puree}

 "slow roasted elysian fields farm lamb"

{garden fennel, scarlet grapes, english walnuts and pinor noir reduction}

 "andante dairy 'acapella'"

{marinated garden tomatoes, nicoise olives and extra virgin olive oil jam}

 fig & honeycomb

 marinated strawberries & ice cream

 peanut butter & jelly creme

 pot de creme, macarons, chocolate covered hazelnuts, and mini donuts

 after dinner, we headed back to the hotel for a drink and some fun

 john said he wanted to be in his pj's, so we obliged and had a pj dance party, dj'd by dave! {the party also ended up getting a noise complaint by security and had to be moved at midnight to the lobby.....}

such a wonderful night!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Tuna Melt

Here's the simplest dinner you can make {ok, besides, like, a bowl of cereal} that is so extremely satisfying and will totally bring you back to your childhood.  The other day a coworker came back from lunch raving about a tuna melt she'd just had, and I could not get it out of my mind.  Using ingredients I already had at home, I decided to assemble my own that very night, and it has become one of my most favorite weeknight dinners.  This is easily customizable to whatever you have handy, but as long as you have the main ingredients {cheese and tuna} you won't be disappointed.  Here's how I made mine:

Ingredients
English Muffin
Butter
Canned Tuna
Mayo
Dill Pickles
Avocado
Tomato
Green onion
Slices Cheddar Cheese

Instructions
1. Slightly toast English Muffin and top with butter.
2. Mix tuna with mayo and diced pickles.
3. Top English Muffin with veggies and tuna.  Top with cheese and place under broiler until just melted.

PS - this is not an April Fool's joke.  It's really that good :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Black Bean & Avocado Loaded Baked Potatoes

 

You guys - these potatoes are gooooood.  I was perusing Pinterest recently {my favorite "I'm bored" hobby} and came across the beautiful pictures on Flourishing Foodie of these Black Bean & Avocado Loaded Baked Potatoes.  The seemed insanely easy {and cheap!} so I loaded up the grocery cart and got to work.  They are so easily customizable {I think adding feta would be divine} and made great leftovers the next day for lunch.  I plan on making this one all year round and suggest you do the same :)

Black Bean & Avocado Loaded Baked Potatoes

Ingredients
2 baking potatoes
1 tblsp oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1- 15oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper
hot sauce {optional}
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup sour cream
1 green onion, chopped

Instructions
1. Scrub potatoes, cut a slit down the middle {lengthwise}, wrap in tin foil, and bake at 375 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until soft to squeeze.
2. In a large frying pan, fry garlic and black beans on low heat for a few minutes.  Add corn, peppers, and water and simmer until water has evaporated.  Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, if desired.
3. Cut open potatoes, sprinkle with cheese, top with black bean mixture, avocado, sour cream, and onions.

Serves 2

adapted from flourishing foodie

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Freezer Burritos

Two of my New Year's Resolutions were to be more organized and eat fresher, so in an effort to make lunches {and busy night dinners} a little more convenient but healthy, I decided to stock the freezer with some Freezer Burritos.  One Sunday afternoon a few months back I cooked up some rice and chicken, picked up my favorite burrito fillings, and set up a sort of burrito rolling station in my kitchen.  I loosely followed this recipe from Shutterbean and used refried beans, shredded chicken, black beans, jarred salsa, cheese, cilantro, her mexican rice, lime juice, and sour cream.  Basically, you just warm the tortillas so they're pliable {I'd do about 3 at a time} then layer all of your ingredients in the middle.  You wrap them up {just like at Chipotle!}, wrap each individual burrito in foil, label, and voila!  Instant freezer burritos.  I made a few just bean and veggie burritos {to be honest, I ran out of chicken}, and I have slowly but surely been eating up my stash.  It's been so nice having something quick and easy on hand to grab for meals - something that I know exactly what is in it.  If you have a few hours this weekend, I'd highly recommend making a batch of these to stuff in the freezer.  I think I'm about due for round 2!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowl

A few weeks ago, in honor of the season premier of The Bachelor {are you watching?  how much crazy can one show have?!?}, I decided to make a new recipe that I found on one of my favorite blogs, How Sweet Eats.  These Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowls were so quick to put together {I cooked the chicken the night before} and the flavors were insanely delicious - this seriously may be one of the best things I've ever made.  I plan on making the sauce to put over pretty much everything {veggies, salads, chicken}, and when I make this again, I'm definitely doubling the recipe, as I could down that whole thing in one sitting :)  Please do me a favor and make this one ASAP.  And invite me over for dinner :)

Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/3 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup shelled edamame
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Sauce
2 tblsp sweet chili sauce
1 tblsp rice vinegar
1 tblsp canned coconut milk
1/2 tblsp brown sugar
1 tsp creamy peanut butter, melted in the microwave
1 garlic clove
1/2 lime, juiced
1/8 tsp ground ginger

Instructions
1. Prepare quinoa as directed, using 1 cup of liquid.
2. While cooking, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine.  In a bowl, combine chicken, carrots, edamame, and green onions.  Add cooked quinoa and toss all with the sauce to cover.  Season with salt and pepper if needed.  Toss in half peanuts and cilantro then serve in large bowl with remaining peanuts and cilantro.

Serves 2

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Brass Tacks

Before our New Year's Eve party, we headed out to dinner at Brass Tacks, just a block away from our final destination of the night.  I had heard about this place for a long time, but how often does one actually get down to Georgetown to try out new hip restaurants?  Well, since the party was down there, we decided to take full advantage.  The upscale pub greeted us with a live jazz band and a festive crowd to start our evening.  We had a cocktail to get things started, then each ordered some of the best burgers we've ever had {seriously - so good}.  While we couldn't stay too long {that open bar called our names} I definitely want to head back to this little neighborhood to the south for more cocktails and yummy plates.  Georgetown - we'll be back soon!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Paella Night

Friday night, Zara and I headed over to Mercer Island for Paella night at Celene's house.  Zara brought the Paella, and Celene and I provided the wine for this Spanish inspired meal.  I haven't had real paella since I lived in Spain {almost 10 years ago!} and Zara's version did not disappoint.  It had chicken, chorizo, prawns, and clams, along with lots of other goodies that made this one of the best meals I've had in a very long time.  After our plates were cleared, we still kept picking at the serving dish - I couldn't stop!  Afterwards, we laid around chatting and laughing, and Zara and I introduced Celene's one year old daughter Mena to Frozen {she was mesmerized}.  It was a fabulous, low key evening with two ladies I love being around :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Canlis {Birthday Dinner}

Last week I cashed in on a date I've been planning for the past year - dinner at Canlis with Grandma and Grandpa.  Since they have never been to this iconic restaurant, and since I just recently celebrated the big 3-0, I figured it was the perfect opportunity for us to enjoy dinner there.  They picked me up after work, all of us dressed in our finest, and we headed to Canlis on a beautiful summer night.  We were ushered to the best table in the restaurant, by the window overlooking Lake Union, and immediately our server expressed how she had been looking forward to our arrival all day.  We started the evening with pre-dinner cocktails and appetizers {grandma and I both swore the Canlis salad was the best salad we've ever tasted}, then all selected different but equally amazing entree's to go with our delicious bottle of red.  After dinner, Brian Canlis sent over some wine to go with our desserts since he couldn't be there to say hi - how sweet, right?  Throughout the evening, I could tell Grandma and Grandpa were having the best time, and I'm so happy that they loved this place as much as I do.  Dare I say we may go again? :)

 my first dirty martini of my dirty thirties

 i ate the first one too quickly to take a picture, but yes - that last one is a fancy tater tot 

 rosemary grilled lamb

 gorgeous sunset

 birthday!

 dessert wine courtesy of mr. canlis

Thanks Gram and Gramps - it was such a fantastic night!

xoxo,
stephanie marie