Getting Away

I'm heading out of town today to hang out with this guy for a few days.  It's been a year since I made the last trek over there, and I'm excited to catch up on sleep, watch golf on tv, and have some brother-sister cooking adventures :)

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Clouds

Crazy ominous clouds from my run (yeah, I said that right) around the lake last night.  The weather has been weird around here lately, but I kind of like it :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

photo via my instagram feed

Baked Chicken & Tomato Penne

This weekend I needed a bit of comfort food, but didn't want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen.  I browsed thru some favorite blogs and finally landed on 30 Minute Baked Chicken Penne from How Sweet It Is.  I've talked about how gorgeous her food photography is before, and so far, her dishes are some of my favorites.  While this may seem like something that you wouldn't necessarily need a recipe for (it's super adaptable to whatever you have in your fridge and pantry), sometimes I need a little inspiration to get goin'.  This meal was insanely delicious (just look at that melted cheese!) and was almost too easy to throw together.  Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Penne

Ingredients
1/2 lb penne
2 tblsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup grated Mozzarella
fresh basil, if desired

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375.  Bring water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and oregano, and toss to coat.
3. Heat large skillet over medium heat.  Heat olive oil.  Add onion and peppers with a sprinkle of salt, and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften.  Add garlic and stir.  Increase heat to medium high and add chicken in one layer.  Cook about 5 minutes until browned, then flip and cook another 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, cream, basil, and Parmesan, mixing well.  Stir in penne.
4. Transfer mixture to baking dish and top with mozzarella.  Baked 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Serves 4-5

adapted from How Sweet It Is

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Wine Tasting {Woodinville}

Since some of us decided to stay in town for the weekend, we decided to spice things up a bit with a little day trip to Woodinville for wine tasting in the warehouse district.  There are over 30 tasting rooms in this unassuming industrial area, all within walking distance of each other.  I had no idea this place even existed!  While Erika, Joe, Erin, and I managed to only stop at 3 before needing to refresh with lunch (and a beer), I can't wait to go back and try more out - maybe even for one of their Third Thursday wine walks.  Who's with me?

 lunch on the patio at Redhook

Thanks for coordinating, Erika!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Final Countdown

I am beyond excited that Arrested Development, one of my absolute favorite tv shows ever, is coming back on Sunday (oh Netflix, how I love you)!  I've spent the past few weeks catching up on the first 3 seasons (again), and I tell ya - this show just keeps getting funnier and funnier every time you watch it.  I seriously cannot wait :)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Stephanie's Kitchen

I've never had a great cutting board.  I have a few plastic ones I picked up at Target and have had forever, but nothing really sturdy or nice looking.  Well, a few weeks ago, Dad presented me with a present from his wood shop class - my very own customized cutting board!  It's made of 3 different kinds of wood and the inscription at the bottom, "Stephanie's Kitchen", shows exactly who it belongs to.  It's so pretty, I'm almost afraid to use it.  Well..... almost :)

Thanks, Dad!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Ballard Annex Oyster House {bar}

Last week, David and I stopped by the new Ballard Annex Oyster House for a quick drink after dinner.  I didn't have high expectations, but as we sat at the bar and ordered from the friendly bartender, my mood was instantly brightened.  The vibe is nautical, with gorgeous woodwork around the entire restaurant, and the drinks are super inventive (my "Midnight" drink consisted of gin, cointreau, creme de violette, lime, and bubbles and was a pretty shade of blue).  Though we had just eaten, the food smelled delicious and it took all of my self control to not order up a bowl of the steaming clam chowder.  All in all, I was really impressed with this new Ballard spot, and I can't wait to stop by again for an order of fresh oysters and a plate of fish and chips - a perfect summer meal :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Pasta with Smashed Peas, Sausage, & Ricotta Cheese

I've been trying really hard to eat healthier.  More salads and veggies, less breads and pasta.  However, this past weekend I just couldn't resist this creamy pasta recipe from the Giada's Kitchen cookbook.  The recipe makes a ton (halve it if you don't want leftovers for days) and though I made a few tweaks to her original recipe, it hit the spot on Sunday night.  Although I'm pretty sure when this is gone from my fridge at the end of the week, I'll be back to more veggie-filled meals.  Hey, we all need an indulgence every now and then :)

Pasta with Smashed Peas, Sausage, & Ricotta Cheese

Ingredients
1 lb fettuccine (or other wide, long pasta)
2 tblsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
12oz frozen peas, thawed
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or Pecorino Romano) cheese
Salt & Pepper

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and garlic in large skillet over medium high heat, until garlic is fragrant.  Add sausage and cook, using wooden spoon to break into bite sized pieces.  When sausage has browned, about 5 minutes, push to one side of pan.
3. Add peas to pan and smash, using wooden spoon or potato masher.  Turn off heat.
4. Add ricotta cheese to pan and stir to combine, then add cooked pasta and stir to coat.  Slowly add pasta cooking water if needed to moisten pasta.
5. Add basil and Parmesan, and top with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.

Serves 4-6

adapted from Giada's Kitchen

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Recharging Weekend

With about a million things running through my head lately, it was nice to take a "me" weekend to relax and clear my head.  I spent the weekend catching up on my Netflix queue (I'm obsessed with The Kennedy's right now - they fascinate me), reading magazines, teaching Erika the art of the Bar Method, eating good food, deep cleaning my apartment, and pretend-decorating my future home.  It was nice to unplug for a bit, and now I feel re-energized and ready to conquer Monday - well, almost :) Let's hope this sore throat isn't around for long!

Hope you had a relaxing weekend as well!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

pic via diana from Chelan 2011

The Office

In honor of last night's season finale of The Office (I can't even talk about it), I've put together a few of my absolute favorite moments from throughout the seasons (but how can you truly pick the funniest?).  I laugh every single time I see these on TV :)

The Watermelon Roof Drop

Diversity Day Training
 

Jim Impersonates Dwight

Michael Picks Stanley for Basketball

I'm sure gonna miss these guys :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Chipotle Pork Posole

Knowing that the rain was coming back this week, I decided to try out a new soup in the Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast cookbook - Chipotle Pork Posole.  It seemed quick to put together, and I knew it would warm me up on the cloudy days.  I may have overdone it a bit with the chipotle chiles in adobo - let's just say a little goes a loooooong way with these :) If you don't like spice, just use a teeny tiny bit for flavor.  This soup makes great leftovers and is keeping me warm all week long.

Chipotle Pork Posole

Ingredients
1tblsp olive oil
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb) cut in half
Salt and Pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tblsp (or less) chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans (15.5 oz each) hominy, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups water
Cilantro and lime wedges for serving (optional)

Instructions
1. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Season pork with salt and pepper.  Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.
2. Add onion and garlic to pot.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook on medium until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Add chipotle chiles - cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add chicken broth, hominy, tomatoes with juice, water, and pork.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  Cook until thermometer in center of pork registers 145F and pork is cooked, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove pork and shred with two forks.  Return to pot and stir to combine.  Serve garnished with cilantro and with lime wedges on the side.

Serves 4-5

adapted from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Kimber & The Market

Saturday afternoon, we picked up Kimber at the airport and headed down to Pike Place Market for a girl's afternoon in sunny Seattle.  We had brunch at Cafe Campagne, bought Mother's Day bouquets for our mama's, and fought the tourists for prime photo ops.  Even though it was brief, it was so great to spend some time with Kimbie and catch up.  It's been way too long :)

Come back soon, Kimbie!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Baked French Toast

For Mother's Day, I knew what Mom would want - something sweet and syrup-y.  When perusing some of my favorite food blogs I stumbled upon just the thing - Annie's Eats Baked French Toast.  It had all the right ingredients - syrup, berries, and sugar, and I knew it would be simple to throw together for a Sunday brunch.  I put together everything the night before, and the next morning popped it in the oven for about 25 minutes while the bacon was frying and the coffee was brewing.  It was almost too easy to make, and the flavors were absolutely delicious - everything you could ask for in a breakfast.  Hope you enjoyed it, Mom!

Baked French Toast

Ingredients
4 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tblsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
1 small French baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 5-6 cups)
Berries, Syrup, and Powdered Sugar - to serve

Instructions
1. Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Add half and half, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg to bowl and whisk together.  Stir in cubes of bread until evenly covered.
2. Lightly grease 1 casserole dish (or 4 individual casserole dishes).  Pour in bread mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375.  Remove plastic wrap from dishes.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown.  
4. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, and berries.

Serves 4

adapted from Annie's Eats

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {in pictures}

 playing tourist at the market with the girls

 a cat and a pineapple

 a quick trip to a deserted island

 mother's day brunch spread

picking through dad's plant sale leftovers

hope you had a great mother's day weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy {Mother's Day} Weekend

Happy Mother's Day weekend to the best Mom in the world - I love ya!  Mom - thanks for always listening to me, laughing with me, encouraging me, supporting me, and traveling the world with me.  I'm a very lucky girl :) 

Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely mama's out there!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Spring Vegetable Couscous with Chicken

When I first got back from Paris, I was craving veggies.  While we saw a ton of beautiful fresh vegetables in the markets, we rarely ate them while dining out.  When we got back, I decided to make myself a healthy and fresh recipe from my Everyday Food Light cookbook - Spring Vegetable Couscous with Chicken.  I followed the recipe almost exactly, but you could easily add whatever veggies you have on hand to make the meal your own.  It was a tasty way to slowly ease out of a diet of croissant and cheese :)

Spring Vegetable Couscous with Chicken

Ingredients
3 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
3 tblsp unsalted butter
4 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced crosswise
2 strips (1 to 2 inches each) lemon zest, plus 1 tblsp fresh lemon juice (I added a bit more juice)
1 1/4 cups water
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup frozen peas (do not thaw)
1 cup couscous
2 tblsp finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450.  Heat large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Flip chicken and cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Shred into bite size pieces. 
3. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add scallion whites and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add lemon zest and water and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and bring to boil.
4. Add asparagus and peas.  Return to boil and stir in couscous.  Add chicken and remove from heat.  Cover and let stand 7 minutes.
5. Add lemon juice, parsley, and scallion greens.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fluff with fork and serve.

adapted from Everyday Food Light

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Lil Woody's

For David's birthday lunch a few weeks ago, he had but one request - burgers.  Deciding we should try something new (in honor of his birthday and the glorious 70 degree weather that day) we hiked up the hill to Lil Woody's, a burger joint on Capitol Hill that we'd walked by countless times but had never actually tried.  I went with the Big Woody while Stefanie and David each had The Trotter, and I must say it could've been one of the best burgers I've ever tasted.  It had all the right toppings, the patty was grilled to perfection, and enjoyed with fries and a Mexican Coca Cola, it was a great way to spend a long lunch out in the sun.  I can't wait to go back and try their other delicious looking combos (not to mention the Molly Moon milkshakes).

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Quesadillas de Camarones

A few weeks back, I had Maddie and Autumn over for dinner and finally tried out The Pioneer Woman's Quesadillas de Camarones (shrimp quesadillas).  I had wanted to make them since I got her cookbook, but for some reason was intimidated by the recipe.  Well, they ended up being super simple to put together and were an instant hit with the girls (as evidenced by our completely clean plates).  When thinking about what I wanted to make for Cinco de Mayo this past weekend, I decided to give them a go again, and they were just as good, if not better than I remembered.  I tweaked the recipe a bit and halved it (as hers tend to feed a small country) but it's basically the same.  This will be perfect for summer evenings paired with a cold beer or yummy margarita.  Enjoy!

Quesadillas de Camarones

Ingredients
2 tblsp olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed (I used previously frozen shrimp)
Salt
7 oz Mexican tomato sauce (see picture below)
1/2 large onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced in strips
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced in strips
Butter
3 large tortillas
1 to 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Salsa, avocado, and sour cream for serving

Instructions
1. Heat 1 tblsp oil in skillet over high heat.  Cook shrimp until opaque (about 5 minutes), sprinkle with salt, and turn to low.
2. Pour in about half can of tomato sauce, stir, and simmer for several minutes.  Remove from skillet and chop into chunks (if using large shrimp).  Set aside.
3. In clean skillet, heat remaining olive oil over high heat.  Add onion and peppers and cook for several minutes, until peppers have a few dark brown areas.  Remove from skillet and set aside.
4. In clean skillet, heat about 1/2 tblsp butter over medium heat and lay flour tortilla in pan.  Top with grated cheese until just covered. 
5. When cheese begins to melt, cover half of tortilla with peppers, then shrimp.  When bottom of tortilla gets golden, carefully fold tortilla in half.
6. Serve topped with sour cream, avocado, and salsa.

Makes 3 quesadillas

adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Sunshine at the Lake

This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous.  I spent the majority of it outside at the lake, alternating between eating, drinking, reading, and napping.  It felt wonderful.  On Saturday, Erika, Maddie, and Liz joined me for some bottles of rosé, a few rounds of photos, and lots of laughs.  I can tell it's gonna be a good summer :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

My First Chanel

So you're probably wondering what that little purchase was that I made back at Chanel in Paris :)  Well, these adorable earrings ended up making the trip back to the states with me.  I absolutely love the random sized pearls and the soft gold coloring - but those interlocking "C's" are what really make me smile.  I've worn them almost every day since I've been home, and have absolutely no regrets about treating myself to something a little fancy on my trip.  I mean, come on - how often does a girl get to go to Chanel in Paris? Coco would be proud :)

 cute, right?

i loved the packaging almost as much as the earrings themselves

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage

I know now that the weather is warming up and spring seems like it might stick around for more than a day you're probably not really in the mood for a hearty and filling pasta.  But, if you know me at all, you know I'm always in the mood for pasta, so I decided to share with you Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage from Barefoot Contessa: Foolproof.  I made this a few weekends ago, and was pleasantly surprised with just how many meals it actually fed me (she's not lying when she says this will last the whole week as leftovers).  I made a few tweaks to the actual recipe (shells vs. orecchiette, all spicy sausage vs. half sweet, and regular broccoli vs. broccoli rabe), but I think the end result was just as delicious as the original would've been.  So the next time you want a quick and easy meal that will satisfy for days on end, or if you're having a bunch of people over for dinner, I'd strongly suggest trying this one out.  Even in the warmer weather, it's an instant hit.

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage

Ingredients
1/2 lb sweet Italian pork sausage
1/2 lb hot Italian pork sausage
1/3 cup olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
28oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
salt and pepper
1 lb dried orecchiette (or small shells) pasta
2 lbs broccoli rabe (or regular broccoli), stems discarded and chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Prick sausages with fork and place on sheet pan.  Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through.  Slice 1/2 inch thick and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large heavy pot.  Add sausage and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  
3.  Add tomatoes with juices, red wine, tomato paste, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper and let mixture simmer over low heat.
4.  Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Add pasta and cook for 9 minutes.  Add broccoli and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, until pasta is al dente and broccoli is crisp-tender.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
5.  Add pasta and broccoli to the pot with the tomato and sausage mixture.  Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp salt.  If it seems dry, add some reserved cooking liquid.  Serve hot, topped with more cheese.

Serves 6

adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Foolproof

xoxo,
stephanie marie