Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Even though we're not going out and celebrating in bars like we used to {who am I kidding?  When was the last time I celebrated St. Paddy's day in a bar?!?}, hopefully you're able to take a moment today to cheers to the luck o' the Irish - I think we could all use a little luck right now :)  And don't forget to wear green!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{eyeing my favorite greek salad and supporting our local small businesses}

 {yoga + dog hair}

 {the tallest magnolia tree i've ever seen}

 {feeling a lot of extra love for this city right now}

 {spring walks}

 {makes me cocktails and dinner - he's a keeper}

 {homemade lentil soup}

 {social distancing breakfast calls for extra bacon}

{finding pockets of sun on the roof while hiding from the wind}

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday from the social distancing capital of the northwest!  It's been quite a week staying home and distancing myself from all things social, and with the news changing every hour about what is being closed or cancelled it's hard to not feel anxious, frustrated, and lonely.  I've been trying to combat these feelings by connecting with coworkers throughout the day and getting in a little exercise when I can, and I look forward to spending some time with my honey and some family {hopefully} this weekend - even though we'll still be at home, at least we'll be together!  Stay safe out there, wash your hands, and take a cue from my work from home survival kit above :)

Happy Friday!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala

A few weeks back I was perusing my fave cookbook, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple {are you sick of hearing about this yet?} and found something that looked absolutely perfect for a cold day - Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala.  I love her variations on Indian food - the flavors are so good - and even though I used to be intimidated by recipes like this, she makes them super simple and easy to recreate with lots of ingredients I typically have on hand.  I love that the recipe made extra curry paste and since I'm home for quite awhile I anticipate using those leftovers to whip up another batch of this very soon.  Enjoy!

Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients
Curry Paste
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
1 shallot, halved
6 garlic cloves
2- 1inch pieces of fresh ginger, peeled
3 Tblsp garam masala
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 lemon

Chicken
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
1- 14oz can full fat coconut milk
1- 6oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup cilantro chopped, plus more for serving
Cooked rice

Instructions
1. Make curry paste.  In blender or food processor, combine onion, shallot, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest and pulse until smooth paste forms.
2. Make chicken.  In gallon size ziploc bag, combine 2 Tblsp curry paste, chicken, and yogurt.  Seal and massage mixture into the chicken to cover completely.  Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight.
3. Heat large high-sided skillet over medium heat.  Add 1/4 cup curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in marinated chicken, coconut milk, and tomato paste.  Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes.  Remove lid and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes more.
4. Stir in cilantro and serve over rice, topped with more cilantro if desired.

***Note - this will make extra curry paste that can be stored refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 4 months.  

Serves 4-6

adapted from half baked harvest

Work From Home

Welcome to my office!  For the next 3+ weeks this is where you can find me Monday through Friday, sitting at the dining room table with my laptop, notes, and that all important coffee.  While it's getting a little lonely here, I'm trying to make the most of it by listening to the Today show in the mornings, throwing in a load of laundry whenever I want, and going days without make up or getting out of sweatpants {ok, depending on who you are, that could be scary and not a positive}.  I'm keeping in touch with coworkers and trying to get as much done from home as I can, and while this work from home situation was thrown at us so quickly, I'm trying to take advantage of all the positives, one of which is being given the gift of time with not having to commute.  I can sleep in a lot and still start working at the same time I would in the office, and when I'm done for the day I can get to binge-ing my new favorite shows right away.  Yeah, I guess I could get used to this new set up - at least for a few weeks :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Extra Saucy Coconut Fish Curry

I brought my favorite new cookbook, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple, over to Christian's house this weekend thinking we could find something delicious to make at home.  After perusing the book several times and narrowing it down, we decided to try her Extra Saucy Coconut Fish Curry based on the delicious picture and easy looking recipe.  Besides a lot of chopping, the dish came together quite quickly on Saturday evening {aided by a few homemade margaritas} and in no time we were enjoying this delicious and simple take on curry.  10 out of 10 would make again, and I suggest you do the same!

Extra Saucy Coconut Fish Curry

Ingredients
2 Tblsp coconut oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 Tblsp red curry paste
2 Tblsp finely chopped fresh lemongrass
1 {1-inch} piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or chopped finely
1- 14oz can full-fat coconut milk
2 Tblsp fish sauce
1 lb cod fillets {or other white fish} cut into 1 inch pieces
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
Rice for serving

Instructions
1. Melt coconut oil in large skillet over high heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in curry paste, lemongrass, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in coconut milk and fish sauce and bring mixture to boil.  Add cod and reduce heat to medium.  Cook until fish is opaque and flakes easily, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat and stir in lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro.
3. To serve, divide rice among bowls and spoon curry over rice.  Garnish with more cilantro, if desired.

Serves 4

adapted from half baked harvest super simple

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{friday night sunset}

 {pizza + wine}

 {avocado toast}

 {sunny walks}

 {speaker shopping}

 {my favorite kind of happy hour - sweatpants and homemade margaritas}

 {don't forget to vote!! even though it's all old white men - welcome to america!}

{sunday gardening}

xoxo,
stephanie marie