Gone fishing...

Red Fish Special

As the majority of you know my husband's favorite past time is FISHING! He truly loves to spend his free time floating around hunting fish! I've figured out over the last 10 years that hunting IS like shopping for a female. Really, you say! Actually, you know that feeling you get when you either find a STEAL or SPLURGE on something you've been dying to have?? Well, I've experienced "that" feeling on multiple occasions. You may stop diagnosing me now. Ok, thanks! And by the way couponing is a great way to experience that "get in your car and scream feeling", too!!!

Paul's favorite place to fish is Louisiana because the Reds are easier to locate. (?)

He's sharing this recipe with you guys so don't tell anyone, ok? I believe it's a secret! :)

2 large filets of Red Fish, or any white, flaky fish

squirt of lemon

dash of salt and pepper

your favorite cajun seasoning, we like Tony's

You can grill, bake or sear to your liking!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is such a classic so when my hubs came down with a serious sinus infection a few weekends ago I decided to treat him to a home remedy! This recipe is full of flavor and way too easy to make. It calls for chicken broth and chicken stock so I was able to add my stock from poaching my chicken breast and store bought broth for the remainder. You better believe it did the trick, Paul was on his feet a few days later!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

For the stock:

1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup chopped onion (or a bag of frozen veggies, which is what I used)

½ cup chopped carrot

½ cup chopped celery

1 qt. water

2 qt. low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. salt

 

For the soup:

3 tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

1 cup pasta

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the veggies thaw and become soft, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Boil water, broth, bay leaves, salt and chicken breasts. Then add shredded chicken, salt and pepper to taste and remaining broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to cook the stock for 10 minutes, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle boil. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water; whisk together until smooth. Stir the mixture into the stock and bring to a gentle boil. Add the pasta and continue to cook until the noodles are tneder, about 5 minutes.
 

BBQ Meatballs

BBQ Meatballs

If you haven't tried The Pioneer Woman's BBQ Meatball recipe then I'm telling you to do it this week! I was feeling a little uninspired with this week's menu and popped over to a few of my fav bloggers for inspiration. I didn't get very far until I spied these tasty looking BBQ Meatballs. They looked simple, hearty (for my husband), inexpensive and

THEY. ARE. DELICIOUS! I had all the ingredients on hand which was nice as well!

P.S. He didn't even know the oats were there so don't worry about your hubs finding out! :)

 MEATBALLS:

1-½ pound Ground Beef

¾ cups Oats

1 cup Milk

3 Tablespoons Minced Onion

1-½ teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Browning Meat Balls:

1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating For Frozen Meatballs)

 Oil (for browning Meatballs)

Dressing Meat Balls:
1/2 bottle of your fav BBQ sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes. After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour. Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish. Pour BBQ sauce over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes

Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

This was not my first time making alfredo sauce at home but it was MUCH better than the first time. Paul is actually the one who loves alfredo and I enjoy cooking what he enjoys eating (even though he may not need it since he has high cholesterol--but it's better than eating out, right?). I however can rarely justify the dreaded CALORIES. 

Grilled Chicken

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the alfredo sauce:

3 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour (for roux)

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1½ cups heavy cream

1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil for cooking the pasta. While you are waiting, cook the chicken breasts. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook until brown on one side, 3-5 minutes. Then flip and cook until browned on the other side and cooked through, an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and let rest for a few minutes. Cut into small strips.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then add flour to create a roux. Next, add the garlic and cream, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Mix in the Parmesan cheese and stir until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: sauce adapted from Annie's-Eats