Goudy Straight Trippin'

Author: deandragoudy

  • Recipe Monday!

    I am calling it Recipe Monday! Every Monday I will post up some new recipes that we have tried out and were a hit with the guys or some old family recipes that friends have requested in the past.

    This past week we tried a new Parmesan Chicken recipe which was delicious and I included my new homemade bread crumb recipe as well! We also bought some fresh shrimp so I found my shrimp scampi recipe and will definitely have to buy more next time as there were no leftovers for work the next day! The peach cobbler recipe is up for everyone to enjoy, so easy yet so yummy!

    We are doing well here and it is starting to get cooler. Funny when high 90’s is COOLER!

    Enjoy your week!

    Blessings,

    Deandra

  • Peach Cobbler

    This is a dish that is requested over and over, and is by far the simplest of cobblers to make. This is a quick easy dish to put together. If you keep peaches in the pantry, you always have a yummy treat or a dessert to go, whenever the need arises.

    Melt 1 stick butter in baking dish in 350 degrees oven

    In a large mixing bowl, mix: 

    • 1 ½ cups flour

    • 2 cups sugar

    • 2 teaspons baking powder

    • 1/2 teaspon salt

    • 1 1/2 cup milk 

    Stir and pour mixture into baking dish             

    Add one 28 oz can sliced peaches dumping the can of peaches and all the juice into the batter. DO NOT stir the peaches and juice in. 

    Cook until lightly brown (about 45 minutes to an hour) 

     

  • Homemade Italian Bread Crumbs

    INGREDIENTS 

    • 1 heaping Tablespoon oregano
    • 1 heaping Tablespoon garlic powder
    • 1 heaping Tablespoon onion powder
    • 1 heaping Tablespoon basil
    • 1 heaping Tablespoon finely chopped parsley
    • salt and pepper to taste

    METHOD 

    1. Lay bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 250 for 10-15 minutes. Turn over and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until dry and slightly toasted.
    2. Place bread slices in a food processor or blender, filling about half-way. Process until into coarse crumbs. Repeat until all the bread has been turned into crumbs
    3. If bread crumbs are still moist or soft, spread them on the baking sheet and place them back into the oven and bake another 10 minutes. Stir and check for dryness. When crumbs are dry, remove from oven.
    4. Sprinkle seasonings on top of crumbs and carefully mix in.
    5. Working in batches, place the seasoned crumbs back into the food processor and process until desired consistency is reached.
    6. Spread the bread crumbs on the baking sheet again, or on a clean counter, and allow to cool thoroughly before storing. Keep in an airtight container.

    These will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to two months. Enjoy! 

  • Parmesan Chicken

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1/4 pound), melted
    • 1 cup dried bread crumbs
    • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or 2/3 cup if you are using a Microplane zester)
    • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
    • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
    • A large pinch of Italian seasoning (herb mix)
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 lbs of skinless, boneless, chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2×2 inches

    METHOD

    1 Preheat oven to 450°F. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels.

    2 In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.

    3 Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9×13 baking dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Note that the chicken will get much more browned on the bottom side than on the top.

    The last time I made this dish, I ended up just coating the chicken with the breadcrumbs then sprinkling the cheeses over the top – both come out tasting delicious!

  • Shrimp Scampi

    This is one of my favorite shrimp dishes, yet you will not see me cooking this unless I can get my hands on some fresh shrimp. It just doesnt taste the same otherwise. However, this is a very nice meal that can be thrown together in no time and typically with ingredients you will have on hand. It is a simple shrimp dish (that can be served over pasta or rice) with a lemony, garlicky light butter/olive oil sauce.  

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 pound large (16-20 count) shrimp, shelled and de-veined, tail-on for presentation if you want

    • Salt to taste

    • 4 garlic cloves, slivered, or 1 Tbsp minced garlic

    • 4 Tablespoons olive oil

    • 5 Tablespoons butter

    • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

    • 1/4 cup white wine

    • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

    • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

    If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them quickly and safely by putting the shrimp in a large bowl of ice water.

    When you buy your shrimp, ask them to de-vein and clean up the shrimp for you – saves time and does not cost extra!

    METHOD

    1 Heat a sauté pan on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for a minute, or until you see the edges of some of the garlic just beginning to brown, making sure not to burn the garlic.

    2 As soon as the garlic begins to brown, add the shrimp to the pan. Then add the white wine and and lemon juice, stir to combine and coat the shrimp with the butter, oil, lemon juice, and wine. Spread the shrimp out in an even layer in the pan. Increase the heat to the highest setting and let the wine boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes.

    3 Turn the shrimp over, or toss them so the cooked sides are mostly facing up, and boil the wine for another minute. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and toss to combine.

    Serve over your favorite pasta or over rice. This sauce makes enough for 3 cups of rice or a pound of pasta. 

  • Tooling around in Bahrain

    We rented a car this past weekend so we could run a few errands and buy a crock-pot! We have been looking for a crock-pot for a bit now, and finally, I found one at one of my favorite stores in the mall, Lakeland – anything and everything you need for cooking and then some! I even bought a silicone-icing bag and tips to play around with when icing my cupcakes. I have found several other items at the store that I like and will eventually have in my kitchen.

    We have a hard time eating out and spending the money when it isn’t any better than what we could have done at home, but this time we decided to try a new restaurant at the mall called Vapiano’s and let me just say wow! The food is absolutely delectable! Vapiano’s makes their sauces and pasta fresh daily. When you arrive at the restaurant, there is a checkout stand where you receive a little card, similar to a credit card. Each person in your party receives a card, and then after choosing your desired entree, you go up to the appropriate station and order your food, the card is scanned and your order is recorded on the card for checkout.  They prepare each dish right in front of you while you wait. Stephen ordered a pepperoni pizza made with fresh tomatoes and basil. I ordered chicken in a garlic and cheese cream sauce served over campanelle pasta made with fresh Parmesan and basil. While I was waiting for my pasta, Stephen ordered us both a cappuccino, which is my new favorite drink, a coke and some water. Our lunch was very relaxed and after sharing both dishes, we were both extremely full.

    Locating the central market here in Bahrain was on our agenda Friday as well. I know what you are thinking, ‘cool they have a Central Market just like ours’….well not exactly. First, let me just say getting to this particular place was quite an adventure. We had a map and tho it seemed to have pretty clear instructions on where to go, let’s just say it doesn’t account for roadblocks. So after coming upon our first road block, we asked the guards the best way to the market and they happily showed us which streets to take in order to make it to where we wanted to go. We had to go around the world in order to get there and were almost turned around due to a demonstration that apparently was fixing to take place (guards and police cars showing up and blocking off some roads), however, it forced us to go exactly the way we needed to. We found the market, finally and to give you an idea of what it is like, imagine a HUGE warehouse with rows and rows of vendors, some selling their vegetables literally out of a box, some have stands and even a few blocked off stores. Did I mention the smell? Lets just say a pig farm would smell like roses compared to this place. The wonderful part of this place is the prices. I bought a bunch of cilantro for literally ¼ of the price I would have paid on base and it has lasted twice as long so far. Oh and I found tangerines! I haven’t seen those in months! Base sells oranges but have not seen tangerines there. Lulu’s (the local Walmart-like grocery store here) probably has them but some of their prices for fruit are a little more pricier than I am willing to pay. The downside to this place is they only take BD (Bahrain’s form of currency) so we will have to go back when we have more cash on hand.

    In the next couple of months, we will be renting a car (not looking to buy one right now) so that we can venture to more places and truly experience the island – that is something I look forward to. 

    We now have a Facebook page which you can like and receive our latest adventures or you can also sign up via email. Every week I will be adding new recipes as well as photos and will keep Facebook up to date on these new additions.

    Blessings,

    Deandra

  • Aunt Willie’s Mac and Cheese

    Aunt Willie’s Mac and Cheese

    This recipe is thanks to Aunt Willie! She made an awesome macaroni and cheese and I was fortunate enough to have her teach me the recipe before she passed away.

    1 box elbow macaroni, uncooked

    1/2 cup flour

    1/8 tsp pepper

    2 cup milk

    1/2 cup parmesan cheese

    8 oz light processed cheese, cubed

    4 oz cream cheese, softened

    2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

    toast, crumbled

    Cook macaroni until tender, drain. Combine flour and pepper in a pot, add 1/2 cup milk stirring until completey smooth. Gradually add remaining milk, stir briskly. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil (careful not to burn it). Stir constantly. Reduce heat; add cheeses, stirring until melted. (If it is too creamy or thick, add more milk to desired consistency. Remove from heat, stir in macaroni. Pour mixture in to a 9 x 13 dish. Sprinkle toast over top of macaroni. Bake @350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown

    You can also skip the oven part if needed. It cuts down on the cooking time and would be ready in 20 minutes verses 50 minutes 

  • Dad’s Hot Sauce with a twist

    DAD’S HOT SAUCE 

    2 cans whole tomatoes (drained)

    2 fresh tomatoes, diced (added at the end)

    1 can of Rotel

    2  cans of green chilies

    2 onions, chopped (added separately)

       Dash of lime juice

       Salt and pepper to taste (pepper adds to the spicyness)

       garlic powder (as much as you like, we used 1 Tablespoon)

            Jalapenos to taste to make more or less hot

    Mix can tomatoes, rotel, green chilies, one chopped onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and jalapenos in a blender. Season to taste (remember it will get spicier as it sits), then add fresh tomatoes and one chopped onion and pulsate if you like it chunky or if not mix and make it more of a hot sauce.

    Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set and savor flavors.  If you don’t want sauce to be so thick, then do not drain tomatoes.

  • I shall call her “Grace”…

    And grace shall be her name for the upward traversing of stairs remains her nemesis and the colliding with doors her bane…

    Yup! You guessed it! Deandra fell UP the entry stairs of our villa and hit her hand on the door whilst trying to break her fall (poorly, I might add). The result being a knot on her knee, small flecks of shredded flip-flop scattered across the floor of our living room, and a broken bone in her right hand at the base of her pinky finger…

    Imagine all the things she might normally do with said right hand… writing?!? Not a chance! Cooking?!? Still attainable with great care and patience… Washing dishes?!? No Way! Micah becomes the reluctant house slave with daily dish duty, weekly bathroom cleaning and his normal chores of sweeping, moping, and vacuuming. Did I mention he is also house- and pet-sitting for our neighbors, the Hughes’? LOL!

    Too assuage your fears, Deandra is fine. The doctor says she must tape her pinky and ring-finger together for the next 3 weeks to allow the hand to heal. She is experiencing pain, but it is getting better. We also finally obtained the necessary medical supplies so that we can administer her B-12 shots!!! YAY!!!

    Now for things to settle in and allow us to go to Italy!… It is still up in the air but maybe looking better? The prospect of Halloween in Naples and Thanksgiving in Sigonella is truly enticing!!! I fully realize that I will never look at pasta the same again, but I am fine with that! The opportunity to see living history that far pre-dates anything I have encountered in any definable measure is incredible. Granted I have seen glaciers that have been around for millennium… but I can’t truly assign an era of history to those massive chunks of moving ice… Being able to see remnants of the Roman Empire and historical sites that people have lived in and around since the days of the Bible and before… now THAT is incredible to contemplate!!

    There is so much to look forward to just in the remainder of this year… After Italy, we get to plan for when Taylor and Reagan come to visit us here in Bahrain! That will be exciting and such a wonderful Christmas present from our young Marine! Unfortunately, Nathan is not yet eligible for vacation time or we would be trying to figure out how to get him out here too! That will have to wait until next year… along with Rota, Spain and Souda Bay, Greece and Singapore and Diego Garcia and Guam!!!

    I think we will also look into a trip to Egypt to see the Pyramids and cruise down the Nile for a stretch! A co-worker is preparing to head out for that same trip in a couple of weeks! I am looking forward to hearing how it goes and what to look for and what to avoid!

    In the meanwhile, it is daily living and nightly relaxing… I am enjoying the opportunity to see Deandra and Micah every day and watch movies together, or play games, and just be a semi-normal family even if it is in the Kingdom of Bahrain!

    Peace, love, and shawarma!!!!

  • South of the Border in Bahrain

    Mexican food, one of life’s main staples I miss about being away from Texas (along with my children/grandchildren). Last night we went out with a group of friends and tried one of the local “Mexican” restaurants. We walked in to Café Mexicana and right off, the ambiance was perfect and felt like the restaurants back home. There was Mexican music playing and later during the evening we were entertained by a live musician singing mostly country music while playing acoustical guitar. He did an excellent job with a hint of foreign flare that made it almost a game to identify the song the quickest. Margaritas were ordered with concerns as to authenticity (not bad but not great was the conclusion). Stephen had the carne asada, which was wonderful. I had the “Taco Fantastico”; the concept was a deconstructed taco that I got to assemble as I saw fit. It came with both beef and chicken and all the fixings (see picture). The beef and chicken was not your traditional flavors, they were stewed with tomatoes and, tho rather tasty, they both had an unexpected touch of sweetness to them. The evening was delightful and the restaurant, although not as authentic as I would have hoped, will definitely be one of the places to go when we have cravings for Mexican food. We rode with Josh (friend/coworker) since we still do not have a car (we will be renting one in the next month or so). When we exited the restaurant we found ourselves faced with one of the locals who had decided that he would wash the car parked on the street and expected us to pay him for it. He was quite insistent about this even though we never asked him to wash the car. Although it is very common for them to randomly solicit car washing services on the street, this was the first time I have seen them do it on their own and then expect you to pay, craziness!

    We have Internet now at the house, which is quite wonderful. You do not realize how much you miss something or use it until it is not there. It sure makes life a lot easier and will help with Micah starting school soon. It definitely helps looking up new recipes! With all this time on my hands, I get the baking urge A LOT, which makes the boys happy. We now cook our own beans (no more out of the can – who knew how much better they tasted!), make our own Alfredo sauce, and some Chinese dishes, and definitely more baking – cupcakes, banana bread and of course the peach cobbler staple! I have made a page for recipes and will be adding those that I have tried and found that work – taste tested and approved! Make sure to check them out and let me know if you try them and how your family likes them =]

    Stephen is scheduled to leave for Naples around Sep 22nd; however, we heard that it might be pushed back so I will keep you updated on that part of our journey. We also have heard that it may not happen, due to some work conflicts here in Bahrain. He is really looking forward to continuing the work that is to happen in Naples and the other work sites scheduled. If he goes, Micah and I will join him early October because Micah is pet-sitting for our friends, the Hughes, whom are scheduled to return the end of September. We are excited about this part of our journey – new places, new people, and different foods to try! So please pray for God to show us what he is to do here and accept whatever decision He makes for us – Thanks!

    During our dinner the other night, we decided to try and get married in Bahrain to make the visa process easier – HAHA. I will let you know what comes of this. Well I am off to finish the cupcakes I made this morning – Chocolate Velvet (a.k.a. Red Velvet without the red…lol)!