Goudy Straight Trippin'

Category: Recipes

  • Taco Soup

    This is an all time favorite and is yummy in hot or cold weather. My oldest son loved the winter because apparently I would make more soups then, he never told me that he enjoyed them year around. So after that I tried to make them more often. This is served well with your favorite chips or crackers, our favorite is Fritos!

    Ingredients:

    • 2 pounds ground beef
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
    • 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans
    • 1 can (11 to 15 ounces) whole kernel corn ,drained
    • 1 can (10 to 15 ounces) Rotel tomatoes (or tomatoes with green chile peppers)
    • 1 pkg. (about 1 ounce) taco seasoning mix – (store bought or homemade see recipe on blog)
    • 1 pkg. original hidden valley ranch dressing(dry) (or homemade see recipe on blog)
    • 2 1/2 cups water or more, to make soup broth

    In our family, we doubled the recipe as it is wonderful warmed up the next day and  it freezes well.

    Preparation:

    Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in a large pan; drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients to meat in a large stockpot and simmer for an hour or so. The longer you can simmer the better. If I have time, I allow mine to simmer for 3-4 hours, however, if we are in a rush then 30 minutes will do as well. This works great in a crockpot on low as well.

  • Cajun Roasted Turkey

    Cajun Roasted Turkey

    Brine:

    1 cup salt

    1 cup brown sugar

    2 oranges, quartered

    2 lemons, quartered

    6 sprigs thyme

    4 sprigs rosemary

    To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.

     

    Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

     

    Injection Ingredients:

    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

    1 tablespoon concentrated liquid crab and shrimp boil (recommended: Zatarian’s) exclude if you have allergies to shellfish (Lauren) or replace with liquid seasoning or spice of preference. I like Allegro liquid seasoning when I can get it…

    1/4 cup apple cider

    3/4 cup honey

    1 (12-ounce) bottle beer

    1 tablespoon salt

    1 tablespoon ground allspice

    1/2 cup Creole seasoning

    1/4 teaspoon cayenne

    1/2 cup olive oil

    1/4 cup finely minced garlic

     

    Prep:

    1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, rinsed well inside and out, patted dry

    4 teaspoons kosher salt

    2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

    1 to 2 cups chicken broth, as needed for bottom of roasting pan

     

    Directions:

    Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe and inject turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.

     

    Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.

     

    Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)

     

    When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

  • Chocolate Sheet Cake

    Sheet Cake 

    2 c sugar

    2 c flour

    2 stick butter

    4 T cocoa (or 3 squares and ¼ cup of butter)

    1 c water

    ½ cup buttermilk

    2 eggs, slightly beaten

    1 tsp baking soda

    1 tsp vanilla

    Sift sugar and flour together. Mix butter, cocoa and water in saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil. Pour over flour/sugar mixture, stir. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Mix together. Pour into 9×13 baking dish and bake for 30 mins at 400 degrees (or until toothpick comes out clean). 

    ICING:

    1 stick of butter

    4 T cocoa (3 squares and ¼ cup of butter)

    6 T milk

    1 box of sifted powdered sugar

    1 cup of nuts, chopped (optional)

    Mix butter, cocoa, and milk in saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and nuts, stir and spread over hot cake.

  • White Chicken Enchiladas

    This is one our family’s favorites and they are hit here as well! We made this for our Mexican Dinner Party we hosted this past weekend and everyone loved them. 

    INGREDIENTS

    8 soft flour tortillas
    2 cups cooked, shredded chicken*
    2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    3 Tbsp. butter
    1 cup sour cream
    1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies
    1 tsp dried cilantro
    1 can cream of chicken soup 
    1 can of Old El Paso Green Enchilada Sauce

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

    Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, green chilies and 1/4 of the enchilada sauce together. Fold in chicken. Place an equal amount of the mixture into each tortilla.  Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in the pan. 

    Pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.

    Bake 20-25 minutes.

    * My shredded chicken: I melt 2 T butter and a clove of garlic then I add my uncut chicken into the pan.  I turn once taking them out once they are 98% cooked, then I place them on a cutting board and shred them with a knife and fork. I add more butter (if needed) and 1 chopped onion, and then add my shredded chicken back to the pan. Depending on my mood, I sometimes I add a tsp of taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water. Let the chicken finish cooking and then use as directed above.

  • Pinto Beans

    For many years, I did not make this recipe, boy was I missing out! I prefer pinto beans vs red beans. You can cook these in the crockpot or on the stove (as long as you are there to monitor the water level). I usually make a double batch so that I can freeze some for soup or refried beans later in the week.

    INGREDIENTS for overnight soak

    • bag of pinto beans
    • 2 T garlic powder
    • 2 tsp Cumin

    INGREDIENTS for cooking

    • 2-3 small green onions, chopped
    • 1 cup fresh Cilantor, chopped or 2 T dried cilantro
    • 4 pieces of uncooked bacon, cut up
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
    • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, more if you prefer it spicier
    • 2 T Cumin
    • 2 T Mexican Oregano

    The night before rinse your beans then in a large bowl or pan add your beans, soaking ingredients above (garlic, and Cumin) and enough water to cover the beans generously in a large pot. Cover and leave on the counter overnight.

    Cooking day: Add salt, garlic, onions, pepper, cilantro, red pepper flakes, cumin, Mexican Oregano and bacon. Fill the pot with enough water to generously cover the beans. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 3-4 hours, adding water as needed to keep the beans moist and to ensure that it does not burn.

    Crockpot: Rinse the beans, add beans and above cooking ingredients to the crockpot. Fill the crockpot with enough water to generously cover the beans, otherwise, you take a chance of your beans becoming to dry or burning. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

    Helpful tips:

    • Soaking cuts the cooking time by as much as 70%, so most soaked beans will pressure cook in as little as 8 to 15 minutes. 
    • If you fail to soak the beans first, you can still have beans that day, it will just extend the cooking time.
    • Soaking helps further break down those pesky oligosaccharides, the indigestible sugars that cause gas in beans, as well as removing tannins, phytic acid and tryspin inhibitors.


     

  • Lemon Pound Cake

    I made this recipe last week because I was looking for something different to take to the book club meeting and for the guys at work. I received so many compliments from it. The cake it so very moist and just abounds with flavor. It has a nice lemon flavor but is not overwhelming. 

    INGREDIENTS 

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 Tbsp baking powder
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 3 cups sugar
    • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1/2 cup shortening, room temperature
    • 5 large eggs
    • 2 tsp vanilla
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 6 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 lemon, zested

    Preheat oven to 350F

    Butter and flour 2 loaf pans or one large Bundt pan, you can also use cook it in a 9 x 13 and it will work just fine.

    Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.  Set aside.

    Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each one, then add vanilla and stir.

    Add dry ingredients in three additions to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and zest. 

    Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.  Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes.  Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.

     

  • 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!