Goudy Straight Trippin'

Category: Recipes

  • 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. 

  • 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.

  • Banana Nut Bread

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 4 overripe bananas
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
    • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

    Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

    Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

    Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don’t get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that’s no mistake, it’s typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

    Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve.

  • Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 1/2 cups of sugar
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
    • 2 eggs, room temperature
    • 2 1/3 cups of cake flour
    • 3 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
    • 1 cup of buttermilk*
    • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

    Frosting ingredients

    • 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
    • 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
    • 2 – 3 cups of powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

    *You can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to milk and letting it stand for about 10 minutes.

    METHOD

    The cupcakes

    1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.

    2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

    3 In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.

    4 Add a fourth of the dry ingredients and mix, then add a third of the wet. Continue adding in a dry, wet, dry pattern, ending with the dry ingredients.

    5 Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure even baking.

    6 Allow to cool for one minute in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    The Frosting

    1 Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

    2 Add the vanilla extract and mix.

    3 Add the powdered sugar, continually taste to get to desired sweetness. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

    Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes.

    You can make them with a 1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring for red velvet cupcakes.

  • Creamy pesto chicken

    Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes:

    3 pieces of chicken

    2 tbl lemon juice

    special spices (use any you would like for you chicken)

    olive oil

    Pesto sauce:

    Pesto (McCormick bag – add water and oil)

    Cream Sauce:

    2 cloves of garlic

    2 tbl butter

    1 cup heavy cream or half and half

    1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

    2 tsp lemon juice

    Pasta of choice

    While the chicken is grilling, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Set pasta aside and keep warm. (You can either grill your chicken or cook it on the stove. I cook mine on the stove in butter and olive oil and then set aside)

    Meanwhile, prepare the pesto sauce, follow directions on the package or make your own. Next prepare the cream sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in milk and lemon juice. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, add pesto and cook about 3-5 minutes making sure not to burn the milk.

    Toss cooked pasta in the pesto, top with chicken and garnish with tomatoes.