Chicken Cheese Steak...Philly Style

It's hard to find a good version of a chicken cheese steak out there, so I figured for my non-red-meat-eaters out there (or those who generally avoid it), I'd throw you a bone.

As previously stated, I will make this basic.

Ingredients:
(Standard):
Ground chicken or some other cut of chicken (if the latter, frozen)
Cheese (I maintain that in Philly, only whiz or American are acceptable options)
A glug or two of vegetable oil
Fresh sub roll

Optional (but recommended):
About 1/4th a small onion, chopped (yellow's a decent option)
Salt/pepper
Condiments

Directions:
Lightly toast the roll
If using whiz, coat the roll
Add vegetable oil to the pan and fry up the onions for about 3-4 minutes
If using ground chicken,add to the pan and cook as usual, adding salt/pepper to taste (don't drain). Mince the ground chicken.
If using another cut of chicken, let slightly defrost, then cut VERY thin slices (shaved basically) and mince (you want a greater surface area to contact the cheese and other good stuff/not be dry)
Take the roll, open faced and put face down over the meat/onion mixture to enclose it in the roll (true philly style, if you're that daring)
If using American, apply last (along with ketchup if you're smart)

I recognize this picture doesn't do the cheese steak justice, but it really was GOOD.

Not a repeat, I swear...Tri-colored rotini in a pesto cream sauce

For the next few posts I will probably post the bare minimum to get across what I did and how it was made. Trying to catch up here; my apologies in advance. Let me know if you want more details and I'll post 'em.

Ingredients:

• About 1/2 box of tri-colored rotini (I think it's "garden delight" brand or something that actually uses vegetables and not just food coloring...those who know me well should be commending me about now)
• 3-4 T butter/margarine (I used margarine)
• 4-5 T pesto (Wegmans has the best, I maintain)
• A few splashes of light cream
• A few spashes of skim milk
• About 1/3 C or so of grated parmesan
• Pinches of sea salt, white pepper and ground black pepper
• 3 T or so of onion and chive cream cheese (if it's not Philadelphia brand, I don't know what to tell ya...good luck)
• About 1/4 a small yellow onion, chopped
• A few splashes of olive oil

Directions:

• Make the pasta, then toss with olive oil and set to the side
  
• In a separate pan, add the butter and melt, then add the onion for a few minutes stirring
• Add the pesto, cream, milk, cream cheese, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes or so
• Add in the parmesan
• Add in the salt/pepper to taste
• Stir it all up and keep simmering until the desired consistency is reached
• Add however much sauce to however much pasta you want...and you're golden

I actually think this was one of the best sauces I've made. Were I less lazy I would have chopped up the zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots I got, too. Next time.

Tri-Colored Penne in a Zucchini Paremesan Cream Sauce

Ingredients: (don't scoff, I like things easy)

• Sliced Zucchini
• Chopped sweet yellow onion
• Dallop of garlic paste
• Handful of basil leaves
• Handful of chopped scallions
• About 1/3 C light cream
• About 1/2 C skim milk
• About 2-3 T "Italian cheeses and herbs" Philadelphia cream cheese cooking sauce (new item)
• About 2 good glugs of olive oil
• About 2 T margarine or butter
• Half package of tri-colored penne (I used Garden Delight brand...2 full servings of veggies on its own or some jam like that)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley if you like extra green things to make your pasta more pretty
• About 1/3rd C of grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Cook half your pasta according to the box, leave the rest for later, set aside
• In a sauteing pan, add olive oil and margarine and put on medium low heat for about 2 min
• Add the onions and garlic, some salt and pepper, stir and allow to cook for about 1 minute
• Add in the zucchini and stir around while cooking for about 4 minutes
• Add in the "cooking sauce", a splash of light cream and a slightly larger splash of milk. Stir and allow to thicken for about 1 min
• Add in parmesan cheese and stirr...after about 1 minute determine if you need to thin out the sauce at all by adding more milk (taste to test...could use more salt or pepper too)
• Toss in the basil and parsley and stir it up
• Spoon sauce over pasta and serve. Add more parmesan and parsley if you want to get fancy.

Black Bean Tacos

Short and...well not sweet, but definitely good!

Ingredients:

• Taco Filling:
• 1 15.5 oz can of black beans, drained
• 1 15.5 oz can of diced tomatoes w/ green chilies (if you like your tacos hot)
• 1 package taco seasoning of your choice
• About 1/2 C of water

Other Taco Materials:

• Other taco toppings (shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream, etc.)
• Flour or corn tortillas, hard or soft

Directions:

1. Dump first four ingredients into a medium sized pot and mix while bringing to medium high heat
2. Use a hand masher to mash the mixture up a bit
3. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer until desired consistency (I would let it bit a little liquidy because once you let it cool off to serve it'll thicken on its own)
4. You know the rest
5. Eat

This was SUPER easy and really good. Almost no prep or cook time. In fact, it was so good that I ate all my tacos before stopping to take a picture!

More posts to come. Sorry for the lack of posting! Yes, I do still exist.

Mega Sandwich Part 2

I took my own advice and kicked in some avocado.

Ingredients:

• Deep fried turkey lunch meat
• Turkey pepperoni
• Buffalo Mozzarella
• Fresh basil leaves
• Slices of avocado
• Slices of tomato
• Mayo
• Roll

Directions:

1. Put into sandwich form
2. Grill (in this case on a mini george forman)

Tri-colored Fusilli Marinara, Veggies, and Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Tri-colored fusilli
• 1 T garlic paste
• A few T of olive oil
• 1/2 chopped zucchini
• 1/2 chopped yellow squash
• 1/4th C chopped scallions
• 1/4th C chopped fresh basil
• 1-2 C marinara
• 5-6 turkey meatballs, quartered
• Salt, pepper, rosemary leaves, and crushed red peppers to taste
• 1/3rd C grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the box directions
2. Saute the garlic in a pan for about 10 seconds
3. Add about 1 T olive oil
4. Add scallions
5. Add squash and zucchini
6. Defrost turkey meatballs, quarter, then toss in pan
7. Add fresh basil
8. Add salt/pepper
9. Add marinara, stir and allow to simmer for about 2 minutes
10. Add crushed red pepper
11. Once pasta is finished cooking, return to pot, then mix in sauce from pan
12. Dose with parmesan cheese as you see fit!

Mega-Sandwich

Yes, I know I haven't posted in a long time. Sorry. Life. However, this sandwich I just threw together was pretty sweet.

Ingredients:

• Deep fried turkey lunch meat (yes, this exists and is wonderful)
• Turkey pepperoni (I recommend Bridgford brand; it seriously tastes like the real thing)
• A few fresh basil leaves
• Sliced vine ripe tomato
  
• Garlic/herb cheese spread
• Mayo
• Claussen kosher dill sandwich pickle (and yes, I would argue it must be claussen)
• Club sandwich roll

Do it. You will be glad you did.

However, if I were to do it again, and I had access to some buffalo mozzarella, I would definitely put some on there then grill the sandwich panini style.