If home cooking is like this...
I cooked a roast beef the other day - just a cheap eye of round, cooked rare - and I left it out overnight by mistake. As the kitchen is fairly cool this time of year and it didn't look or smell bad, it's dinner tonight. And here's real-life home cooking in action: I sauteed some onion in a bit of oil, added a little tomato paste and cooked another couple of minutes. Next in the pan was some leftover turkey gravy - the kind from a packet and itself on the verge of going bad - along with a cup of water and a beef bouillon cube. I brought it to a boil, then seasoned it with a little thyme, nutmeg, and black pepper until it tasted good, added the beef and a very old pork chop, both sliced thin, and it's cooking away. I think it will taste good; let's hope it doesn't kill us. To accompany, leftover green beans (with browned butter and almonds) and probably noodles.
Other meals this week: last night was intended to be penne with vodka sauce. Unfortunately, we had no vodka, and I couldn't find the cream that I am 100% sure I bought on my last shopping trip. So it was penne with vodkaless sauce and a weird salad on the side that only I liked. It was the easiest fennel salad Epicurious listed that contained ingredients I had on hand. It was supposed to be pretty much all white - fennel and celery and fresh mozzarella, dressed with lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I think I'll do it again without the mozzarella.
Earlier this week, I tried a new way (for me) of cooking salmon, that I found on AllRecipes. Marinate the salmon a little while in olive oil, lemon, fresh garlic, salt, parsley, thyme, and dill (if desired), then bake it in the marinade, covered. I found it too lemony and too garlicky, but it was well received by the other salmon-eaters, and I think I'll tweak it and do it again. Very easy.
Isn't home cooking exciting?
Monday, December 19, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Even more turkey...and a real turkey of a meal
I like turkey leftovers so much that I cooked another turkey this weekend. I kept it simple: no stuffing, no fussing. I did put butter under the breast as some recipe assured me that it would make for wonderfully moist breast meat. However, there was no discernible difference in the finished product and I won't bother with that again. I salted the bird, put broth in the roasting pan, threw the neck and giblets in the broth, and put half a lemon and some garlic in the bird's cavity. It smelled wonderful, but again, no discernible difference in the finished product.
Even before dinner, I took all the meat off the bones, threw bones, drippings, skin, and giblets into a soup pot with water to cover, and started cooking the broth (with no additions this time). I even left it cooking overnight (on low), then brought it to a boil again in the AM before I strained and cooled it. I'll make soup with it today.
The next dinner was a "King Ranch casserole" to use up a bag of stale tortilla chips that had been in the pantry a looooonnng time. The recipe was pretty much straight from the Joy of Cooking and the same or similar recipes are on Allrecipes. It was pretty good.
Last night's dinner didn't quite work out, shall we say. I made pork chops with sauerkraut and apples, but instead of just making it the way I thought it should be made, I followed a recipe from Allrecipes that called for a huge amount of brown sugar. I would normally just add a little sprinkle. What the heck, I thought - maybe the kids will like it better if it's really sweet (not really thinking that one kid wouldn't eat it under any circumstances, and the other doesn't even like sweet foods). It was disgusting. I almost never throw food out, but this had to go. Note to self: you do better when you just cook. Forget all the recipes, already!
Even before dinner, I took all the meat off the bones, threw bones, drippings, skin, and giblets into a soup pot with water to cover, and started cooking the broth (with no additions this time). I even left it cooking overnight (on low), then brought it to a boil again in the AM before I strained and cooled it. I'll make soup with it today.
The next dinner was a "King Ranch casserole" to use up a bag of stale tortilla chips that had been in the pantry a looooonnng time. The recipe was pretty much straight from the Joy of Cooking and the same or similar recipes are on Allrecipes. It was pretty good.
Last night's dinner didn't quite work out, shall we say. I made pork chops with sauerkraut and apples, but instead of just making it the way I thought it should be made, I followed a recipe from Allrecipes that called for a huge amount of brown sugar. I would normally just add a little sprinkle. What the heck, I thought - maybe the kids will like it better if it's really sweet (not really thinking that one kid wouldn't eat it under any circumstances, and the other doesn't even like sweet foods). It was disgusting. I almost never throw food out, but this had to go. Note to self: you do better when you just cook. Forget all the recipes, already!
Friday, December 9, 2011
This doesn't count as cooking
Well, I promised myself to blog about everything I cook, boring though it may be. In this case, it's not only boring but embarrassing. Two nights ago, I opened two cans of Campbell's cream of chicken soup, added some milk, heated it with cooked chicken, added a few seasonings (pepper, nutmeg, fresh parsley), and served it over Pillsbury biscuits that I bought because I wanted to use a BJ's coupon. The peas served on the side had been in the freezer too long. I do get points, however, for poaching a couple of enormous chicken breasts and getting a nice batch of broth out of it.
Last night wasn't much better. London broil that didn't sear properly because I had put Worcestershire sauce on it, baked potatoes (hard to mess those up), and salad from a bag because it was on sale and there was a coupon (which I forgot to use).
Dear readers (if any), this is now going to be more like a reality show than I anticipated.
Last night wasn't much better. London broil that didn't sear properly because I had put Worcestershire sauce on it, baked potatoes (hard to mess those up), and salad from a bag because it was on sale and there was a coupon (which I forgot to use).
Dear readers (if any), this is now going to be more like a reality show than I anticipated.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thanksgiving and its aftermath
I cooked a complete Thanksgiving dinner this year. Most years, I cook sides and we go to my parents' house, where they make the turkey, and my youngest brother bakes rolls and pies. This year, that brother and his new bride could not come until Sunday, hence the dinner at my house, with my dad and sister in attendance.
I was excited for the chance. I made up a pretty menu and a cooking schedule for the day, which worked well except for the turkey seemingly taking longer than it should have, the result of my never investing in a real meat thermometer and the little pop-up not popping up. It didn't matter; it was a traditional meal and the turkey was overcooked in the traditional fashion.
It being well after Thanksgiving now, I'll just share what I thought was the most successful recipe: the best sweet potato casserole I've ever made. I got it from Allrecipes, but made some small changes. I only made half a recipe, but I'll give you the larger amount.
Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
5 sweet potatoes (no size given in original - I used 4 small ones for half a recipe)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Bake sweet potatoes until fairly soft (this can be alongside the turkey). Cool slightly, then scoop them out into a large bowl and mash them.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, first 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla, spices, white sugar, and cream. If you use an electric mixer, the strings from the sweet potatoes will wrap around the blades and will be easy to remove and discard. Put the mixture in the baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, flour, brown sugar, and pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of coarse meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake about 30 minutes, until the topping is crisp and lightly browned.
Now, what do you like to do with the leftovers? I like the leftovers so much that when we don't have T-day dinner at our house, I always cook a turkey a few days later so that I can have leftovers.
I like turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and cole slaw. This year, I put a little stuffing on the sandwich, as I had seen on restaurant menus, and it was delicious (it was a sausage stuffing, very well seasoned).
I always make broth from the carcass and use it for a mushroom, leek, and barley soup.
And I love to make James Beard's turkey hash recipe from the stuffing, although I don't use anywhere near as much butter as in the original! Here's what you do (I'm not looking at the recipe so it may be wrong in some major or minor way): saute some onion, garlic, and green pepper in butter. Add cold leftover stuffing and turkey and cook it until it is hot and soft. Mix in some almonds and black olives (yes, you heard me), then pour in some heavy cream (or half-and-half if you don't want to overdo it quite that much). Cook it down a bit, stir in some parsley, and serve. Sometimes I leave out the olives and almonds, but this year I had some around and they are good in it, even though I don't like canned black olives. Both are better sliced than whole in this.
I was excited for the chance. I made up a pretty menu and a cooking schedule for the day, which worked well except for the turkey seemingly taking longer than it should have, the result of my never investing in a real meat thermometer and the little pop-up not popping up. It didn't matter; it was a traditional meal and the turkey was overcooked in the traditional fashion.
It being well after Thanksgiving now, I'll just share what I thought was the most successful recipe: the best sweet potato casserole I've ever made. I got it from Allrecipes, but made some small changes. I only made half a recipe, but I'll give you the larger amount.
Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
5 sweet potatoes (no size given in original - I used 4 small ones for half a recipe)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Bake sweet potatoes until fairly soft (this can be alongside the turkey). Cool slightly, then scoop them out into a large bowl and mash them.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, first 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla, spices, white sugar, and cream. If you use an electric mixer, the strings from the sweet potatoes will wrap around the blades and will be easy to remove and discard. Put the mixture in the baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, flour, brown sugar, and pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of coarse meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake about 30 minutes, until the topping is crisp and lightly browned.
Now, what do you like to do with the leftovers? I like the leftovers so much that when we don't have T-day dinner at our house, I always cook a turkey a few days later so that I can have leftovers.
I like turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and cole slaw. This year, I put a little stuffing on the sandwich, as I had seen on restaurant menus, and it was delicious (it was a sausage stuffing, very well seasoned).
I always make broth from the carcass and use it for a mushroom, leek, and barley soup.
And I love to make James Beard's turkey hash recipe from the stuffing, although I don't use anywhere near as much butter as in the original! Here's what you do (I'm not looking at the recipe so it may be wrong in some major or minor way): saute some onion, garlic, and green pepper in butter. Add cold leftover stuffing and turkey and cook it until it is hot and soft. Mix in some almonds and black olives (yes, you heard me), then pour in some heavy cream (or half-and-half if you don't want to overdo it quite that much). Cook it down a bit, stir in some parsley, and serve. Sometimes I leave out the olives and almonds, but this year I had some around and they are good in it, even though I don't like canned black olives. Both are better sliced than whole in this.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Beans and greens
Love 'em both.
My mother never cooked any dark leafy greens other than (rarely) spinach, so I had no idea how delicious I would find them in adulthood. I also love most legumes; my husband hates them, however, and has no love for anything green, so beans 'n' greens is a treat I cook for myself alone.
Here's how to make the combo delicious. I got this from Rachael Ray, who got it from her Italian grandpa. They did it with escarole and cannellini beans, but I do it with pretty much any greens and often use chickpeas.
Heat some olive oil in a deep saute pan or pot (don't skimp for this one...use at least a couple of tablespoons if you have a bunch of greens). Add lots of minced or sliced garlic (several large cloves) and cook it for about 30 seconds until it is sizzling and fragrant. Dump in your sliced greens...bitter greens like dandelion or turnip and/or any miscellaneous cabbage-family greens like the kohlrabi tops I used today (mixed with dandelion). Kale is probably too tough, but you can use it if you cook long enough. I don't usually use chard or beet greens, however; they are too mild and sweet for this treatment.
Let the greens cook down a bit (they will shrink a lot as they wilt), then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, add a can of cannellini beans or chickpeas (well rinsed to minimize unfriendly gastric disturbances) and a can of low-sodium chicken broth or equivalent volume of your own chicken stock (1 1/2 to 2 cups).
Cook until greens are done to your liking, then serve it with grated cheese and good bread. You can keep your pizza and spaghetti; this is my favorite Italian food.
My mother never cooked any dark leafy greens other than (rarely) spinach, so I had no idea how delicious I would find them in adulthood. I also love most legumes; my husband hates them, however, and has no love for anything green, so beans 'n' greens is a treat I cook for myself alone.
Here's how to make the combo delicious. I got this from Rachael Ray, who got it from her Italian grandpa. They did it with escarole and cannellini beans, but I do it with pretty much any greens and often use chickpeas.
Heat some olive oil in a deep saute pan or pot (don't skimp for this one...use at least a couple of tablespoons if you have a bunch of greens). Add lots of minced or sliced garlic (several large cloves) and cook it for about 30 seconds until it is sizzling and fragrant. Dump in your sliced greens...bitter greens like dandelion or turnip and/or any miscellaneous cabbage-family greens like the kohlrabi tops I used today (mixed with dandelion). Kale is probably too tough, but you can use it if you cook long enough. I don't usually use chard or beet greens, however; they are too mild and sweet for this treatment.
Let the greens cook down a bit (they will shrink a lot as they wilt), then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, add a can of cannellini beans or chickpeas (well rinsed to minimize unfriendly gastric disturbances) and a can of low-sodium chicken broth or equivalent volume of your own chicken stock (1 1/2 to 2 cups).
Cook until greens are done to your liking, then serve it with grated cheese and good bread. You can keep your pizza and spaghetti; this is my favorite Italian food.
Friday, April 29, 2011
What to do after you roast a chicken
I've finally figured it out, although only within the past year or so. It was not part of the kitchen lore passed down to me from my mother; in fact, I had to teach her.
Cookbooks will tell you to make a pan sauce after you roast a chicken, but I've done this maybe twice in my life. We're not a gravy kind of family. So if you don't make a pan sauce, there's a big greasy mess to clean up after you roast a chicken. Here's how to reduce the mess and get more out of your chicken.
After the meal, remove as much meat as you can from the bird and refrigerate it. Break up the carcass and throw it into a 3-quart pot along with all the skin and the gnawed-on drumsticks from dinner. Add all the accumulated juices from platter and roasting pan. Finally, add water to the roasting pan (about 2 cups), scrape up any bits remaining in the pan (heat it briefly if necessary to get them up), and pour this into your saucepan. Add more water if needed to cover the bones. Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer it for several hours (until bedtime approaches).
In the meantime, you can wash your roasting pan. Then, about a half-hour before you go to bed (or after at least 2 hours), pour the contents of the saucepan through a strainer, discard the bones and skin, let the broth (yes, now it's broth) cool a few minutes, then refrigerate it uncovered overnight. The next day you can remove the hardened fat and you will have chicken broth to use in cooking.
My next project is to begin saving all veggie scraps for broth, as recommended by Jacques Pepin. I'll keep you posted.
Cookbooks will tell you to make a pan sauce after you roast a chicken, but I've done this maybe twice in my life. We're not a gravy kind of family. So if you don't make a pan sauce, there's a big greasy mess to clean up after you roast a chicken. Here's how to reduce the mess and get more out of your chicken.
After the meal, remove as much meat as you can from the bird and refrigerate it. Break up the carcass and throw it into a 3-quart pot along with all the skin and the gnawed-on drumsticks from dinner. Add all the accumulated juices from platter and roasting pan. Finally, add water to the roasting pan (about 2 cups), scrape up any bits remaining in the pan (heat it briefly if necessary to get them up), and pour this into your saucepan. Add more water if needed to cover the bones. Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer it for several hours (until bedtime approaches).
In the meantime, you can wash your roasting pan. Then, about a half-hour before you go to bed (or after at least 2 hours), pour the contents of the saucepan through a strainer, discard the bones and skin, let the broth (yes, now it's broth) cool a few minutes, then refrigerate it uncovered overnight. The next day you can remove the hardened fat and you will have chicken broth to use in cooking.
My next project is to begin saving all veggie scraps for broth, as recommended by Jacques Pepin. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Fajitas
Blogging two days in a row! Flo is on a roll. Actually, Flo's family has left the building and she is able to keep a thought in her mind for more than 10 seconds. OK, let's lose the third person. Flo finds it hard to keep it up any longer...
Actually, I often (being fairly food-obsessed) think of writing something here, as I often think of so many other things I want to do or ought to do, but I usually get distracted and forget. At least the Internet has made it possible to answer -- before I forget them -- some of those interesting random questions that pop up during the day. (I would give examples, but since the last random thing I looked up was Antonio Banderas' birthday, maybe I'm not the best person to do so. I'll get my son to do it. Oh no, maybe not -- he's moved off of obscure facts about the French and Indian War and on to obscure facts about Disney Cruises.)
Wait, this was supposed to be about fajitas...and the reason I'm writing this down is that they were good, best I've ever made, and I don't want to forget what I did. Basically, this is a modified version of the recipe in that old reliable, The Joy of Cooking.
Cut 1 lb. beef into strips (it's supposed to be skirt steak or flank steak, but I used round because I had it). Mix together about 3 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp corn oil, a minced garlic clove, 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin. Stir the beef in, and let it marinate at room temperature for half an hour, mixing occasionally.
Cut 2 medium onions into strips, along with some peppers, any combination of colors. I used pieces of green, red, and yellow, totalling about 1 large pepper in quantity.
Heat a little oil in a skillet on medium heat until quite hot. Lift the beef out of the marinade and sear it in the skillet until no longer pink. Pour the marinade into the pan with the beef and let it cook briefly while you wash out the bowl. Dump the beef and marinade back into the bowl.
Add a little more oil to the pan, and saute the peppers and onions, along with a goodly amount of salt and black pepper (I think JOC said a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper; I used half that much). When the veggies are tender, add the meat and juices back to the pan and heat briefly. I also added some chopped cilantro at this point, because I had it.
Serve with warmed flour tortillas (to wrap the meat), salsa of choice (I will boast that I had my own homemade salsa that I canned last summer!), sour cream, and, if you like, shredded cheese. Guacamole is good too, but I didn't make any.
Actually, I often (being fairly food-obsessed) think of writing something here, as I often think of so many other things I want to do or ought to do, but I usually get distracted and forget. At least the Internet has made it possible to answer -- before I forget them -- some of those interesting random questions that pop up during the day. (I would give examples, but since the last random thing I looked up was Antonio Banderas' birthday, maybe I'm not the best person to do so. I'll get my son to do it. Oh no, maybe not -- he's moved off of obscure facts about the French and Indian War and on to obscure facts about Disney Cruises.)
Wait, this was supposed to be about fajitas...and the reason I'm writing this down is that they were good, best I've ever made, and I don't want to forget what I did. Basically, this is a modified version of the recipe in that old reliable, The Joy of Cooking.
Cut 1 lb. beef into strips (it's supposed to be skirt steak or flank steak, but I used round because I had it). Mix together about 3 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp corn oil, a minced garlic clove, 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin. Stir the beef in, and let it marinate at room temperature for half an hour, mixing occasionally.
Cut 2 medium onions into strips, along with some peppers, any combination of colors. I used pieces of green, red, and yellow, totalling about 1 large pepper in quantity.
Heat a little oil in a skillet on medium heat until quite hot. Lift the beef out of the marinade and sear it in the skillet until no longer pink. Pour the marinade into the pan with the beef and let it cook briefly while you wash out the bowl. Dump the beef and marinade back into the bowl.
Add a little more oil to the pan, and saute the peppers and onions, along with a goodly amount of salt and black pepper (I think JOC said a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper; I used half that much). When the veggies are tender, add the meat and juices back to the pan and heat briefly. I also added some chopped cilantro at this point, because I had it.
Serve with warmed flour tortillas (to wrap the meat), salsa of choice (I will boast that I had my own homemade salsa that I canned last summer!), sour cream, and, if you like, shredded cheese. Guacamole is good too, but I didn't make any.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Cottage pie
I had some leftover mashed potatoes and some ground beef that needed to be used, and thought, "Aha! I will now make shepherd's pie for the first time ever!" However, it turns out that shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb and the same dish, when made with ground beef, is called cottage pie. Either way, it's not exactly a favorite of mine, but I thought perhaps the assembled multitudes might eat it. I ended up with the leftovers for lunch the past two days, and it wasn't half bad. Of course, the pouring rain today made it easier to eat British.
As best I can recall, here's the way I made it, after perusing about 6 recipes, no two alike.
Brown 1 lb. ground beef in a bit of oil. Pour off fat. Add a chopped onion, a large carrot in small dice, and a parsnip, also in small dice (just happened to have this on hand). Saute until veggies are slightly tender. Stir in a couple teaspoons dried thyme, about 1/8 tsp sage, a pinch of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons flour (this is because I intended to use beef broth in the next step, not beef gravy). Add a generous glug of Worcestershire sauce, a squirt of ketchup, a can of beef gravy (if, like me, you don't have the broth that you thought you did), and a little water because if you added the flour in the last step your mixture is now too thick. Cook this a little longer (or until thick, if you did use broth). Dump into 9" square baking pan or similar. Heat 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes in the microwave and spread them on top. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Some recipes include peas. I served peas on the side. If you have a stiff upper lip, I suppose this is a pretty good meal.
As best I can recall, here's the way I made it, after perusing about 6 recipes, no two alike.
Brown 1 lb. ground beef in a bit of oil. Pour off fat. Add a chopped onion, a large carrot in small dice, and a parsnip, also in small dice (just happened to have this on hand). Saute until veggies are slightly tender. Stir in a couple teaspoons dried thyme, about 1/8 tsp sage, a pinch of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons flour (this is because I intended to use beef broth in the next step, not beef gravy). Add a generous glug of Worcestershire sauce, a squirt of ketchup, a can of beef gravy (if, like me, you don't have the broth that you thought you did), and a little water because if you added the flour in the last step your mixture is now too thick. Cook this a little longer (or until thick, if you did use broth). Dump into 9" square baking pan or similar. Heat 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes in the microwave and spread them on top. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Some recipes include peas. I served peas on the side. If you have a stiff upper lip, I suppose this is a pretty good meal.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Gail's special salad
This has been my mother's go-to salad since the Cretaceous period. She makes it slightly differently but the following is my way. Amounts are variable according to your taste and what you have around.
For one very large serving (this is something to really fill you up without a lot of calories):
Lettuce (cut or torn bite-size; I use red leaf lettuce and plenty of it)
Several scallions, chopped
A chunk of cucumber, seeded and sliced
Several large radishes, sliced
Half a large tomato or a whole small one, cut in chunks
A hard-boiled egg, mashed with a fork (salad is still good without this)
A 3 oz. can of Italian chunk light tuna in olive oil, flaked but not drained
White wine vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all of the above in a bowl. Eat it.
For one very large serving (this is something to really fill you up without a lot of calories):
Lettuce (cut or torn bite-size; I use red leaf lettuce and plenty of it)
Several scallions, chopped
A chunk of cucumber, seeded and sliced
Several large radishes, sliced
Half a large tomato or a whole small one, cut in chunks
A hard-boiled egg, mashed with a fork (salad is still good without this)
A 3 oz. can of Italian chunk light tuna in olive oil, flaked but not drained
White wine vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all of the above in a bowl. Eat it.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Buffalo chicken cheesesteak
Yes, it's been a long time since I posted anything. Many apologies to anyone who actually cares. I usually contemplate writing down my cooking escapades in the morning, a time at which I have a chance of actually being productive and useful. So I decide against this particular waste of time and go waste my time on something else.
However, I could not rest until the world was informed about the delicious Buffalo chicken cheesesteak I made last night. Daughter and I love to go to Hoagie Haven in Princeton whenever fate makes it possible, and we always split a Buffalo chicken cheesesteak. I've tried before to make it at home, even going so far as to make my own blue cheese dressing, but I didn't have complete success until last night. Mine is not a duplicate of Hoagie Haven's, but it may be -- dare I say it? -- better.
Hoagie Haven makes its sandwich on a whole loaf of Italian bread from Italian People's Bakery. I didn't have time to go there, so used a supermarket loaf, which I halved lengthwise as it was too wide. Next time I'll try to get the real thing.
HH cooks the chicken on a griddle and chops it in situ, a la the traditional cheesesteak method. I can't do that, so I seasoned and floured a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts and sauteed them in a bit of oil. They were very thick, so I covered the pan toward the end of the cooking time, something I don't usually do. Although this ruined crispiness, it increased juiciness, and I may try it more often. Then I sliced the cooked chicken and piled it on the bread. I topped it with Buffalo chicken sauce (3 Tbsp. melted butter, 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp. hot sauce -- Crystal brand in this case -- makes a little more than is needed). Next came shredded iceberg lettuce and thinly sliced yellow onion that had been soaked in cold water, along with sliced tomato on my half. The whole beautiful mess was then topped with Marie's light blue cheese dressing. Junk food deluxe!!
However, I could not rest until the world was informed about the delicious Buffalo chicken cheesesteak I made last night. Daughter and I love to go to Hoagie Haven in Princeton whenever fate makes it possible, and we always split a Buffalo chicken cheesesteak. I've tried before to make it at home, even going so far as to make my own blue cheese dressing, but I didn't have complete success until last night. Mine is not a duplicate of Hoagie Haven's, but it may be -- dare I say it? -- better.
Hoagie Haven makes its sandwich on a whole loaf of Italian bread from Italian People's Bakery. I didn't have time to go there, so used a supermarket loaf, which I halved lengthwise as it was too wide. Next time I'll try to get the real thing.
HH cooks the chicken on a griddle and chops it in situ, a la the traditional cheesesteak method. I can't do that, so I seasoned and floured a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts and sauteed them in a bit of oil. They were very thick, so I covered the pan toward the end of the cooking time, something I don't usually do. Although this ruined crispiness, it increased juiciness, and I may try it more often. Then I sliced the cooked chicken and piled it on the bread. I topped it with Buffalo chicken sauce (3 Tbsp. melted butter, 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp. hot sauce -- Crystal brand in this case -- makes a little more than is needed). Next came shredded iceberg lettuce and thinly sliced yellow onion that had been soaked in cold water, along with sliced tomato on my half. The whole beautiful mess was then topped with Marie's light blue cheese dressing. Junk food deluxe!!
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