Category: Chicken

Coconut-Curry Noodle Soup

The trip to SE Asia is getting more concrete! We’ve finally nailed down a time frame (about 20 days), and we’ve nailed down the countries [Thailand, Cambodia, Laos(?), Vietnam], but haven’t quite figured out the exact route yet. It’s too easy to cram way too much into a trip so that you’re spending more time traveling than actually soaking in the cities and towns.

Has anyone been? Anyone have any suggestions? It’s our first time going to that part of the world. All my travel has been within Europe and North America.

I bring you more things in bowls because I wouldn’t be me otherwise. It makes even more sense that it’s curry. Again. I like curry a lot, obviously. I actually set out with the intention to make it into a soup. I really don’t know what justifies a curry soup vs a normal curry that I just happen to eat like a soup without rice. I’m going to guess it’s the inclusion of chicken stock. I don’t usually go that route because I want it to be as thick as possible. Since I’m too cheap to buy coconut cream, I’ve been adding a cornstarch slurry to the coconut milk in an effort to thicken. It’s worked out alright.

The simplicity of vegetables in curry really seems to make the most sense. Keep it to two or three with your protein. Otherwise it seems like too much is going on, and no dominant flavor takes over. I definitely am guilty of this on more than one occasion — vegetables everywhere! — but I do like it best when I’ve limited what I’ve got.

Spinach and snow peas are fresh and crisp. It’s a good texture for the broth-y coconut milk. Ground chicken took the place of shredded due to laziness, and I always use twice the spice. You can adjust as necessary.

Inspiration: Food & Wine

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 pound (8oz) snow peas, halved
  • 1/2 box (7oz) dried rice noodles
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste [use less if you like less spice]
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 pound (8oz) ground chicken
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 scallions [green onion], thinly sliced
  • lime, for serving

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the spinach and snow peas, allowing them to sit in the water for only 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to a strainer. Keep the water boiling and cook the rice noodles according to their package’s instructions. Add them to the strained spinach and peas. Toss together in a medium sized bowl.

In a pan, brown the ground chicken and set aside. Drain if there seems to be a lot of fat, but there shouldn’t be.

In a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon of coconut oil on medium heat. Add the shallot, stirring to coat in the oil. They’ll lightly brown in about two minutes. Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil, the garlic, curry paste, coriander, and turmeric. Allow it to cook and smell awesome for about 30-seconds. Add the stock, and bring it to a boil. Add the coconut milk after three minutes along with the fish sauce and sugar. Let it come back to a boil for about five minutes.

Stir in the chicken, cilantro, and scallions tasting the stock for salt. Pour the mixture over the bowl full of noodles and vegetables. Stir to break up the noodles. Serve in large bowls with lime wedges. Squeeze it over the top before eating slurping.

Soba Noodles with Ground Chicken and Greens

Who decided that brussels sprouts are cool now? I feel like it’s starting to surpsass kale. Remember when everyone hated brussels [except me and my dad]? They were hated, generally steamed/boiled, and never, ever talked about. Now, they’re on absolutely every single trendy restaurant’s menu in at least one dish if not roasted on their own [with bacon]. Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing one of my favorite veggies hoisted into the spotlight, but I can’t help but feel like the awesome that is brussels is cheapened by the fact that it’s now the cool thing to eat.

In more important news, I’ve been eating a lot of things in bowls lately [and bagels, but that's a whole other subject entirely]. They’re super comforting, rather forgiving, and you can put just about anything you want in them. Actually just putting anything in a bowl makes it feel more meal-like. My dad and I polished off 4 1/2 pounds of mussels this weekend. Meal. I threw chocolate chips and pomegranate seeds in a bowl of hot cereal. Meal. Putting popcorn in a bowl. Meal. Licking leftover batter out of a bowl. Meal.

Okay, so having a carb, a protein, and a vegetable helps make it a little more balanced and complex. An Asian dressing doesn’t hurt.

Inspiration: Sprouted Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch tuscan kale
  • 5 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1o brussels sprouts
  • 1/2lb ground chicken, cooked and drained of fat
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon tamari [or soy sauce]
  • 2-4 pinches red pepper flakes
  • 8oz soba noodles
  • 4 green onions, slivered

Preparation

Tear the leaves of the kale off the stems and clean and dry the leaves thoroughly. Bunch them up and slice with a knife into thin ribbons. Put the kale in a bowl and pour one teaspoon of toasted sesame oil over the top and sprinkle with salt. Massage the leaves so that ever piece is covered in oil. Slice the brussels into small shreds, and toss both greens together.

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, rice vinegar, remaining sesame oil, and tamari. Pour the dressing over the greens and toss well to combine. Store in the fridge while you finish the noodles.

Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions, drain them well, and toss them with the greens. Add the chicken. Top with sliced onion and red pepper flakes to taste.

Chicken & Green Bean Curry

Another weekend in the books, and an entirely empty bag of pita chips on the coffee table. I bought thai bbq chicken kebabs and a container of roasted jalapeño hummus as an excuse to buy the pita chips on Saturday. That was my intention the entire time. When I want some carbs, I want some carbs.

I spent way too much time in the store today. I haven’t spent that much on food in a single trip in a long, long time. It felt…odd. I practically live there, you know? I’d say I’m there a minimum of three times a week. Most of the check out people know me by now. I finally picked up a few things that I’d been on the fence about getting for the pantry: chia seeds, maple syrup, and sesame oil. These are totally wants, not needs for me, but the want had gone on long enough. I use the reminders app on my phone and laptop so I can constantly update my lists, and these three items lasted a good month or two. At this point, I clearly want them. Most things never make it past a week.

I know I’ve mentioned how much we eat curry. It’s too easy. It’s a perfect meal in our house. Andrew gets spice and protein. I get a pile of vegetables. Everyone wins. He scoped out a new chicken curry recipe from a Men’s Health magazine. I’m always trying new curry recipes because I can never get it as thick as any of the local Thai spots do. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong; it’s like their coconut milk is thicker. Someday I’ll master it. Until then, I’m content to keep eating the progress.

I changed up the original recipe slightly, swapping full fat coconut for the light and regular russet potatoes for the sweet. I added two jalapeños for more heat, too. Otherwise, things are made the same. It’s reinvigorated my love of fresh ginger, and I love the addition of fish sauce. I’ve been looking for an excuse to use some.

Inspiration: Men’s Health

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 large russet potato cut into 3/4″ cubes
  • 1/2lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
  • 1 large chicken breast, sliced
  • 2 chicken thighs, sliced
  • juice of one lime
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • cilantro for garnish
  • brown rice for serving

Preparation

In a large saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, and ginger, sautéing until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and curry paste, stirring to break up the paste for a minute. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk.

Bring to a simmer before adding the potato. Give it a good 10 minutes to cook so it can soften all the way through. Add the green beans and chicken to the mixture. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through. Add the lime juice and fish sauce. Serve over brown rice. Top with cilantro.

Arroz Con Pollo

Thank you so much for your kind words in the last post. It means a lot to me and the whole family. Seriously.

We hit up the Portland Showcase of Wine and Cheese, an annual fundraiser for The Boys and Girls Club on Friday. All you can eat and drink cheese and wine for a good cause? Yes, please. They also have two huge prime rib stations, and a few more snack stations with a surprising number of veggie options, but extra carb options. Otherwise, you’re Drunktown USA by the second table. There are hundreds of wine and cheese vendors. It’s overwhelming and awesome. It’s definitely one of the coolest events of the year. It’s our third or fourth year going; I can’t remember which. I will continue to go as long as I’m in town.

I left the land of the sweet for a bit [at least cooking at home...I did have a chocolate hazelnut milkshake from Burgerville the other day]. I still eat three normal meals a day that don’t involve brownies, I promise. I still get crazy cravings for the comforting of comfort food. Chicken and rice are so totally those things in all forms. There is actually a Belizean food cart a block away from my office that does some really good comforting stewed chicken and coconut rice, a pile of arugula, and some spicy habanero salsas like grapefruit pulp. This arroz con pollo kind of reminds me of that, only less spicy.

This made the house smell ridiculously good while it cooked. You kind of have to babysit it to keep it refreshed with broth, kind of like a risotto. I did not do as good of a job as I should have. I ended up with a few burned bits of rice. Nothing serious. Nothing to stop me from devouring. My Dutch oven only held four large thighs. There was no way I was getting another two legs in there per the original recipe. The meat was falling off the bone, though, which is the way meat should be. I don’t want to work too hard when I’m chowing down on comfort, y’know? Sometimes my inner carnivore is lazy.

Inspiration: A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 4 large bone-in chicken thighs with skin on
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 roma tomatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 14oz valencia or jasmine rice
  • 4 cups chicken stock

Preparation

Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high heat with the two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken, skin side down. Brown for 5 minute before flipping. Cook for another 3-4 minutes and remove the chicken to another plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, coating them in the chicken grease. Let the onion sauté for a good 7 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic on top of the onion, don’t mix, and let it get good and fragrant for another minute or two. Add the tomatoes and red pepper. Stirring well, scraping up all of the lovely browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the spices and a pinch of salt. Stir.

Pour the rice in, really mixing it into the pot. Once it’s all covered in the tomato mixture, nestle the chicken into the top of the rice, and pour 2 of the cups of broth in or until it reaches the top of the rice. Bring everything to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer and covering. Add a half cup of broth when it appears low. I checked it every 15 minutes or so. When the rice if fully cooked, you’ll be done [about 45 minutes].

So, so good.

Cabbage Roll Stew

I had more breakfast for dinner tonight — an egg sandwich with aged white cheddar, sauerkraut, and stoneground mustard. When it rains breakfast, it pours around here. I’ve started using this new method for eggs where I’ll actually use a saucepan, heat oil in it on a low setting, and let it warm up a little before cracking the eggs inside [one or two depending on the mood]. Then I cover it and let it sit for several minutes. You’ll eventually hear it stop sizzling, so that’s when I usually take the lid off and give it a good shake to make sure the bottom isn’t sticking. It moves any uncooked white, too, so it can cook up. It takes maybe five minutes or however long it takes my toaster to toast. There is no awkward flipping involved, I don’t break the yolk, and I can cook the yolk as long as I want. I bounce between wanting a runny yolk and a set one. I’m equal opportunity. I seriously don’t think there is an egg I didn’t like.

In an effort to not eat breakfast 24/7, I’ve been making soups, stews, and salads either on Sunday or early in the week, and using them during the week for a few lunches. Since I hit up the gym on my lunch break [or at 4:30pm when work gets too busy and I can't get away], I don’t have a whole lot of time to go get something. Plus most of the food in immediate surroundings of my office, in a word, sucks. A girl can only eat so much Thai.

This stew is super hearty, but totally different than most stews because of the abundance of delicious cabbage. I love me some cabbage. The barley was an afterthought because I didn’t want to use rice. I’ve been eating lots of Thai remember? Adding sauerkraut was just awesome. You could just as easily take it out if it isn’t your thing, but adds a depth that the broth wouldn’t normally have. I’d add a splash of vinegar if you do take it out. As with most soups and stews, this got better with age.

Inspiration: Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 1lb spicy Italian sausage [mine was chicken]
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1/2 cup barley
  • 1 small head of red cabbage [or half of a large], thinly sliced
  • 14oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups broth
  • 1 cup sauerkraut

Preparation

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, and add the sausage. Crumble it as your brown it. Add in the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Stir to coat in the sausage grease. Once the onion starts to get translucent, add in the barley. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, broth, and sauerkraut. Stir it all together, cooking for another 20-30 minutes. Taste the broth as it cooks to taste the evolving flavor. I added a pinch of salt, pepper, and a hint of cayenne. I wanted the spice. The stew is done when the barley is cooked and tender.

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Bread

Andrew already hyped this up on Facebook. Ahhhhh the pressure!

You see, I don’t know if I’m having a metabolism spike or something, but I am absolutely ravenous lately. A week or two ago, there was an unofficial “let’s eat a foot long meatball sub from Eastside Deli” challenge at the office. I wasn’t even going to partake. No, I was brought some overnight oats and my gym bag. That was my lunch plan. Then my boss sent a photo of said sandwich with an, “ARE YOU READY?” to all of us about an hour before go-time. I knew I was in. I love a meatballs [see here and here and here and here for proof], and I absolutely cannot turn down a challenge. I’m the only one who finished my sandwich. I am equal parts excited and disgusted by this.

If you’re following Instagram, then you know that I’ve already eaten another meatball sandwich since. No one is really surprised are they? There was also the half of a large cheese stuffed crust chicken supreme pizza I ate last week. A little roast beef and cheddar and jamocha shake action from Arby’s. The overwhelming portions of pork curry with soba noodles. A breakfast burrito, a coffee and coconut cheesecake donut, and an eggplant parmesan sandwich. It’s seriously out of control.

It only makes sense that I also added a lot little bit of cheese covered buffalo chicken on a french bread loaf. That’s right 12oz of cheese, 1lb of chicken, and an entire [baby] loaf of french bread broiled in the oven. It was the richest thing I’ve eaten in a long, long time. It was so intense that I barely ate more than 1/4 of it. It was so, so, so good, though. Of course you need to love buffalo sauce [although next time I'm picking up a sauce from Fire on the Mountain] and gorgonzola cheese because that’s absolutely going to be the two dominant flavors partying in your mouth. This would really make for a great party snack or, y’know, a rich, ridiculous meal. There are green onions on it, so that’s totally a vegetable. I’d throw chopped celery on it, too, next time.

Inspiration: How Sweet It Is

  • 1 loaf of french bread, sliced in half
  • 8oz fontina cheese, grated
  • 4oz crumbled gorgonzola
  • ranch dressing
  • 1lb chicken breasts, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup buffalo sauce + more for drizzling
  • 1/2 tablespoon butter
  • 3 green onions, sliced white and green parts
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

Turn on the broiler in the oven. Place the bread cut-side up on a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Toast them 2-3 minutes before rotating for another 2-3 minutes. It should be nice and toasty, so keep an eye on it if your oven is intense.

In a large skilled, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Once it is shimmery, add the chunks of chicken. Cover with a nice layer of salt and pepper. Allow them to cook on each side for a couple minutes until browned. Add the buffalo sauce and butter, stirring to coat. The sauce will thicken and cling to the chicken. Refrain from licking your spoon; it’s hot.

Brush the tops of the bread with ranch dressing with as much as you deem necessary. Sprinkle half of each cheese. Top with the chicken and drizzle all of the sauce on top. Top with the remainder of the cheese. Stick the breads back into the broiler for a few minutes. The cheese will be super gooey and start to brown.

Remove from the oven, allow it to cool for a few minutes, and then top with the green onion and cilantro. Drizzle more buffalo sauce on top.

Cut into slices and enjoy. Feel your arteries clogging, and eyes rolling back into your head.

Wannabe Chipotle Chicken Bowl

At some point this had to happen. Chicken was purchased. Brown rice was made. Kale was wilted. Cheese was shredded. Guacamole was purchased [because I'm lazy and avocados are expensive]. There was going to be black beans, but it was forgotten about, and really not that missed. I more than made up for it in terms of chicken. 

It’s a super easy meal for the crazy chaos that is the holidays. Sure, you could just go to Chipotle and get one made for you, but this is way more satisfying. I’m sure of it.

Andrew’s parents are in town, and there are only two [TWO!!] more sleeps until Christmas. Enjoy your friends, family, and loved ones!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 bunch of kale
  • shredded cheese [I used a mild white cheddar]
  • guacamole, lots of of it
  • salsa of choice

Preparation

I wilted the chopped kale in a little bit of coconut in a hot skillet while I shredded up the cheese and ate massive spoonfuls of guacamole. You can layer it up how you see fit, but I went with rice, kale, chicken, guacamole, salsa, cheese.

 

Spicy White Bean Chicken Chili (Crock Pot)

Last night might have been one of the most incredible meals I’ve eaten in awhile. Good food often graces my taste buds and stomach, but how long I talk and/or think about it says a lot.

We ended up at Irving St. Kitchen with a couple of good friends, a place I’ve secretly wanted to go since it opened, but equally wanted to avoid. Clearly the avoiding won out. I’m not immune to the hype that tends to surround new restaurants in Portland. I just have a pretty strong will. I let everyone else go and figure things out. I like to read the reviews from other people before throwing my money at a potentially disappointing meal. I don’t mind being one of the last ones to the party if it’s ends up blowing my mind like Irving St. did.

I attempted to take crappy cell phone photos ala Instagram, but the lighting just wasn’t cooperating. You’ll just have to take my word on it. I started with a tart and spicy cocktail made with gin, apple cider, and some hot pepper jelly. There was a whole lot going on in my mouth with every sip. Let it be known that this menu is ridiculously hard for someone like me to choose from. I would gladly eat everything on the menu. It makes choosing a nightmare.  For the first course, I went with the pan seared squid, grape tomatoes, herb salad, harissa vinaigrette, and fried hazelnuts. It came out in a little cast iron pan, which only upped how much I loved it. The squid ended up tender, not overcooked at all. That’s what scares me about squid. It’s so easy to turn into a rubber tire. Not here, though. I sopped up a lot of that tomato sauce with Ken’s Artisan Bread. I honestly could have stopped there. It was a hearty first course. Go big or go home, though. I chose the truffle stuffed guinea hen breast for the main course. The menu online isn’t entirely accurate anymore [hooray for locally sourced ingredients], since the hen came with some sautéed broccoli rabe and [I think] roasted carrots drenched in a delicious guinea hen au jus. The amount of food was borderline ridiculous. The guinea hen might be some of the richest meat I’ve had to date. There was almost too much on there. I gladly ate it all, of course. For dessert, we shared the beignets with espresso-Sambuca fontainebleu, chocolate ganache, and chicory streusel and each a shot of Sambuca. It was the perfect end to the evening. Had I had anymore room, I really wanted to try their butterscotch pudding. Next time. Next time.

Since I don’t have any plans of recreating any truffle stuffed guinea hen any time soon, I’ll leave you with this super easy crockpot white bean chicken chili. It’s rich in its own right. It’s a super thick chili, perfect for sticking to your ribs on a cold day. It’d be great for a crowd or as an overnight crockpot meal that I took to work for a few days of lunches. Andrew polished off the rest. It’s a short ingredient list today, so make sure you focus on quality.

Inspiration: Pink Parsley

Ingredients

  • 4 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1-2 jalapeños, sliced or diced depending if someone will be picking them out
  • 8oz pepperjack cheese, cubed
  • 2 big boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preparation

Add the white beans, tomatoes with the juice, jalapenos, and pepper jack cheese to the crock pot. Stir well to incorporate. Make two wells in the mixture and nestle the chicken breasts in for a comfy eight hours on low heat.

Shred the chicken after eight hours, stirring into the mixture. Serve warm.

Roasted Roots with Chicken Sausage

I started a long post about how my eyesight came to be when really all I wanted to say is that I’m bummed I have to get new glasses. Well, I have a new prescription. Trust me, I’ll spare you the whining. It’s not how I really wanted to spend my day. I also didn’t want to spend my day with dilated eyes, but we can’t always get what we want now can we?

To compensate, I killed it at the gym this afternoon. I’ve been doing box jumps throughout my workouts lately, but only today did I start jumping to a new box height. I haven’t exactly measured it, but it’s probably nearing three feet. I knew I was ready to go up, probably have been for a few workouts, but there was a definite fear hanging over me. I mean, what if I missed the jump and fell? I’ve seen the photos of people bashing their shins on it [and I'm wearing shorts 99.999997% of the time]. I haven’t missed a jump yet. I’ve come close, but not quite. It was absolutely exhilarating to nail it. I proceeded to do 8 rounds of 12 of them at the new height. 10 if you count the two rounds where I just stepped onto the box to psych myself up. No going back now!

Now that fall is here all I want is roasted veggies. Okay, so maybe not all the time, but definitely a lot of the time.  I get pretty impatient about it, though. To really do it right, it takes a good 45 minutes in the oven at minimum. I don’t always have that kind of time, but the pay off is worth it when I do. I decided to change it up and do a sweet potato and a turnip instead of just a ton of sweet potato. Next time, I’d love to get a little parsnip action. I don’t show parsnips and turnips enough love. I’m usually just sweet [hah!] for the sweet potato. Whenever I have the oven on for more than 30 minutes, I have a tendency to throw a whole head of garlic in there. Eating a whole head of roasted garlic is divine. It’s best done alone, I’m sure. That’s usually when I do it, so I don’t have anything to compare it to.

 

After about 20 minutes into the roasting process, I added a chopped up chicken, spinach, and feta sausage. It cooked during the last 25 minutes or so. Stirring is essential to a good roasting of vegetables so they cook evenly. Uniform shapes are also important. I had a really high vegetable to sausage ratio, but these kinds of things are adjustable to your situation, which I love. I heaped the pile high, then scattered a bunch of feta cubes and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Yum.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
  • 1 medium turnip, cubed
  • 1 large raw sausage of choice, cut into even pieces
  • 1 head of garlic
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • feta cheese, crumbles or buy a brick of it and cut it into cubes

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or aluminum foil. Put the sweet potato and turnip in a large bowl, cover with a heavy drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Start light on the olive oil and add more as you see necessary to cover each piece evenly. Spread the vegetables out evenly on the baking sheet.

Cut the top off of the head of garlic so most of the cloves are exposed. Drizzle it with olive oil, and wrap in a sheet of tinfoil.

Place the baking sheet and the garlic into the oven. Stir the vegetables after 20 minutes and add the sausage to the pan. After 30 minutes has elapsed, remove the garlic and unwrap it so it can cool. Don’t make the mistake of leaving it closed because it was still super hot when I finally pulled out the vegetables.

After 25-30 minutes more, check the vegetables. They should be a nice golden color and easily pierced by a fork.

Place the roots and sausage on your serving platter. Remove the cloves of garlic from their wrapping and scatter on top of your root heap. Do the same with the feta. Enjoy.

I’ve found I like this a little better cooler than fresh from the oven. The flavors seem to smack my mouth around a bit more, and I like it. By all means, do what y’ou’d like.

Chicken Cheesesteak

Even if I go to the grocery store with a list, I end up wandering the aisles.

And I usually go to the store with a list.

I’ve found that I’m generally in the minority when I say that I love grocery shopping. It’s one of my most favorite things to do. Not kidding in the slightest. The number lover in me loves comparing prices. I almost always do, but I don’t always choose the cheapest price per ounce, but it can definitely sway my decision.  The foodie in me just loves to see what’s out there. Sure, I want coconut milk, but what are all these new kinds? What’s that new yogurt that I’ll never buy? Oh, coffee samples why I shop? What new marinated kebabs are there? How many different types of plucots could there possibly be? I know I needed spinach, but there is a whole wall dedicated to greens. In case you were wondering, I ended up with the baby kale and spinach package.

Then there are the times where I’ll just go kill time over there. I can spend an hour in the grocery store, just checking things out, not buy anything, and go home happy. Man, I’m weird.

I picked up the ingredients for these cheesesteaks in record time. I hardly backtracked, and the only thing I didn’t buy on the list was some raw honey [that I'm eating on/in everything!]. Call me crazy, but I couldn’t find a whole wheat hoagie roll to save my life, so I went with a normal one. The bakery had run out of the bulk self-serve ones, so I picked up the four-pack. I really only wanted to make three, but I guess four would have to do. I took Jessica at How Sweet It Is’s recipe, and sorta cut it down to 2/3 the amount. Well, except for the cheese sauce. I made a whole thing of cheese sauce. Don’t judge.

Inspiration: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

  • 1.5lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1 small sweet onion, sliced
  • 8oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon flour
  • 2/3 cup half and half
  • 4 hoagie rolls

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400° and get out a large, oven proof skillet. Add a healthy tablespoon or two of olive oil, coating the pan, and heat to medium-high. Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs, cover them in salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, and a drop of water sizzles, arrange the thighs on the pan so they all fit in one layer. Cook for two minutes on each side before placing the pan in the oven to finish cooking for 15 minutes.

In another pan, lightly saute the green pepper and onion on medium-low in 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of olive oil [this depends on the size of your onion, really]. You just want to get them soft before removing them from the heat.

Melt the unsalted butter in a small pot, and whisk in the flour. Keep stirring, letting the flour soak up the butter and turn a dark caramel-y brown and become fragrant, about two minutes. Pour in the half and half, stirring to break up the flour and dissolve it. Add half of the shredded cheese, stirring until melted and creamy.

Shred the chicken or cut it into small pieces, depending on how you like your chicken. Make a layer of chicken on the bottom of your hoagie rolls. Top with a healthy pool of cheese sauce. Add the onions and peppers on top of the sauce. Finish with the shredded cheese. These should be positively overflowing. If you have extra filling, as I did, I’m sure you’ll be bummed to eat it while you heat up the sandwiches.

Wrap each sandwich in a square of aluminum foil tightly. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, allowing everything to get gooey. Unwrap and eat!