Happy Valley Cheesesteak

Well call up Pat and Geno down in Philly and let them know that there is a new cheesesteak in town. Then also let them know it was made by a diehard Pittsburgh Fan (LETS GO PENS!!). This is a pretty classic cheesesteak, but I did have to give it some of my own personal touches. I used some thinly sliced Delmonico Steak, sauteed onions, peppers, jalapeno (for good measure) and I made a Beer and Cheddar sauce. Of course, if I'm going to make a Pennsylvania sandwich, I better use some Pennsylvania Beer to make the sauce...probably my favorite cooking beer, Yuengling. I was really pleased with how this turned out...of course if I wanted to make it out of this world, I would have to give it the Pittsburgh touch by adding french fries and coleslaw...but I figured I'd just keep it simple. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup beer, preferably a lager
• 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 rounded tablespoon of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• Few drops of Worcestershire sauce
• Few drops of hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 Vidalia Onion, halved & sliced
• 1 Red Pepper, halved & sliced
• 1 Green Pepper, halved & sliced
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded, halved & sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 lbs Delmonico Steak, thinly sliced
• Salt and Pepper
• 4 hoagie rolls

Directions

Heat beer in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. In a separate bowl mix the cheddar cheese with the flour. Then whisk in shredded cheddar & flour mixture, spicy brown mustard, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce into warmed beer. Whisk until cheese is melted and smooth. Keep warm on low.

Melt butter in a large sautee pan over medium heat. Add in onions, peppers and jalapeno and sautee until caramelized, stirring occasionally for about 12-15 min.

For the beef, I asked the butcher at the grocery store to slice the delmonico steak as thin as possible (If they don't sell delmonico's, get a ribeye). Don't be afraid to tell them what you're using it for, that will give them an idea for how thin to make it. While the butcher did a good job, I actually ended up slicing the sliced steak into strips. 

Heat the olive oil in a large sautee pan, or use a griddle if you have one, over medium high heat. Add in the beef and sautee until cooked through about 7 min. Season the beef with salt and pepper.

Slice open the rolls and evenly distribute the beef into them. Add the caramelized onions, peppers and jalapeno and then top with a generous amount of the cheddar beer sauce. Have plenty of napkins on hand!

Since it's that time of year, I figured I'd post my favorite hockey goal of the season so far. GENO!! GENO!! GENO!!

Chicken Salad

I was thinking last night when I got home from work that I don't post enough basic stuff. Food that I make on a regular basis when I get home from work and school. Why not? I mean, I am running a food blog here. Might as well post stuff that is easy, cheap and good...even if it is basic. This is pretty much as basic as it comes and I'm sure most of you know how to make a chicken salad, but this is just how I like to do it.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• Masterpiece Caribbean Jerk Sauce
• 1 bag salad mix, or chop up your own
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup croutons of your choice
•  Dressing of your choice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Again, this is a very basic chicken salad and you can add or subtract anything you want. This is just the stuff I had on hand. I actually ended up buying thinly sliced chicken breasts, but usually I buy just regular ones. Take your chicken breasts, lay them on a piece of parchment paper, fold the parchment paper over top the chicken breasts and pound the chicken thin. Try to get them the same thickness to help them cook evenly. I like thin chicken breasts because they cook quicker, more evenly and sometimes when you have a thick piece, the outside dries out before the inside is done.  

This is probably my favorite store bought chicken marinade, it's so freaking good! I always have a bottle on hand for those quick meals. Place your chicken in a bowl or ziplock bag, add in some of the Caribbean jerk sauce and toss to coat. Place some aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 min (depending on thickness of chicken) or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

While the chicken is baking, wash your salad mix, get it as dry as possible and place in a bowl. Add in your dressing of choice (I like ranch) and toss the salad to coat. Place salad on a plate, sprinkle with cheddar cheese, croutons and whatever your little heart desires. Whenever chicken is done, slice it up and place on top your plated salad. Enjoy!

Kitchen Tools

If you don't already own a kitchen thermometer, do yourself a favor and go pick one up. They are inexpensive and they will deliver pin point accuracy of the doneness of whatever you're cooking. Sure there are other ways to determine doneness, but these will just help you be more accurate. Here is a doneness temperature chart: 

Take particular note to the pork temperatures, please....PLEASE stop overcooking your pork people! There hasn't been an outbreak of trichinosis caused by pork in like 30 some years. It's ok to cook your pork to medium! I usually shoot for 140 degrees F when cooking pork. Get yourself a kitchen thermometer and I promise you, your cooking will benefit from it!

Dutch Oven Rosemary Bread

This past week for my birthday I received a gift card for Kohl's that was supposed to be for clothes....but then I passed a beautiful navy blue, food network dutch oven. Clothes?? Who needs clothes?! I need a dutch oven! Not to mention the color was perfect for my Penn State allegiance. I saw a couple weeks ago a friend of mine make a loaf of bread in their dutch oven and I thought that would be the perfect thing to try out. I have always been a huge fan of the rosemary bread that Wegman's make, so I figured that I would try to make that in my brand spankin' new dutch oven. Enjoy!

Ingredients 

• 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for the dutch oven
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 20 oz. flour (a little over 4 cups)
• 2 tsp table salt
• Kosher salt for sprinkling

Directions

In a small bowl combine the chopped rosemary, melted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix together. Measure out the water in a liquid measuring cup, add in the yeast, mix, and let set for about 5 min until it starts to foam.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  If you have a stand mixer, fit it with the dough hook and let it go for 10 minutes.  If you are mixing by hand, stir with a spoon until everything is fully combined, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic. You may need to add water or flour depending on the consistency of the dough. If it's to dry, add water in 1 Tbsp at a time or if it's to wet, add in flour 1 Tbsp at a time.  It’s ready when you can pass the windowpane test - tear off a small ball of dough and give it a little stretch in a few opposing directions.  If you can make it translucent without tearing it, it’s ready.

Return the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let it rise, at room temperature, until it is doubled in size, about 90 min. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Once dough has risen, shape it back into a ball, score the top of the dough with an X shape and then set aside (when it bakes, the X will give it a nice design).

Generously grease  a 6 quart dutch oven with olive oil. Place the dough in the center of the dutch oven and drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle kosher salt on top. Place the lid on the dutch oven and bake for 30 min. Remove lid and bake for another 15-30 min, or until golden. 

Carefully remove the bread from the pot and let cool for 10 min. 

I decided to make an egg sandwich with it...I was craving one :)