What's that Panini? : Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Chicken cutlet

Lemon Pepper Sauce

Mayo

Salt

Spicy Mustard

1/4 Apple

2 Slices of Pepperjack Cheese

Panini Bread

How'd He Do It?

           

Marinate the Chicken Cutlets in Lemon-Pepper Sauce. 

Grill.

Cut Chicken into Strips. Dice up the apple.

Combine the Chicken and Apples.

            

Add small dash of Salt. Add a dash of Pepper.

           

Add Mayo and Spicy Mustard. Combine together to mix.

            

Add the Provolone Cheese to the Bread.

Add the Chicken Salad Mix on top of the Cheese.

            

Take a Drink. (He owns many Flasks)

Grill Panini till Cheese is melted.

(He likes to wait till the Bread is Crunchy)

Enjoy the Panini!

Steak Surprise!

I was totally unprepared when he grilled steaks for the apartment the other night. A great steak that literally melted in my mouth. It  was total perfection, but my only complaint was being medium-rare. (He likes medium-rare) He actually told me how he did this.

Three 12 oz Sirloin Steaks

Jack Daniels Bbq  Sauce

(Probably a shot of Jack too)

Marinate for almost a full day.

Add the remained of sauce to steaks while grilling.

He mentioned that Hardwood Briquettes flavor the meat

Very rare to hear him ramble about his specialty, but he is spot on with the method. I will make sure to photograph how he pulls it all together on the grill.

What's that Panini? : The English PB&J

Although my roommate is always cooking, his passion seems to lie with creating paninis. Ever since he went to a Panera, he has found every excuse imaginable to eat these toasted sandwiches. In spirit of this love, "What's That Panini?" will explore this concept by noting every Panini made by the great chef. Since he won't tell me how he does it, a photo of the panini will be displayed on my twitter @Sh_tMyMateEats. From there I will need help deciphering the ingredients from the photos. I will then post the results on the blog for the long collection of other "What's That Panini?" recipes. Good luck, my Mates.

Luckily, this was a simple Panini to identify. 

Ingredients:

Bagel (He prefers Cinnamon Raison Swirl: Thomas)

Peanut Butter (He likes Peanut Butter with Flax Seed)

Strawberry Preserve

Granola Bar (He likes Smores)

How's that Panini Made?

Split the bagel open.

He chose a Pinot Noir from a local

 winery as his drink of choice

Spray down the Panini maker.

A toaster will work equally well.

While waiting, pour another glass.

After nicely toasted, remove bagels.

Spread preservative on one side.

Do the same for the peanut butter.

Combine both sides together.

What's this?

Did he forget an ingredient?

Must have been that third glass of wine.

Heat up the granola bar in the microwave.

Dice up the granola bar and spread 

between the PB&J and Preservative.

FINALLY, combine and enjoy!

I've Got Connections!

I give you great news that I'm officially a Twitter Follower! I can't always post his meals on a daily basis, but I can tell you what he's doing! Follow me on Twitter and I will give you:

Up-to-Date INFO on what he's cooking!

Ingredients for his meals! Short and simple!

Suggestions for other Tasty Meals!

This is an instant connection to a great Chef!

Tweet with me your recipes at:

@Sh_tMyMateEats

Feast

Ingredients:

12 oz Aidell's Sausage: Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Cheese

6 oz Annie's Shells & Aged Cheddar: Macaroni & Cheese

Olive oil

Half Stick of Butter

1/4 Cup of Whole Milk

How's He Do It?

Get all materials together.

Gently slice tiny cuts into the sausage. 

This will allow it to cook better.

Add six cups of water to a medium sauce pan.

(I'm pretty sure he read the instructions on the box.)

Bring it to a boil.

Pour the macaroni mix into a bowl.

Cut up a half a stick of butter. (He likes butter.)

Add this to the bowl.

Let sit so as to melt into the mix.

Pour olive oil  into skillet.

Set to Medium-High

Add sausage to skillet .

Make sure to move it around on its side.

This will allow for a thorough cooking.

Add pasta. Bring to boil.

(I'm no fan of condensation.)

After six minutes, grab Sausage.

Slice the sausage into bite-able chunks.

Drain the Pasta in colander.

Add to bowl.

Add the Sausage and Mix.

Looks delicious.

Add the the mix of melted Butter and Cheese.

Mix.

Add 1/4 cup of Milk He chose Whole Milk.

Mix it well.

He spent at least five minutes to mix this.

Serve.

My Verdict:

After warming it up, I found that this simple dish added so much complexity. In all truthfulness, I was disappointed at first to see how simple this dish was to make. I felt cheated that he wasn't creating another multi awe-inspiring dish. But was I wrong! I revel how simple this dish was, yet it's flavor was so complex that it makes me think that there is overall genius to this creation. "Feast" does not seem appropriate (He wrote it on the tupperware), but I see why it fits. This is a combination of sharp and aged. The chewiness of this dish makes you linger on the taste. First, the sharpness of the Aged Cheddar fills the mouth, but it is the aftertaste, the result of the gruyere cheese and its aged smokey taste that causes me desiring for more. This dish speaks of a metaphor of "not judging a book by its cover." Boy, did I learn.

The New Orleans

Ingredients:

-One Medium Onion (Diced)

-2 Cups of Rice

-Refried Beans

- About 1 1/2 lb. Thin Chicken Breasts (Diced)

-Bag of Tortilla Chips (He chose Tostitos)

-Old Bay Seasoning

-Chili Pepper powder

-Salt

-Hot Sauce (He likes Frank's)

-Beer (Brooklyn Brewery Lager was used)

-2 Turns of Olive oil

-Pepperjack Cheese (Shredded) (2 Cups)

-Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded (2 Cups) 

-Provolone Cheese (Shredded) (2 Cups)

How'd He Do It?

Dice up Onion. Move to the side.

Pre-heat Oven to 400

Take out the chicken and lightly season with Old Bay. 

Make sure to get both sides.

Pour two cups of Rice into a pot. Add four cups of water.

He used a rice cooker. Bring to boil and put on low. 

Simmer for 15. 
Place the can of refried beans into a pot and  set it to low.

Time to open the Beer. Today he chose Brooklyn Brewery Lager.

Dice up the chicken into eatable bites. Wash Hands!

Add more Old Bay (Probably 2 tablespoons) 

Mix into the chicken.

Grease cookie sheet. Create a layer of tortillas chips.

Spread Pepperjack over the chips. Add about half the onions.

Drink Break.

Add Olive Oil to a skillet. 

Add onions and set stove to Medium High.

Add Chicken to the skillet. 

Cook for 6 minutes or till semi white. 

Add a little Beer from the one in your hand into the skillet.

Looking delicous!

 Add the cooked rice to the batch and cover.

Add more Old Bay Seasoning, Frank's Hot Sauce, and Salt.

Cook for another six minutes or till Chicken is white.

Add the Refried Beans to the top of the first layer.

Next add the chicken and rice.

Add Mozzarella. Layer with chips.

Add Pepperjack. Layer with Chips.

Finally add the Provolone cheese. 

Take a much needed break.

Place pan into Oven.

Don't forget to add Frank's Hot Sauce to the top layer.

Too much Frank's could be an issue.

When the cheese melts, remove from Oven. Let cool.

Safety First! 

Enjoy!

Maybe  you should have let it cooled off first.

Hot stuff, huh?

 My Verdict:

After warming it up, I found that the first bite was sorta bland, but was I wrong. The addition of the pepperjack offered an aftertaste of low heat. The kind of heat that makes just enough kick to want you coming back! Occasionally the addition of Frank's was too much, but when it was on par, it was fabulous. The three cheese perspective for a nacho dish is a pleasant sight to a relatively simple entree. Aside from some soggy chips, the added crunch of the chips complemented the softness of the chicken and rice. Great dynamic, and once again, great dish!