Local fitness enthusiast Jason Murphy remakes favorite meals of his youth into healthy dishes. See the full list of his recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.
I love Philly Cheesesteak. And like with most love affairs, everytime I had one from a restaurant, it ends in lies, heartbreak, and disappointment.
Chewy, gristle-filled meats, breads rife with chemicals, and a flat taste that never justified the nutritional price paid for eating it. When you add in the side of fries and a large soda that comes with the order, we are talking serious damage to the waistline for little enjoyment.
I’ve been seeing commercials for Arby’s Fire Roasted Philly Sandwich lately on TV. Now, I’ve never had their sandwich. I have no idea how it tastes, what it actually looks like in real life compared to the commercial, or how you feel after consuming one.
I can, however, look up the nutrition facts on the interwebs, and that paints the picture I expect, another tale of broken hearts and unrequited love lost yet again. Here’s a tale of the tape look at the numbers for the main event:
Arby’s Philly Sandwich:
- Calories – 630
- Fat – 35g
- Sodium – 1890mg
- Carbohydrates – 45g
Shirtless Chef Philly Wrap:
- Calories – 190
- Fat – 16g
- Sodium – 445mg
- Carbohydrate – 1.5g
As you can see, the Shirtless Chef version scores a knockout over Arby’s – faster than Mike Tyson over Marvis Frazier. With a disparity that large, you can have two of my wraps, which I do.
I also replace the deep fried potatoes with baked jicama fries, which is even more of a nutritional butt whipping. If you are out there howling that you must have your spicy curly fries, my jicama fries are flavored the exact same way, and unlike regular fries, can be refrigerated and reheated right back to their original deliciousness.
Arby’s Curly fries (Large):
- Calories – 630
- Fat – 35g
- Sodium – 1420mg
- Carbohydrate – 74g
- Fiber 8g
Shirtless Chef Jicama Fries:
- Calories – 49
- Fat – 2g
- Sodium – 300mg
- Carbohydrate – 12g
- Fiber – 6.4g
If you just factor calories, that is a huge difference in how your pants are going to fit over time. It’s why even at 48, the Shirtless Chef is still shirtless and not oversized T-Shirt Chef.
Recent studies have also shown something I have found to be true. It’s not only how many calories you eat, but what type of calories you eat. The shady ingredients and man-made additives that make up processed foods slow metabolism, make your liver work overtime, and lead to weight gain.
Making your own Philly style wrap with natural ingredients not only cuts the calories, but the calories you do get are working for you, not against you.
I’ve covered Philly Cheesesteak before, as a stuffed mushroom dish, and I stand by it as one of the top three dinners I make. However, we are trying to replicate fast food here, and that’s a full fledged time consuming kitchen session.
Also, I know some of you out there refuse to eat mushrooms because of that one time back when you ate one as a preschooler and thought it was “yucky” and vowed to never try one again. So, no mushrooms or peppers here. The only veggie I add is sliced red onion that I cook with the grass fed roast beef, and if you can’t eat sauteed red onion… well, there’s nothing I can do for you here.
There is cauliflower here, but in a premade wrap that you would never know was cauliflower unless you were told. I use Outer Aisle sandwich wraps, and they are easily found at Whole Foods or you can order directly from them online. They are easy, just pop them in the toaster and they are versatile and delicious.
For the steak, you can buy a grass-fed top sirloin steak, and cook and slice it yourself. I certainly have, but again, we are going for a fast-food lunch here.
So I use Applegate brand grassfed roast beef as a quick and easy alternative. It’s ingredient list is short and sweet, just grassfed beef, water, salt, and pepper. If your pre-sliced deli meat has anything more than that, ditch it and get the good stuff.
I use my homemade ranch dressing for this meal. It’s thick and creamy and makes store bought bottled ranch question the need for its own existence.
There just is no comparison here. This dressing is also where the bulk of the fat comes from, but the source of that fat is Avocado oil and free-range eggs. That kind of fat does not make you fat, because it’s healthy omega-3 fats that your brain and organs can actually use to perform at optimum level, and not just store in your mid-section as it does with unhealthy and processed fats. I eat this stuff all the time, and yes, sometimes the Shirtless Chef really is just that when whipping up a batch of ranch dressing:
I make the jicama fries ahead of time, and I just heat them up in the pan while sautéing the roast beef and onions. Here’s the link to that recipe in one of my previous articles but it’s also repeated below. The fries go great with the ranch, or some Primal Kitchen all natural ketchup. So the next time your tv tries to tempt you with some empty promise of a fast food love affair, invest some time in yourself and make this instead. The taste is just as good as the nutrition.
Shirtless Chef Philly Style Wraps:
Ingredients:
- 2 oz grass fed roast beef, cut into strips
- 1/4 of a red onion, sliced thin
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, thin grated
- 2 Outer Aisle cauliflower sandwich thins, toasted
- 2 tbsp Shirtless Chef Ranch dressing
Ranch Dressing:
- 1/2 cup Primal Kitchen avocado oil Mayo
- 1/4 cup grass fed plain yogurt, not greek style
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Zest from 1/2 of a lemon
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried Dill
- 1/2 tsp dried chives
- 1/4 tsp onion and garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
Jicama Fries:
- 3-4 Jicama roots, sliced into thick matchsticks
- 1 Tbsp Avocado oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1 tsp onion and garlic powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions:
Make the ranch dressing and jicama fries the day before or in the morning before lunch. To make the ranch, simply combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisk until combined, and store in the fridge. To make the jicama fries, peel and cut into matchsticks:
Toss in a bowl with the oil and spices, then bake on a sheet lined with parchment at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then stir and flip the fries and bake again for another 20 – 23 minutes:
Cool on the stove and store in the fridge. To reheat, bake again for 5 minutes or cook on the stove top in a skillet.
To make the philly wrap, cut the roast beef and red onion into strips.
Heat the oil in a skillet, then add the roast beef, onions, and pre-cooked jicama fries.
Cook until the roast beef is brown and crispy and the red onion is soft. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top to melt:
Toast two of the cauliflower thins and then spread a Tbsp of ranch on each:
Divide the roast beef onto each wrap, and serve up with the jicama fries:
See the list of all the Shirtless Chef recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.