A new world for my 20 minutes cooking skills!

Today is Christmas, isn't it?!

So, lock as just I am, I receive a wonderful book from my girlfriend about cook! Actually, I receive two. The first one with hundreds of 20 minutes receipts, that is really perfect and fit exactly with my cook style - easy and beginner! The second book is about world wide receipts... It's some kind of advanced level in the kitchen, and I am very curious about what's my cook capacity can carry me on... : ) It's something just the practice will show me!

Well... Next week I start my new cooking adventures... : ) Good luck to me and to the ones who'll prove my food!

Chicken saute with creamed leeks

I've just done this reeipt, but it wasn't good. I felt a good potential, but I put much butter and double cream in the creamed leeks and much salt in the chicken.

by Nick Nairn
from Ready Steady Cook
Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
2 chicken thighs, boned and chopped into 2.5cm/1in pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp soy sauce
1 chicken stock cube
30ml/1fl oz water
3 tbsp double cream
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
For the creamed leeks
2 tsp butter
½ leek, white part only, cut into julienne
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp double cream

Method
1. Heat a small frying pan. Add the oil, and then the chicken pieces. Season to taste and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
2. Next add the soy sauce, then crumble in the chicken stock cube and add the water. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the cream, stirring well to combine, and simmer for a further minute.
4. Add the chopped parsley before serving, to garnish.
5. For the creamed leeks, heat a small frying pan and add the butter.
6. As the butter begins to foam, add the julienned whites of the leeks. Sweat for 2-3 minutes.
7. Season to taste, then add the double cream, stirring well.
8. Heat through for a further 1-2 minutes, and serve with the sautéed chicken.

Coq au Vin

This is a very easy receipt, that demands about 30 mins to do. I just would like to register that leaves suggesteds are really important to the final taste! Don't forget or just the dish without them!

by Nick Nairn
from Ready Steady Cook

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, chopped
¼ pepper, chopped (I don't use peper!)
½ mushroom, sliced
1 chicken thigh, skinned, bone removed and cut into slices
½ glass red wine
handful of fresh tarragon, roughly chopped (It's really important!)
handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped (It's really important!)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the mashed potato
½ potato, cut into cubes
1 tbsp butter
handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Method
1. In a saucepan heat the oil and fry the onion, pepper, mushroom and chicken for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the red wine and cook for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
3. Stir through the herbs and season with salt and pepper and serve.
4. To make the mashed potato, fill a large saucepan with water and add the potato and a pinch of salt.
5. Bring the potatoes to the boil and cook for ten minutes.
6. Remove from heat and mash together with the butter and parsley.

What hell is that?!?!

Well, I guess it's a good idea explain what's happening here.

How possibly you know, I'm not neither a cook nor anything similar a cook. My girfriend is wonderful a the kitchen and I've never had stimulus to cook.

But, you know, things changes... and, during one of the world's changes I see myself in troubles! My everday lunch was brought for my girlfriend on the end of the day from Pret a Manger. She was used to close the shop, so she was allowed to take as much food as she could carry to home. But the close's time of the store changed and she couldn't bring much food at home, just enough to our dinner.

What have I had to lunch now?! Am I starve without option? Or would I afford with every day expensive ready meals?!

That was a hard time. I had to take a decision... and I did! I'd decided to learn cook!

And here I am! After some tries, I saw the necessity to save my prefered receipts at some place, with some notes of my experiments... I've had some success and losts, but I'm surviving through this almost hopeless situation! :)

After everthing well explained, let's go to the kitchen! :)