One thing I eat a lot in my home is chicken.  I adore chicken in any way shape or form.  I absolutely love chicken casseroles of any sort, or chicken salad, chicken sandwiches (hot or cold), etc.

I don't always have time to roast a chicken so that I have leftover cooked meat available for these things however and I live really far away from Costco so bringing home a Rotisserie chicken is also not that easy for me these days either. 

The local grocery store does do them, but they cost $14.99 a pop, which is a far cry from the cost of one from Costco to be honest.  A Rotisserie chicken in my house is now a very rare treat.

Also speaking from a singer person who lives on her own's point of view, I don't always have the time or inclination or budget to roast a chicken just so I can have cooked chicken to use for these things. I can however very easily afford to poach chicken to use for these things.

I can poach as much or as little as I want as well, which makes it a much more affordable option for myself. You can also poach chicken thighs if you enjoy their flavor more than the breast meat.  

Poaching is one way of cooking chicken that always results in moist and delicious chicken meat, ready to enjoy just as is or for use in other dishes.  It's also very easy and simple to do.

Today I used chicken breasts.  You can use anywhere between 1 and 4 chicken breasts.  Place them into a saucepan large enough to hold them.  You can overlap them if you need to, just so long as its only by a small amount.

Cover them with cold chicken stock to a depth of at least one inch above the chicken.  Add a few sprigs of fresh herbs (Today I used thyme.)  You can also add a few whole peppercorns if you wish and or a few slices of fresh lemon. You can also add salt, depending on how salty your chicken broth is.

Bring the chicken stock to the boil over medium high heat. There will be some foam that will rise to the surface, which is perfectly normal. If you are planning on using the stock for soup, you can skim this foam off and discard it, otherwise just leave it as it causes no harm.

Reduce the burner temperature to medium low, cover and simmer for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces. Thinner cutlets will only take about 8 minutes, larger pieces as much as 15. 

IN SALADS  

SANDWICHES

CASSEROLES/MAINS 

If I had to choose my favorite food, as difficult as it might be to do (because well, I just love everything!) I would probably choose a good steak above all else.   But, you know, with the cost of steak today, it is a rare treat.

My favorite of all has to be a nice fillet steak and that is the priciest of all. But boy oh boy. It is worth every penny.

I was recently offered the chance to take a cooking course via BBC Maestro.  I have always considered BBC to be the epitome of excellence when it comes to everything, and especially cooking.  When I lived in the UK, I loved their cooking shows, and attending the BBC Good Food Show every year was always the highlight of the year for me!  

I have always wanted to take a cooking course. I had no idea that I could do such a thing online and via the BBC no less.  I jumped at the chance.  They offer all kinds of courses by the way. 

BBC Maestro is an online platform where you can learn directly from experts such as Gary Barlow, David Walliams, Julia Donaldson, Mark Ronson, Helena Bonham Carter, Marco Pierre White and many others. As you can see here, each of them teaches a course in their area of expertise. There is something for every interest you might have.

I was spoilt for choice and I had a very difficult time making up my mind. I would love to take all of the cooking courses, and some of the others as well, but I had to narrow down my choices and pick one.

I decided to take this one, Delicious Food Cooked Simply by Marco Pierre White.  I love the idea of simple food being cooked deliciously and to actually be tutored by a Top Michelin Chef, well, this opportunity was like a dream come true for me.

Imagine being taught in the comfort of your own home by a master such as Marco Pierre White! And what I really liked about it was that I could do it at my own pace.  With 35 lessons in the course, I could stop the videos at any point, and then carry on as and when I had the time.

Notes were provided for download, containing all of the recipes so I could go and pick up any ingredients needed ahead of time, make sure I had any equipment needed in place as well.  I have listened through the course all the way through now, and have the luxury of going back through all of the lessons and cooking each recipe as and when I have the time, etc.  The course is mine to keep indefinitely.

I found him very easy to listen to and to watch, and I really enjoyed learning how he got started cooking. I also enjoyed all of the hints and tips he shares along the way, the ins and outs of why he does what he does, and how he does it.  How to cook everything from scrambled eggs, shrimp cocktail, a simple Bolognese, lentils, etc. perfectly and how to use the basic elements of the course to create other classic dishes.  

For instance, he teaches you how to cook a simple tomato sauce.  This simple sauce is then used to create a delicious Ragu Bolognese, which is then used to create a fabulous Macaroni Cheese with Ragu Bolognese.  

That is the essence of simple cooking, being able to build upon skills already learned to create more varied and a bit more complicated dishes, but it is done line upon line and precept upon precept. I really liked that.

As Marco says, "Live in a world of refinement, not invention."  I love that.  There is nothing new under the sun, only better ways of doing things. 

He also says, "Perfection is lots of little things done well."  This should be the mantra of everything we do in our lives.

To highlight what I learned on this course I wanted to highlight one specific recipe to share with you. Steak au Poivre.  Steak au Poivre is a true classic. A dish which has truly withstood the test of time, and which will always be popular and delicious.

And with the holiday season coming up, what better recipe to share.  But it is much more than just a recipe.  From Marco Pierre White himself:

"Pepper is too often thought of as simply seasoning. It is not, it is a spice and should be used like one. It is a unique spice that suits most delicious, but it can also be much more than that, as I demonstrate with this dish. Every ingredient should be considered when cooking, every moment of cookery questioned, and this dish should make you think deeper about black pepper and the way you use it."

I will never think about pepper in quite the same way again. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STEAK AU POIVRE 

Simple ingredients done well, put together in the most delicious way possible.

• clarified butter
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• cracked black pepper
• 1 large glass of Brandy
• 300ml (about 1 1/4 cups) cream (I used heavy)
• brown stock
• Dijon mustard
• fine salt
• 4 fillet steaks
• cornflour (cornstarch) 

HINTS AND TIPS FROM MARCO PIERRE WHITE

The amount of pepper you add to your sauce is at your discretion. If you like the heat and spike of the ingredient, then indulge yourself. If you don't, then hold back a little and prepare a more subtle dish.

Recipes are only ever a guideline. They should never dictate your work; your palate is what should dictate your cooking.

A perfect sauce must have texture but must also be light. There is nothing worse than a sauce dominating the rest of the plate.

To help the crust adhere to the steak start in a dry pan. Any added oil or butter will wash off the crust. Set the crust in a dry pan, and only the add fat.

If you are wanting to cook some steak but don't have a budget that quite lends itself to a fillet steak might I suggest the following recipes:

GARLIC STEAK BITES & POTATOES - Perfectly tender and juicy bits of flavorful steak cooked in a skillet along with crispy golden potatoes.  Delicious! 

GRILLED STEAK SANDWICH - This pub style steak sandwich is an open-faced sandwich that even a lady can feel comfortable eating.  Light enough to please a delicate palate, but hearty enough to please a man, especially if you add some chips (fries) on the side!

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Steak au Poivre

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner (as per Marco Pierre White)

A true classic from Pierre Marco White.

IngredientsUSMetric

• clarified butter
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• cracked black pepper
• 1 large glass of Brandy
• 300ml (about 1 1/4 cups) cream (I used heavy)
• brown stock
• Dijon mustard
• fine salt
• 4 fillet steaks
• cornflour (cornstarch)

Instructions

1. Heat a few spoons of clarified butter in a heavy base pan set over a medium to high flame. When hot add the chopped onions and garlic and soften, stirring frequently.
2. Add a good pinch of cracked black pepper and stir to mix in with the frying onions.
3. Pour in the brandy and let it reduce. Do not let the bandy ignite. If it does, bow it out immediately. Reduce the brandy until it is sticky and amost entirely evaporated. Pour in the cream, let it come slowly to a simmer, then cook until reduced to a thick coating consistency.
4. When the sauce has reached a coating consistency, add enough brown stock to create a cafe-au-lait color. Spoon in a little mustard, then season with fine salt and add a generous pinch of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Cover and leave to infuse.
6. Mix together a generous amount of coarse ground black pepper with some corn flour. Season the top of the steak with salt, then push the steaks into the corn flour and pepper mix. Cover only one side with the pepper crust.
7. Lay the steaks, crusted side down, into a dry pan, season with salt. (By dry pan he means a pan without any fat added. And placed over medium high flame.) When the steaks have had a few minutes on their crust, spoon in a little clarified butter. Very gently turn the steaks onto their non-crusted side. (He does not recommend using tongs. Use your fingers.) Continue to fry until you reach medium rare. Leave the steaks in the pan to stay warm and rest.
8. Remove the covering from the pepper sauce, then sieve directly on to the steaks. Put the combined ingredients over a hot flame until the sauce just simmers. Give the pan a little nudge to encourage the sauce to mix with the resting juices.
9. Serve immediately from the pan with fresh chips and a green salad.

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