Coq au Vin-ish

One of the things I like about cooking is the creative process that goes into making a great meal by just following your instincts.

It's sort of like a personal Iron Chef. Every day!

Tonight we had a variety of undesignated ingredients. By that I mean we had some vegetables, potatoes, chicken parts, sausage, rice and some red wine.

Perfect for a French country sort-of hearty winter chicken dish. Winter? It's 70 degrees (21 C)! Oh, well, here's the blueprint:

1 package chicken thighs, about 6
1 onion
1 box fresh mushrooms
2 carrots
2 potatoes
2 leeks
1 turnip
1 Knorr chicken stock cube, or whatever you have
1 cup red wine
some Andouille sausage, or whatever you have
seasonings

Saute the chopped onion in a little EVOO and toss in the chicken. When the chicken is browned add the rest of the vegetables, chopped, the wine, some salt and pepper and herbs that you like. A bay leaf would be OK.

Add enough water to just cover the vegetables, bring to a boil and simmer for 90 minutes. Check the liquid level every 30 minutes or so and add water if it gets too low. Thicken with a little cornstarch in water before serving.

Quick, EZ-2-Prepare and tasty. A great combination.

Hat tip to Chef Helen for this great meal.