Chicken breasts with tomato sauce

Thanks to @gracielasd, who designed this recipe and cooked an online meal for all of us while learning English at EOI Luarca.

 

Ingredients:

Olive oil.

 Four chicken breast fillets

Tinned tomatoes.

An onion.

Some cheese.

Some flour.

2 eggs.

1/4L Whipped cream.

A lettuce.

Walnuts.

Add the finely chopped onions to the hot olive oil in a pan.

Mix the tomatoes.

Sprinkle with the salt and oregano and stir the mixture occasionally.

The sauce has to be in low temperature during 20 minutes; then you can add the whipped cream and  keep warm for five more minutes.

While the sauce is ready, arrange in a shallow dish and add one chicken fillet, a slice of cheese and the other chicken fillet. Sprinkle with  salt.

Coat the fillets with flour and beaten eggs.

Then, sear for about three minutes or until the fillets begin to cook through Uncover skillet and flip the fillets.

At the end, add the chicken fillets to the sauce and cook for five more minutes.

The chicken is accompanied by a salad.

Trim off the bottom of the lettuce and put in a salad bowl with some nuts. Add a little salt, lemon juice and olive oil.

The Book of Illusions

Paloma, a B2 ESL learner at EOI Luarca, recommends this book by the famous American writer.

The narrator of this story is David Zimmer, a literature professor who has recently lost his wife and two sons in a tragic plane crash. He escapes from the world and spends his days drinking and watching television. He divorced society, quit his job and broke all contact with the people in his life.

One day he laughed while he was watching a Hector Mann's movie on television. That moment made him realize that there was still something inside him that wanted to live and he realized he needed something to occupy his mind with. So he decides to write a book about Hestor Mann and his movies. However Davis is unable to explain Hector Mann's disappearance in 1929.

Aparently there was no reason to disappear, Hector Mann has a promising career, he was handsome and popular with women. After publishing the book a friend from the past called and asked him to do a traslation of a French writer, Chateaubriand. David Zimmer also received a letter from Frida Spelling claiming to be Hector Mann's wife. She said she had read the book and wanted to know if he would like to come to New Mexico and meet Hector.

David initially believed the letter to be a fraud, someone playing a joke on him. But he received more letters and he started thinking maybe Hector Mann was still alive. Soon a woman called Alma arrived at his house to take him to New Mexico to see Hector by force if necessary. Alma told David Hestor Mann's story and why he had disappeared, how he had caused the death of a woman he loved, he had run away and assumed a new identity. After several jobs he started working in his lover's family. That set him on the road once more.

At the same time we are following two different stories: the story of Alma and David and the story of Hector and Frida Spelling. Both Hector Mann and David Zimmer are caught up in tragic and destructive events and both are seeking to find peace, to find a way to live with themselves and the world.

It is a thought provoking and emotionally stimulating novel. Auster makes the story easy to read and the story holds your interest. 

On one hand I find the detailed descriptions of Hector Mann's films tiresome, on the other hand it is an enjoyable story. On the whole I found reading The Book of Illusions entertaining and stimulating.

Structures

Here you are a Wix Presentation to explain Structures to 2 ESO students that @MfMonse, a C1 ESL learner at EOI Luarca, has designed in order to explain these contents to her own learners, in English.

Kant: an illustrated biography

Listen to this biography of Kant, narrated by @juanatt, an ESL learner and Philosophy teacher.

The Big Lebowski

Aurelio, a B2 ESL learner at EOI Luarca, is telling you all you'd like to know about this well-known film.

Hake with mariniere sauce

Yolanda, a B2 ESL learner at EOI Luarca, is cooking for us today.

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

- Fresh hake

-6 prawns

-250 g clams

-2 medium onions

-1/2  pepper

-1 small tomato

-1 l water

-olive oil

-salt

-1 dessertspoon flour

-1 dessertspoon paprika

-parsley

First of all you have to cut the hake in medium slices keeping back the head.

Now, we are going to prepare the broth so, pour the water in a saucepan and heat it until  it is boiling, then add the head, the prawns and the clams and boil them 10 minutes more or less and of course season with salt. Finally, keep back the prawns and the clams.

Meanwhile season the hake slices on both sides.

Let´s prepare the sauce!

Heat enough olive oil just to cover the bottom of a saucepan.  When it´s ready add the chopped onions together with the pepper and the tomato cut in small cubes and fry them until tender, then add the flour and the paprika and stir them. Pour a little broth and let them boil 10 minutes and finally blend them.

This should be done just at the moment of eating. 

Heat the sauce in a clay pan, then add the hake and cook on low heat for five minutes on one side, then  turn over the slices and decorate with the clams, the prawns and the parsley and cook another five minutes more.

Ready to eat!!!

Drivers should be charged for using motorways and roads linking major towns and cities

Read more about this reporter.

People use motorways and roads to travel to another city for commuting, for paperwork, to go to the doctor or just for fun.

Vehicle owners have increased dramatically over recent decades, and consequently traffic congestion has become a problem for many cities. In order to solve this issue the government believes that drivers should be charged for using motorways and roads linking major towns and cities. Although some people argue that this fee has negative effects on drivers, in my view it would be effective to reduce traffic congestion.

Safety and maintenance of motorways and roads are the main reasons that the government uphold. Nevertheless, there are those who say that it is the government's job and they are not prepared to pay extra money.

Pollution is another negative effect of traffic. For instance, many people argue that the government should be aware of this problem and not look away. This may have been true in the past, but nowadays paying to use motorways and roads would reduce the number of vehicles and possibly encourage other means of transport and so, contribute to reduce pollution.

To sum up, I believe that this charge would be beneficial to diminish traffic congestion and drivers would feel happier if they were paying for an effective traffic and pollution policy.

Photo from www.ft.com

A crime in the neighbourhood

Rosa, a B2 ESL learner at EOI Luarca, has just read this novel by Suzanne Berne and she would like to recommend it to all of us.

Listen to her podcast and find out why she has enjoyed the book so much!

Euthanasia

Listen to Juanjo Alonso, @juanatt, who gives his viewpoints on euthanasia and talks about how this issue was dealt with in the film called The Sea Inside.

Picture from Wikipedia

How to combat stress

Listen to Montserrat Menéndez, @MfMonse, who gives us some tips to try and combat stress.

Gaming's Impacts

 A report by Vicky García, a C1 ESL learner at EOI Luarca.

  It is difficult to believe that a child could have a new toy lorry in his hands and not know how to play with it because he had never seen one before. But that is something we will find if we think that our kids, the up and coming generation, might grow up playing without real toys. Most of our children have what they need to survive, but less and less they are not used to the beautiful multi-coloured toys. So, when they get a ball, a doll or a truck, they don’t know how to react.

Of course, our world is changing and it is important to realize that what grows, what is evolving exponentially thanks to the ICT, is the diversity and size of what we can consider new games: video games, net games or even interactive games. The modern world and the technology are giving new directions, and our kids simply adapt their form of gaming or learning.

Furthermore, it is true to say that young people spend more time in front of the computer, but it would not seem that the Internet fosters antisocial behavior. Quite the opposite is true, in fact. Studies would seem to indicate that disproportionate addictions to games or the abusive use of social networks are usually used to replace the satisfactions and relationship possibilities that real life should provide.

Finally, as an environment particularly conducive to the development of creativity, the video games can help resolve certain shortcomings in modern education curricula.

In conclusion, having fun on the interactive games is essential for young people: the important thing is to understand how our world provides new opportunities for learning, work and success.

Times Square

Ana, a C1 ESL learner at EOI Luarca, tells us about her adventure in Times Square.

Listen to her mini story in the crossroads of the world.

Picture from Broadway.com

Spain dos and don´ts

By Rosa Mª Menéndez, a B2 ESL student at EOI Luarca

Whether looking for sun, a beautiful landscape or a convivial atmosphere, travelling to Spain is, for sure, one of the best decisions you can take. Nevertheless, if you bear in mind some important information about Spanish customs, laws and feelings your stay in Spain can be really lovely.

Do...
Learn some Spanish words. Even if you only learn to say "buenos días" and "un café". Spanish people would appreciate your gesture. Take that into account, unnatural nationalists excepted, Spanish people are very proud of their language.

Before travelling to Spain, think carefully what kind of holidays you want, especially regarding weather. If you travel to the South, then do not complain about the stifling heat.

Try the traditional dishes of the places you visit, Spanish cuisine is one of the best of the world, and you cannot leave Valencia without trying The Paella or calçots when you go to Catalonia.

Visit small villages. When you get tired of the impressive Spanish monuments, then go for a walk to a small village and have dinner there. You will find pleasant landscapes and friendly people in the street, restaurants and shops.

Don´t...
Load your suitcase with outerwear. Whether you are travelling to the Mediterranean coast, the center of the country or the islands, you will always put on very light clothes as it is guaranteed to be hot (I mean, in summer).This statement is not true for the northern regions.

Complain about smoking. Although smoking has been forbidden in bars and restaurants since 2011, many owners break the law and let you do it, especially at night. And it is not the done thing for you to complain about it.

Criticise bullfighting. Spanish people can't stand foreigners accusing us of mistreating animals, if you do it, we will ask you to look at your country´s customs.

As regards beautiful places to visit and the best restaurants, there are numerous guides you can buy in every kiosk or you can get information at the tourist ofices in every council. Bon Voyage!

Destination: The World

Several B2 ESL learners from EOI Luarca share their various experiences in different cities around the world.

Scotland, by David F.

Costa Rica, by Julia.

Cancun, by Paloma.

Carnival, by Diana.

Sardinia, by Aurelio.

Mikonos, by Rosa.



Istambul, by Isaac.



Italy, by Soraya.