Mailänderli swiss cookies

Mailänderli is a typical Swiss (Christmas) cookie, very simple to bake. My grandmother used to have a big box full of all kind of self made cookies that she kept in the freezer. Every time there were visits she would serve them with coffee. As a child mailänderli were my favourite cookies and now my children love them. They also love baking them!

Today is a special day because my first niece, Nathalie, is born! I live far away and won't see her till Christmas so I baked a few cookies in her honor! Welcome baby Nathalie!

Ingredients and steps:

- 125 gr butter
- 125 gr sugar
- 250 gr flour
- 3 eggs
- grated zest of one lemon or tangerine
- a pinch of salt

In a bowl, mix 1 egg and 1 egg yolk with the sugar. Add the flour, mix well and add the lemon zest, the butter and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness you want to have the cookies (about 5 mm) and cut into the desired shapes.

Place the cookies on a baking tray and brush them with and egg yolk. Bake on a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for about 10 to 12 minutes. Let them then cool on the baking tray.

Delicious Honey Mustard Baked Chicken



This honey-mustard baked chicken is easy to do and it is absolutely delicious!!! I found this recipie  in the last cooking book I bought, I have already had it twice this week and can't wait to have it again!

 

Ingredients and steps:

- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp frshly ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (other vinegars are also fine)
- 3 tbsp chicken stock
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 cup water
- oil

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees (400 degrees F)

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.

Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and reserve for later use.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add the chicken to the hot pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until browned. Then turn the chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the rosemary and thyme to the pan.

Combine honey, vinegar, stock and mustard and stir the mixture into the chicken.

Return the onions and garlic to the pan and stir well.

Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and cook for about 30 minutes. After 30 mintues check to see if the sauce has become to thick, if it has, stir some water.

Turn the chicken breast and cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is nicely browned. I like to to put it under the oven grill for a few minutes.

Place the chicken on a serving platter and top with the sauce.

Swiss Style Apricot Tart

A sweet treat today! Last week we arrived to the family holiday house in the south of Switzerland, in the region called Ticino for a well deserved holiday. My uncle and aunt were waiting for us to handle over the keys of the house and they had baked a delicious apricot tart for us. It was the same tart that my grandmother  used to bake, she did it sometimes with apricot, sometimes with prunes and even with cherries. We used to eat it as main dish for dinner, not as desert. 

Of course I immediately asked for the recipe and here it is! It is so easy and the result is good,

Ingredients and steps:

- puff pastry or short crust pastry

- about 100 gr ground hazelnuts ( enough to cover the pastry)

- about 800 gr Apricots

- 3eggs

- 250 ml cream

- 2 bags vanilla sugar (about 16 gr)

- optional: sugar to taste

Place the pastry in a baking dish. Cover the whole surface with the ground hazelnuts.

Half the apricots and place them on the pastry.

In a big bowl, mix the eggs, the cream and the vanilla sugar and pour over the apricots.

Place in the a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes.

You can replace the apricots by prunes, cherries, apple or any fruit you like. 

Spice-rubbed salmon

This is a really easy and quick recipe that can be prepared in 15 minutes after a busy work day! It's tasty and very healthy!

 



Ingredients and steps:

- 2 salmon filets
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
- 1/3 tsp ground ginger
- 1 small onion, sliced in rings
- oil

Combine all the ingredients for the rub and spread the rub on the flesh side of the salmon filets.

Place the fish in a pre heated oven at 230 degrees (450 F) and cook for 8 minutes.

In the meanwhile saute the onion and add on top of salmon when ready.

I served it with brown rice and broccoli.

Chicken biryani

Chicken biryani is a very popular dish in India. The rice is cooked separately from the thick sauce, the curry and the rice are then brought together and layered and the final dish is dry or minimal moist.

It is not really a difficult dish but it does take some time to prepare, but it's worth it because it is delicious!

Ingredients ans steps:

Chicken marinade:

- 300 gr chicken
- 3 cups of yogurt
- 4 (medium) garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp hot red chili powder (more if you like it hot)
- 2 tsp sweet red chili powder
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 3 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1/2 onion, sliced and fried
- salt
- 1 tbsp oil

 

Place the chicken in a bowl. Add the salt, garlic and ginger, mix well and let it rest for a few minutes. Add the yogurt, turmeric powder, hot red chili powder, sweet red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder,  mint leaves, onion and oil. Mix well and set aside to marinate for at least a couple of hours. I usually prepare this marinated the night before to allow all the flavors to blend.



 

Fried onions:

 

- 4 onions, sliced

 

Saute the onions at medium-high heat until golden. Set aside.

 

 

The rice:

 

- 4 cups of rice

- about 3 tbsp caraway seeds

- about 3 tbsp cumin seeds

- 1 bay leave

- 5 cloves

- 10 green cardamons

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 1 tbsp oil

- salt

- 7 cups of water

 

 

Fill a pan with about 7 cups of water and add all the ingredients except the rice. Bring to a boil and add the rice, cook for 3/4 of the usual time and strain. Set aside.

 

Chicken:

 

Fry the marinated chicken at high heat for a few minutes till nice brown. Set aside.

 

 

 

Rest of ingredients:

 

- about 10 tbsp mint leaves, chopped

- about 10 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

- Some Ginger, in julienne or crushed

- Some saffron

- Some milk

 

 

Prepare all the ingredients we will need for the layering. Chop the coriander leaves, the mint leaves, dissolve the saffron in some milk, mince the ginger. 

 

The layering:

 

Start with a a layer of chicken. Spread a layer of rice over it. Sprinkle with some ginger, saffron dissolved in milk, coriander leaves, mint leaves, some cardamon powder, some fried onions.

 

 

Start again by adding the remaining chicken, the remaining rice, ginger, saffron dissolved in mild, coriander leaves, mint leaves, cardamon powder and fried onions.

 

 

 

Cover and place in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes.

 

 



 



Shiitake mushroom cakes

Steps and ingredients:

- 100gr shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 4 eggs
- 150gr cream cheese
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dry sherry
- cayenne pepper
- puff pastry, in squares

Slice the shiitake mushrooms and the spring onions.

In a bowl, place the eggs and cream cheese. Mix well. Add the soy sauce, dry sherry and cayenne pepper, mix well.

Place the puff pastry on the baking tray.

Place the shiitake mushrooms and the spring onions into the puff pastry. Add the eggs, cream cheese mixture to it.

Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 25 minutes at 200 degrees.

Pad Thai

Ingredients and steps:

- 250 gr rice noodles

Cook the noodles according to package instructions.

For the sauce:

- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- Juice of 1/2 lemon

In a wok (or large pan), place the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce and lemon juice.Melt all these together over a low heat.

The vegetables:

- 1 pak choi, cut in pieces
- 3 spring onions, sliced


When ready, drain the noodles and add them to the wok. Mix well and add the pak choi and the spring onions. Cook for about 5 minutes.


The toppings:

- 3 eggs
- 3 or 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 shallot, minced
- coriander, chopped


In a pan, saute the shallot and the garlic till soft (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs, once the eggs begin to set up, stir to scramble.


Put the noodles, pak choi and spring onions in a bowl, add the eggs and coriander and enjoy!