Chicken Cordon Bleu

There are probably over a thousand ways to cook chicken. One of the most popular ways is definitely this beautiful cheese filled chicken schnitzel, known as Cordon Bleu. There are many versions of this dish, and the recipe with swiss cheese is one of the oldest.

In the interior of Brazil there is a state called Minas Gerais, also well known by its cheeses. The typical "Minas cheese" can be found in different ways, from white to cured, or even fresh. Local story tellers believe the recipe has been lost in the past, as no one ever registered this treasure. In that way, each cheese maker has developed his own recipe, creating many unique kinds. One of our favourites is the half-cured one, and that was the one selected to prepare our Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Ingredients:

Chicken

2 skinless chicken breasts

2 garlic cloves

2 thick slices of Minas cheese

2 slices of prosciutto 

1 cup of flower

2 eggs

3 tablespoons of milk

1 baguette with sesam seeds

A small bunch of coriander

Coriander powder

Black pepper

Salt

Vegetable oil

Make a cut on each chicken breast, not separating the two halves. Marinate each piece with the garlic cloves, a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of salt, for at least 30 minutes, in the refrigerator. 

Take two plates, and mix the flower with a pinch of pepper in one of them, and combine the eggs and the milk in the other one. Process the baguette until you obtain fresh bread crumbs, and transfer to a third deep plate, and add the coriander powder and leaves.

Place each piece between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound gently to flatten (use a rolling pin or the wax paper roll). Place a slice of prosciutto and a slice of cheese in one side of the open chicken breast, and cover with the other side. Secure the ends using toothpicks, as if you were sewing (2 will do). Pass this chicken sandwich in the flower, shaking to remove the excess. Afterwards, dip it in the eggs mixture and finally in the crumbs mixture. Press the crumbs against the chicken, with the fingers, to get a homogeneous coverage. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oil in a frying pan, and the oven at 150 ºC. Start by frying the chicken breasts, until they get a golden colour and are cooked through, and then transfer to the oven to keep them warm while cooking the remaining pieces. Remove the toothpicks before serving and serve warm, so the cheese is melted when you first cut through the chicken sandwich.

Sauce

1 natural yogurt

5 coriander leaves

1 garlic clove

20g of fresh cheese

Salt

Combine the yogurt, the garlic clove, the fresh cheese and the salt and blend everything together. Add the coriander leaves finely chopped. Transfer into a skillet and heat up gently, without bringing it to a boil, just so the cheese melts down.

Potatoes and Vegetables
2 potatoes
1 carrot
100g of cabbage
Salt
Olive oil

Bring the potatoes to a boil, in salted water, and turn off the heat. Remove the water and rest for 5 minutes. Cut the potatoes in quarters, transfer to an oven tray and sprinkle olive oil on top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden.

Chop the carrot and the cabbage in a thin julienne. Sauté in a pre-heated skillet with olive oil for about 1 minute (the vegetables should still be crunchy afterwards).

Plate the chicken with the vegetables salad and the baked potatoes with the sauce on top.

Add a lemon slice if you like and enjoy!

Notes:

Replace the Minas cheese by parmesan, provolone or any other cheese of your taste.

The sesam seeds of the bread add an extra crunchiness to the dish, but don't use them if you don't like.

Apple tart with Apple Ginger Ice Cream

Spending winter in a tropical country brings you mixed feelings. People keep telling us that it is cold and winter, there are soup festivals everywhere and hot chocolate is a big sell. However, we still wear shorts all day and we can't wear more than a thin long sleeved shirt in the evening. This is what this recipe is all about, a mixture of hot and cold, bringing a tropical winter into your mouth.

 

Ice cream

Ingredients:

500 ml of thick cream

3 egg whites

4 apples

150 g of sugar

1 lime juice

A pinch of ginger powder

Beat the cream in an electric mixer, with 25g of sugar, until it's thick and creamy.

Beat the egg whites with another 25g of sugar until they are firm.

Gently, add the egg whites to the cream mixing slowly. 

Pour everything into a bowl and transfer to the freezer for about 6h, stirring well at least every 1h. 

In the meantime, peel off and cut the apples in small pieces. Place them in a pan with the remaining sugar, the ginger and a splash of water, cover with the lid and cook at low heat for about 20 minutes or until the mixture is soft and creamy. Refrigerate.

When the cream mixture has been in the freezer for at least 6h, stir in the apples sauce, and continue freezing for at least 4h more, stirring from now and them, to obtain a creamy ice cream. Alternatively, use an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Apple tart

Ingredients:

8 apples

300g of marie biscuits

180g of butter

40 ml of Port wine

2 eggs

3 egg yolks

400 g of condensed milk

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Put the butter in a small sauce pan and heat it. When the butter is melted, stir in the Port wine and turn off the heat. Process the biscuits until you obtain a powder, and add them stirring until it's reached an homogeneous mixture. Cover a tart form with slightly greased parchment paper and place the biscuits mixture on it. Spread evenly pressing with a spoon. Refrigerate or freeze until it's hard.

Peel off 5 apples and process them until creamy. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 300g of condensed milk.   Add the eggs and the egg yolks one by one, stirring in between each addition. Add cinnamon and mix everything. Transfer the cream to the tart form with the biscuits dough. Decorate with apple pieces and spread the remaining condensed milk on top.

Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, at 180 ºC.

Serve warm with a scoop of ice cram, and caramel pieces.

Tomato Soup

The tomato is a fruit in many different ways. Raw in a salad, or mashed in sauces, and even in drinks and jams, tomato is a versatile ingredient. The recipe of today features a soup, in which the tomato is the big star.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1,5 Kg of mature tomatoes
2 medium onions
3 garlic cloves
200ml of chicken broth
1 bunch of basil
1 spring of thyme
A pinch of salt
A pinch of black pepper
Olive oil

Prepare the chicken broth by simmering chicken pieces, at low heat, for about 2h.
Chop all the ingredients in small pieces. Heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the onions are fragrant. Add the garlic, the tomato, the basil, the thyme and the chicken broth still warm. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cook the mixture for about 15 minutes at low heat, stirring once or twice. Transfer half of the mixture into a food processor and process until you get a homogenous cream. Add the cream back on the pan and stir. Serve hot with toasted bread.

Notes:
In the end you can also add 100ml of cream.
If you prefer a more creamy soup, process the whole mixture.

Classic Lasagne

The UEFA Euro cup has started and the Swedish and the Chef is a fan, because international competitions are always an inspiration for its mixture of cultures. This time, the inspiration was Italy, where the food is known world-wide. Italy is so rich in gastronomy that it was hard to choose where to start. The decision was made, and it was a good one (there were no bad options anyway...), the classic Bolognese Lasagne.

Enjoy your food(tball)!!!

Ingredients (serves 4):

Tomato sauce:
6 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons of paprika
A small bunch of basil
A pinch of sugar
A pinch of salt
A pinch black pepper
Olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and add the garlic. Stir for 1 minute and add the tomatoes chopped in pieces. Add the chopped basil, the paprika, the sugar, the salt and the black pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Afterwards, process everything until you reach a creamy texture.

White sauce:
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
3 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of salt

In a sauce pan, heat the butter at medium-low heat, until it's melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Let it cook for about 5 minutes. Heat the milk separately, and slowly add it to the sauce pan, whisking continuously until you reach a smooth creamy texture. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt.

Lasagne:
800g of minced beef
150g of pasta for lasagne
2 carrots
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
200g of mozzarella
A pinch of salt
Olive oil  

In a large non-sticky frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the minced meat. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the red sauce and the grated carrots. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the peppers, cook for another 2 minutes, and remove from the heat. Correct the seasoning if needed.

In a large oven recipient, lay a thin layer of the meat mixture. Add a layer of white sauce. Add a layer of the pasta. Repeat until you reach the top of the recipient, making sure the last layer is the meat mixture. On top, add the grated mozzarella, and afterwards, add all the white sauce that is left.

Transfer to a pre-heated oven, and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top layer gets a golden color. Remove from the oven and wait 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Add other ingredients to the meat mixture (corn, peas, etc.).

Fruit Skewers with Chocolate

What? Your friends made you a surprise visit and you have nothing to serve them but a bunch of fruits and a cooking bar of chocolate? It's alright... Simple food can look great and taste even better. Surprise them with these fruit skewers.

Ingredients:
100g of dark chocolate
100g of cream
Mango
Papaya
Banana
Strawberries

Chop the fruits in big pieces and make the skewers. Transfer to a serving plate.

In a pan, heat the chocolate with the cream, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture  is homogeneous. Pour the chocolate over the skewers and serve immediately. 

Notes:

This works for all the fruits.

Use milk or white chocolate if you prefer.

Pumpkin cream

When the temperatures drop, the salads can be replaced by a comforting plate of hot soup. Simple or composed, soups are well known to provide many of the nutrients required on a main meal. The recipe presented here is of a creamy soup made of different vegetables. Light on the stomach is perfect for a winter evening, after a long day.
Enjoy your rest!

Ingredients:
500g of pumpkin
4 carrots
1 onion
1 leek (only the white part)
1 bunch of coriander
A pinch of salt

Chop the pumpkin, carrots, onion, and leek. Transfer the pumpkin and the carrots to a pan with about 2L of water. Bring to a boil and add the onion and the leek. Simmer until the carrots and pumpkin are cooked through. Add the coriander, season with salt and turn off the heat. Process everything until you get a creamy texture (use a hand blender or a food processor). Serve hot.

Peanut Hot Chocolate

Winter is slowly arriving in the southern hemisphere, and hot drinks are back to our lives. 

Hot chocolate is popular all over the world, and there are plenty of recipes to choose from. 

Here, the Swedish and the Chef presents his own version of this sweet winter friend.

Ingredients:
80g of natural cocoa
300ml of milk
100 ml of cream
50ml of condensed milk
100g of grounded peanuts
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence

Melt the chocolate together with the milk, add the condensed milk, the vanilla, half of the cream and the peanuts. Let it boil gently for 2 minutes. Add the remaining cream to bring it to drinking temperature and spread some more peanuts on top.

Notes:
Decorate with whipped cream.
If you prefer your hot chocolate more creamy and thick, reduce the amount of milk.

Aji's Grilled Chicken

It is quite obvious that the Chef loves cooking as much as the Swede loves photography. Despite that feeling, inspiration is also a key ingredient to make it work, for even the most talented artists have their bad uninspired days. Today, the chef of this blog experienced the exact opposite. From the moment the Swedish Chef woke up until right now the ideas didn't stop flowing and several notes have been made. Then, it was not a surprise that at dinner time a simple grilled chicken dish became a fusion of ideas and flavours. The inspiration for this dish came from a recent trip to Peru, and from how much we miss the old continent.  

Ingredients (serve 2):

2 chicken breasts

5 baroa potatoes

5 garlic cloves

1 dried yellow aji pepper

1 small onion

2 mature tomatoes

1 teaspoon of black pepper

A pinch of sugar

A pinch of salt

Oregano

Olive oil

Grilled chicken:

Open the chicken breasts to get thiner pieces (cut them in half if they are too big). Chop the garlic cloves and the aji pepper and spread homogeneously on the chicken breasts. Let it rest for at least 2h. Afterwards, remove the garlic and the aji pepper and set aside. Grill the chicken.

Aji sauce:

Pre-heat a pan with a spoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and the aji pepper used to season the chicken. Add the onion chopped in brunoise. Let it cook for about 3 minutes and add the tomatoes chopped in small pieces. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Cook at low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture has become thick (about 10 minutes). Add oreganos to taste, stir and serve hot.

Baroa potato mash:

Done here.

Notes:

The different kinds of aji peppers are mainly found in South America. This ingredient can be replaced by chili peppers. The flavour will be different but equally tasty. 

The yellow aji pepper is considered to be medium-hot. You can increase or decrease the spice level by using different kinds of aji's.

Green cream & homemade crutons

Here in the south hemisphere, the winter is beginning and the 35ºC were left behind. When we get home in the end of the day it feels good to eat something warm. Here, the soup season is officially open! 

Ingredients:
5 slices of bread
Oregano
Olive oil

1 squash
1 zucchini
1 big potato
1 leek
1 bunch of watercress
1 bunch of coriander
Olive oil
Salt

Crutons:
Chop the bread in small cubes. Sprinkle with olive oil and oregano. Bake in a pre-heated oven until it toastes (about 10 minutes).

Cream:
Start heating water in a big pan. Add all the vegetables (except the coriander and the watercress) chopped in small pieces and add salt to taste. When the vegetables are tender, add half of the leaves and a few drops of olive oil. Process the mixture. Add the remaining leaves roughly chopped and simmer for a few minutes. Serve with the homemade crutons.

Creamy Spinach

Green vegetables are often the children (and some adults too!) nightmare. When that's the case I have two suggestions: a) cook these veggies in a more fun way, and b) when you announce dinner make it sound like they will eat the best they ever had (wow... today I made spinach! Isn't that great?). While the second totally depends on your acting abilities, here goes a recipe to help you on the first.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of spinach
1 tablespoon of flower
1 cup of milk
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup of cream cheese
1/2 onion
The juice of 1/2 orange 
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
Olive oil

In a pre-heated skillet, add the spinach and cook until wilted, tossing now and then. Afterwards, remove the spinach, drain, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and chop. Set aside.

Heat up the olive oil in the skillet and add the garlic and the onions, finely chopped, and cook for a few minutes. Introduce the spinach, and cook for a couple of minutes at low heat. Add the flower and stir until the mixture is thick. Add the milk and the cream cheese and let it cook stirring frequently. When the mixture is thick and creamy, turn off the heat, season with salt and pepper, and add the orange juice. Serve hot.

Notes:
Add some parmesan cheese on top, or incorporate it in the mixture with the milk.
You can replace the cream cheese by fresh cream.