Zürcher Geschnetzeltes / Chicken Zurich Style

"Zürcher Geschnetzeltes" or "sliced meat Zurich style" is a popular Swiss dish from Zurich region. Its main ingredients are schnitzel, mushrooms and cream. While it is possible to use any type of meat to make this dish, the real "Zürcher Geschnetzeltes" is made with cut veal. It was originally prepared using meat only, a popular variation today is adding about a fourth of sliced veal kidney to the meat. It usually comes with Rösti, similar to hash browns, but it could also be served with rice, or pasta.

Recipe adapted from Geschnetzeltes Zürcher Art

• 2 Shallots, small
  
• 400 g Chicken fillet, cut into strips
  
• 1/4 tsp White pepper powder
  
• 1/2 tsp Sweet paprika powder
  
• 3 tbsp Oil
  
• 50 ml White wine
  
• 200 ml Cream
  
• 50 ml Chicken stock
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
  
• 1/2 tsp Finely grated lemon zest
  

1. Finly dice the shallots. Cut the chicken filet into strips. Season the chicken strips with pepper and paparka powder.
   
2. Heat two tablespoons oil in a skillet until hot. Add in marinated sliced chicken and stir over a mediuim-high heat till lightly browned and cooked through, then remove from the pan and set aside.
   
3. Add the remaining oil in the skillet. Stir the finely chopped shallots till softened and lightly browned. Pour in the white wine and bring it to a boil over a high heat before adding cream and chicken stock. Cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes then return the chicken strips and any accumulated juices to the pan.
   
4. Heat through, tossing often, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped parsley and lemon zest. Serve with harsh browns.

Almond Hearts

To welcome the Chinese Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, or the year of Rabbit, which falls on Thursday, February 03, 2011, and to make me feel like I am in the holiday spirit, I have baked some cookies. So here I wish you, my dear friends, Gung Hei Fat Choy! 岁岁平安! 年年有余！兔年行大运！

• 250 g Butter, at room temperature
  
• 100 g Confectioners sugar, sifted
  
• 2 Egg yolk
  
• 300 g Pastry flour
  
• 150 g Whole almonds, roasted and ground
  
• 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
  
• 50 g Blanched almonds
  

1. Cut the softened butter into smaller pieces and place them in a mixing bowl. Sift in icing sugar. Beat on the low speed to blend the butter into the sugar. Increase the speed and mix for about 1 minute until creamy and smooth. Beat in one egg yolk until blended.
   
2. Whisk together the pastry flour, ground almond and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture into the creamed butter. Mix until it comes together. Wrap the dough with a plastic film and chill for 1 hour.
   
3. Prepare two baking trays with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5mm. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter about 5 cm in diameter, cut out about 50 cookies.
   
4. Place them on the prepared baking trays. Beat the remaining egg yolk and brush the top of cookies. Top each cookie with one blanched almond. Bake for about 12 minutes. Remove and cool on racks.