Chicken Schnitzel

Chicken Schnitzel

“Chicken Schnitzel is a popular and tasty treat served throughout Europe. Schnitzel is Austrian in origin; it was traditionally made with veal (known as Wiener Schnitzel) or pork. The dish later found its way to Germany and Czech Republic. I had both pork and chicken schnitzels on my vacation to Prague and Germany in 2016 and loved it. Schnitzel is a simple, budget-friendly dish to prepare; kids love it. It is often served with French fries, but I prefer to serve it with a fresh salad to cut down on calories.”

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts

2 large eggs, beaten

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp paprika or red chillie powder

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

salt to taste

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup flour

Oil and butter for frying

You will need: mallet, cling wrap

Directions

Slice chicken breasts with a sharp knife horizontally. This will yield 8 chicken breasts. Lay down a 2-foot long strip of plastic wrap on your kitchen countertop. Place chicken breasts on the plastic, leaving a 2-inch space between each breast. Cover the breasts with another strip of plastic, so the meat is sandwiched between two layers of plastic. Use a mallet to pound the breasts until they are a little less than ¼ inch thick.

Sprinkle salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic and ginger powder over the chicken breasts and rub well. Set up 3 shallow dishes on your counter top. In your first dish place flour, breadcrumbs in the other and beaten eggs in the last one. Heat some oil and butter in a large non-stick skillet on a low flame. Take a chicken breast and dip in flour on both sides then dip in eggs to coat on both sides. Lastly coat it in breadcrumbs on both sides. Shallow fry the chicken breast. When golden brown on one side, flip and fry on the other side well. Serve hot with French fries or salad or pasta.

Rum balls

Rum Balls

Ingredients

Makes 16 rum balls

2 eggs

215 gms (1 cup) caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

 150 gms (1 cup) self-raising flour (if you don’t have self-raising flour, just add 2 tsp baking powder to 1 cup of plain all purpose flour

 50 gms (1/3 cup) plain flour

 50 gms (1/2 cup) Cocoa Powder

 160 ml (2/3 cup) cooking oil

 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk

Oil to grease baking pan

4 tbsp Rum*

For ganache

100 gms dark chocolate

100 gms cooking cream

To decorate

Cocoa powder or icing or sprinkles            

Mini cupcake moulds (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a square 19 cms cake pan and grease with some oil. Using an electric beater. beat the eggs and sugar in a small bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift in the combined flours and cocoa powder. Fold the flour into the egg mixture and combine. Add the oil and milk, and fold until well incorporated

Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Poke holes with a toothpick or skewer and pour 2 tbsp rum over the top. Cover and keep it overnight for rum to seep into the cake.

Next day, crumble the cake with your hands. Add 2 tbsp rum, mix and form into balls by pressing hard and shaping them.

Break chocolate bits into a bowl. Prepare the ganache by heating cream to boiling point. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate bits and mix to form a smooth paste. Dip each ball into the ganache and set on a baking sheet to dry.

To decorate: Dust some rum balls with cocoa powder. Drizzle icing on some of the balls, Sprinkle chocolate or colored sprinkles on some rum balls and place them on mini baking cupcake paper moulds. Chill in the fridge for half an hour.

*If you do not wish to use alcohol, simply mix 4 tbsp strawberry jam when you crumble the cake to form balls.

Spicy Cucumber Salad (Oi-Muchin)

Spicy Cucumber Salad

Oi-Muchin is a Korean spicy seasoned cucumber salad. It is also served as a side dish with BBQ, rice or noodles.

Ingredients

1 English cucumber (or 2 to 3 kirby cucumbers), washed

¼ cup white onion, thinly sliced

1 green onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon soft brown sugar

Directions

Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half and diagonally into thin slices. Put the cucumber into a large bowl. Add the chopped onions and green onions. In a small bowl, prepare the dressing with, garlic, soy sauce, paprika, sesame oil, sesame seeds and sugar. Mix it well with a spoon until the sugar is well dissolved. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving and mix well. Sprinkle a little sesame seeds on top for garnishing. 

Toasted Chicken and Cheese Open Sandwiches

Toasted Chicken and Cheese Open Sandwiches

Ingredients

5-6 thick slices of bread

40 ml olive oil

1 onion, grated

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

salt to taste

½ tsp black pepper powder

60 ml mayonnaise

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

250 gms grated cheddar cheese

fresh parsley to garnish

For the white sauce:

30 ml butter

30 ml all-purpose flour

250 ml milk

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven grill. Brush bread slices with little olive oil and toast until it’s crisp on both sides. In a pan heat the remaining oil and saute the grated onion for a few minutes. Add the cooked chicken, salt and pepper. Keep aside.

For the white sauce: Heat the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour using a whisk until a paste forms. Gradually stir in the milk, stirring constantly, until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

To complete: Combine the white sauce, chicken mixture, parsley and cheese. Spoon the mixture on top of each toast. Heat under the oven grill until golden and the cheese melts. Serve immediately.