Villa Rosa Inspired Sunday Dinner

 

I love Lisa Vanderpump and have her cookbook somewhere here at home.  I was inspired recently by a piece of cake someone posted on Instagram from one of her restaurants.  Some of her restaurants seem otherworldly, a garden and rose festooned fantasy such as the cocktail garden she has in Las Vegas.  So a piece of cake got me thinking about why I love Lisa and all the other British Grand Dames such as Joan and Jackie Collins, Shirley Bassey and Elizabeth Taylor.  Because while they are dramatic looking with their makeup and big hair, they are class to the core.  Not snobby - they do not have time for that.  Having come from a land that was severely blitzed in the second world war, they carry with them a tea and sympathy attitude and a humility of one who while knows how to enjoy the good life, never forgets where they came from.  This is why you will see comfort food on the menu like mashed potatoes and an unfussy appie of cheese and bread (they are after all from the land of pigs in a blanket which is served at every party I ever see in a British cookbook) mixed with a beautiful rose floral garden cake.  Bon Appetite everyone and Happy Sunday!

Chicken Milanese: 

 

You will need:

4 chicken breasts

salt & pepper

1/2 cup flour

2-3 eggs, well beaten

2 cups panko 

1/4 cup Parmesant

1 tsp. oregano

zest from 1/2 lemon 

2 tbsp. butter & 2 tbsp. olive oil

One by one, flatten chicken breasts in parchment paper.  I like to cut the chicken breasts in half, down breast bone, to make smaller. Season each breast with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Then, in 3 separate bowls (or plates) add 1/2 cup flour in one bowl, 2-3 eggs, beaten in another, then 2 cups panko with 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1 tsp. oregano, zest from 1/2 lemon in another bowl or plate.

When I flatten my chicken, sometimes I just put into a large Ziplock bag and pound it with the back of a soup ladle.  Nothing fancy here.  Today I just put chicken on parchment, folded it over and hammered it!  Not to much, just enough to make nicely thin - about the thickness of your finger looking sideways!

Then take 1/2 chicken breast and put on floured plate, shake and flip over to other side to cover lightly in flour.  Next, dip chicken into egg mixture, hold up and allow extra egg to drip off.  Next, put into mixed up panko mixture and gently press panko into the chicken with your hands.  Repeat this process with your remaining chicken breasts and put onto a separate plate near the frying pan. 

Over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil into a pan.  Once nicely heated, put a couple of chicken breasts in and cook, 2 minutes each side, or until nicely browned. Put aside on paper towel and squeeze some lemon juice over finished chicken.  Check to may sure there is no pink. By the way you can make these in advance and reheat in oven or in frying pan for a minute.  

Once done, you will work on your salad.  I concocted this the other day and love it.

P.S.  Feel free to make a heaping mounds of buttery mashed potatoes to add to your dinner.  Put the chicken on top of the mashed potatoes and then the arugula salad over top of the chicken. The vinaigrette will meld into the potatoes and give you a serotonin hit from all angles!

Lemon, Lime Vinaigrette with Capers and Parmesan

You will need:

3-4 cups arugula leaves, handful of mini tomatoes, 1 lemon, 1 lime, 6 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. Dijon, 1 tbsp. honey, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 3 tbsp. to 1/4 cup capers (I love lots over the salad), pinch salt and pepper.

In a medium sized bowl, squeeze the juice of one lemon and one lime.  Then add  olive oil,  capers Dijon mustard, honey,  Parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk!  Take a taste and adjust your seasonings if you like.

In a separate bowl, add a few cups of arugula and mini tomatoes, and spoon vinaigrette over and toss. Make sure the leaves are all covered and add more vinaigrette if you like.  Personal note, I like to double the recipe because you'll really want a good amount of vinaigrette to go onto the chicken too! 

To serve, put chicken on a plate and top with arugula and vinaigrette.  Top with More grated Parmesan cheese if you like.

Ros`e Wine Infused Cake with Rose Water Butter Cream Icing Covered In Pistachios, Gold Sprinkles and a Few Strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

What the hell happened to my French E?  Oh well.  For this cake, I made 4 layers, so double the recipe if you'd like to make 4-9 inch cakes. Otherwise, just follow the recipe as is for one cake.  

You will need:  1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 large eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 cup rose wine.

Mix together butter and sugar.  Then add liquid ingredients, the eggs and vanilla.  Mix the flour together with baking powder, baking soda and salt first,  then incorporate it into the bowl, alternating with the rose wine a little at a time.  Once batter is smooth, put into Pam sprayed 9-inch cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  I had divided the first batch into two 9-inch cake pans which makes for the cake to be thinner, but I made another batch to make 2 more cakes for 4 thinner layers.  The icing will plump it up!

Rose Water Butter Cream Icing  

Rose Water is used in Middle Eastern and Indian Cooking.  You can get easily at a Gourmet Cooking Store. or Middle Eastern Grocery  

You will need:  1 cup of butter, 4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. rose water, 1/4 cup half and half, 1 drop of pink food coloring or more if you like, salted pistachios, gold sprinkles (if you can find edible gold paint then brush a few strokes on the side of this cake, it would be outstanding!  I couldn't find any in town yesterday, so will go downtown for it next time.) 

Mix up really well until nice and fluffy, then decorate your cake!  I added fresh roses, pistachios and gold sprinkles with a few sliced strawberries to look like pedals over top. For the record, un-iced cakes are not beautiful.  But you can make it look beautiful with patience and by letting your creativity to run wild.  Cakes are a canvas.  Enjoy yourself. XOXO