Food 101: Chicken/Eggplant Parmesan

I made this for dinner the other night--it's one of my favorites!

Rose's Chicken or Eggplant Parm

Ingredients: Chicken and/or eggplant, an egg, italian bread crumbs, olive oil, spaghetti, marinara or your favorite spaghetti sauce (or you can make your own sauce)

1. Get the ingredients together for the chicken or eggplant slices so you have a little assembly line.

2. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them (or put inside a ziplock).

3.Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Then season with salt and pepper.

4. In a wide bowl, combine the egg and a bit of water or milk- and , beat until frothy.

5. Put a cup of Italian bread crumbs on a plate.

6. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet.

7. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs.

8. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

9. Ladle your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce over some cooked spaghetti and add the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and season to taste.


Enjoy!

Love,

Rose

Food 101: Slippery Shrimp

So if you have ever been to Los Angeles, and you were with me, you have been to the famous Yang Chow restaurant in Chinatown. This place always has a line to get a table (even at 2 in the afternoon) and has the most amazing dishes. The one item that is on EVERY table--the Slippery Shrimp. It's a Yang Chow specialty! Think lightly fried shrimp tossed with a sweet, spicy, sticky goodness of a sauce. Every person that I have seen taste it is instantly addicted! Of course I don't live in L.A. anymore, but last night I was craving some Slippery Shrimp and I found the recipe! It tasted JUST like it!!! So here it is...

Yang Chow's World Famous Slippery Shrimp recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups peanut oil for frying
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon ketchup
5 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
5 green onions, sliced

Directions

1. Heat peanut oil in a wok to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Toss the shrimp with 1/4 cup of cornstarch to coat, then drop into the hot oil, and quickly fry until golden brown, about 45 seconds. Keep them in a little longer to keep them crunchy

3. When done, drain shrimp, and set aside.
4. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok, then stir in the garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper.

5. Cook and stir until the garlic is fragrant and beginning to brown, about 30 seconds.

6. Pour in the wine, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup of water, and bring to a boil over high heat.

7. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of water, stir into the boiling sauce, and boil until thickened, about 1 minute.

8. Stir the shrimp and green onions into the sauce until coated.

9. (optional) for extra spice, sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top at the very end :)

Serve with white rice or fried rice (the best kind to buy is on the Asian food isle in the grocery store)

*recipe found at allrecipes.com

Enjoy!

Love,

Rose

Food 101: Please Pass the Bread

One of my favorite flavors is when I go to an Italian restaurant and they pour a little olive oil out onto a saucer and add a house blend of seasonings to dip your bread in.

It gives your bread a little pizzazz and is a much healthier alternative to butter! I have created my own version and it tastes amazing, so I thought I'd share.

This is a quick and easy recipe that is great for entertaining, dinner parties, cozy soirees with girlfriends, or just for a snack! Try it out!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of Italian blend dry seasoning (mixture of oregano, basil, rosemary)

1 teaspoon of McCormick's Spicy Montreal Steak seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I like it a tad spicy!)

1 tablespoon parmesian cheese for a buttery cruch (and to replace the salt)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (or one quick squirt!)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 roll of French bread, sliced in 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pieces

Directions:

Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well

2. Pour extra virgin olive oil onto a small saucer

3. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the dry mixture to the olive oil (1 tablespoon of dry mix to every 3- 4 tablespoons of olive oil)

4. Add lemon juice and mix a bit

5. Dip sliced bread in mixture.

6. ENJOY!

*Another variation is to add 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar for a tangy twist*

As you run out, add more dry mix and more olive oil. I promise, you will have your friends practically begging for the secret!

Happy eating!

Love,

Rose

Beauty: The Peppermint Pedicure

Ooooh it is that time of year! Holiday music, Christmas shopping, Christmas songs and holiday cheer! Well, my sister does a segment on ABC Columbia called Wrinkle Free Wednesdays, and last week when I was in town to visit for Thanksgiving, I saw this segment on making your own peppermint scrub at home. What a great way to get into the holiday spirit--and what a wonderful activity for your girlfriends/sisters/mom on a Saturday in December! I can feel my pores opening up just thinking about it!

Here is the segment:



and the recipe:

Peppermint pedicure scrub:

1 cup granulated sugar

6 candy canes finely chopped into a powdered form

mix the 2 together and add...

½ cup olive oil

6 drops essential peppermint oil

gently massage into legs and feet

wrap with a hot towel

Leave on for 5 minutes

wipe it off, add your favorite nail color and voila!

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, you can catch my sis Alicia Barnes weekdays at 6 & 11 on ABC.

Keep those toes happy!

Love,

Rose