Page 4 - RVO What Women Want Nov2016

4VV • What Women Want • An Advertising Supplement to the River Valley & Ozark Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette • Sunday, November 20, 2016
BRUNCH
’n’ Munch
Take time to relax with friends, enjoy the spirit of the season
BY LINDA GARNER-BUNCH SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER
Even though Arkansas’ weather feels more like spring than late November, make no mistake: The holidays are upon us. As most of us have discovered, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the rush
and fuss of shopping, decorating and cooking for seasonal get-togethers and not take the time to fully appreciate the wonders of the season.
This year, slow down a bit and schedule a leisurely brunch with friends. You’ll all enjoy taking a few hours to visit and catch up on the latest girl talk — and you might even be inspired to embark on a fun-filled group shopping expedition!
Our hearty brunch includes a fluffy baked omelet, savory roasted potatoes,
a light and tangy fruit salad, fizzy apple spritzers and delectable eggnog bread pud- ding. You’ll also want to set up a coffee and cocoa bar with flavored syrups, whipped cream and other goodies. Prepare the bread pudding and a few other components the day before the event so you’ll have time to relax and enjoy the morning.
Ham & Cheese Oven Omelet
SERVINGS: 6 TO 8
INGREDIENTS:
12 large eggs
2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup finely chopped cooked
ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup lightly packed, coarsely
chopped fresh parsley
Sliced avocado, grape tomatoes
and fresh
parsley to garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Whisk in the milk, salt, pep- per and dry mustard until light and foamy. Stir in the ham and cheese. (At this point, the ingredients can be covered tightly and refrigerated overnight, if you’re prepping ahead of time.) Pour the egg mixture into the prepared dish.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a knife in- serted in the center of the casserole comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
If desired, garnish individual serv- ings with avocado slices, grape toma- toes and fresh parsley.
Eggnog Bread Pudding With Buttered Caramel Sauce
SERVINGS: 6 TO 8
BREAD PUDDING:
10 cups day-old French bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 stick unsalted butter (8 table- spoons), melted
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 4 cups eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup golden raisins
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle with melted butter, and toss to coat.
In a separate large bowl, whisk
ARSHIA KHAN / RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION Delight the brunch bunch with an array of delectable dishes, including Simple Fruit Salad with a tangy honey- lemon dressing, luscious Eggnog Bread Pudding with Buttered Caramel Sauce, and savory Roasted Potatoes with
Bacon and Rosemary.
the sugar and nutmeg into the beaten eggs; add the eggnog and vanilla, and whisk until well blended. Pour over buttered bread. Add the raisins, and stir until well combined. Loosely cover the bowl, and allow to sit 30 minutes or until most of the eggnog mixture has been absorbed.
Pour the mixture into the pre- pared baking dish. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted off-center comes out clean.
Serve warm, room temperature or chilled with Buttered Caramel Sauce.
BUTTERED CARAMEL SAUCE:
3/4 cup unsalted butter 3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the butter, sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is slightly thickened (2 to 3 minutes). Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. (The mixture will foam.) Serve warm or at room temperature with Eggnog Bread Pudding.
Simple Fruit Salad
SERVINGS: ABOUT 12
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup honey
Juice of one lemon, strained
(about 1/4 cup)
6 cups fresh fruit (We used blue-
berries, raspberries and halved
green seedless grapes.)
DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and lemon juice. Just be- fore serving, combine the fruit in a large bowl, drizzle with the dressing, and toss to coat. (You may not need all of the dressing. If not, use the
leftovers to sweeten your tea.)
Roasted Potatoes With Bacon and Rosemary SERVINGS: 6 TO 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled (reserve 2 table- spoons bacon grease)
2 pounds unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, diced
2 pounds peeled sweet potatoes, diced
1 small yellow onion, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh
rosemary
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
(optional)*
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt Sour cream and chopped fresh
chives to garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 table- spoons of the bacon grease.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a large jelly-roll pan. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, rosemary, paprika, salt and reserved 2 tablespoons of bacon grease; toss to coat. (If de- sired, substitute 2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil for the bacon
grease.)
Spread the potato mixture
evenly onto the prepared pan. Bake 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the potatoes are ten- der and start to brown.
Remove from the oven, and cool about 5 minutes.
Spoon the potatoes into a large serving bowl, add the crumbled ba- con, and toss until combined. Top individual servings with sour cream and chopped chives, if desired.
* Smoked paprika adds a lit- tle extra depth and “kick” to these breakfast potatoes, but if you don’t have any, don’t worry — the dish will still WOW the brunch bunch.
Apple-Cinnamon Spritzers y SERVINGS: ABOUT 16
INGREDIENTS:
2 quarts (64 ounces) apple juice
or cider w
2 to 3 cinnamon sticks
Coarse cane sugar
Ground cinnamon
2 liters ginger ale, chilled DIRECTIONS: y
At least a day before serving, infuse the apple juice with cinna- mon: Pour the juice into a large saucepan, and add cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature. Strain the juice into a large covered pitcher (discard the cinnamon sticks), and chill.
To rim the glasses: Combine 9 parts coarse sugar with 1 part ground cinnamon, and place in a shallow dish. Dip the rim of each serving glass in water, then into the sugar mixture to coat. (It may take a bit of practice to make it look pretty.) Set aside until ready to serve.
To serve: Carefully fill each glass with ice cubes. Fill halfway with cinnamon-infused apple juice; top off with ginger ale. (For a more spirited version, substitute champagne or sparkling white wine for the ginger ale.)
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