Page 45 - Observer December 2019

•1/2 pound sliced baby portobello (cremini) Ingredients
mushrooms •1 tablespoon butter, softened
•4 ounces Brie cheese, sliced •1­1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
•Chopped fresh chives, optional •1­1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
•1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
Directions •1/2 cup sliced ripe olives, drained
•Scrub and pierce potatoes. Rub potato skins •2 eggs
With Christmas just around the corner, we with oil; sprinkle with salt. Bake at 400° for 50­ •1­1/2 cups whole milk
thought we’d share some recipies that you might 60 minutes or until tender. •1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
not have tried before, but will soon become a • In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium
feast favorite at your Christmas table. heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a Instructions
slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons •Grease six 10­oz. ramekins or custard cups with
drippings. Saute mushrooms in the drippings. butter; set aside.
• Cut a 2­in. "X" in tops of potatoes; insert • Cook orzo according to package directions; •5 eggs
•5 egg yolks
cheese slices. Top with mushrooms, bacon and drain. In a large bowl, combine the orzo, cheese,
•3 cups heavy whipping cream
chives. Yield: 4 servings. peppers and olives. Spoon into prepared ramekins.
• In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and nut­ •1 teaspoon salt
meg; pour over orzo mixture. Place ramekins on •1/2 teaspoon pepper
a baking sheet.
Directions
• Bake at 350° for 25­30 minutes or until a ther­
•In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter.
mometer inserted near the center reads 160°.
Yield: 6 servings. Add onion; cook and stir until softened. Reduce
heat to medium­low; cook, stirring occasionally,
Blue Cheese Bread Pudding for 20 minutes or until onion is golden brown.
Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer.
You can play with the flavor of this recipe by
changing the type of blue cheese you use—from • Place half of the bread in a greased 13­in. x 9­
Bacon, Cremini & Brie Potatoes in. baking dish. Layer with onion mixture and
sharp Stilton to saltier Gorgonzola. Prep: 30
This version of an ultimate baked potato. Rich min. + standing Bake: 40 min. + standing Yield: half of blue cheese. Top with remaining bread
brie, crispy bacon and cremini mushrooms trans­ and blue cheese.
12 Servings
form the humble baked potato into something re­ • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks,
ally special. Prep: 10 min. Bake: 50 min. Yield: Ingredients cream, salt and pepper. Pour over bread; let
4 Servings Baked Fontina Orzo •1/4 cup butter, cubed stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened.
The pasta orzo makes a nice alternative to •1 medium onion, chopped • Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 40­45 minutes or
Ingredients rice. If you like, use 1/2 cup blanched, diced as­ until a knife inserted near the center comes out
•4 medium potatoes •3 garlic cloves, minced
paragus for the roasted peppers. Prep: 20 min. clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
•4 teaspoons olive oil •2 French bread baguettes (10­1/2 ounces each),
Bake: 25 min. Yield: 6 Servings Serve warm. Yield: 12 servings.
•1/2 teaspoon salt cut into 1­inch cubes
•6 bacon strips, chopped •4 cups (16 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

floral sprig, scrap holiday ribbon, hot glue gun,
glue sticks.
What You’ll Need: 1 sheet of tin foil, ribbon or How It’s Done:
paper strip 1. Apply the gold paint to the stamp using a
How It’s Done: Set the gift on center of the foam paintbrush. Stamp into the center of the
sheet of tin foil and draw the sides up and pull bag. Repeat until you’ve reached the edges of
the ends together at the top. Using the ribbon, the bag. Allow to dry.
Tin Foil­ make a bow to tie the ends together. 2. Dip the flat paintbrush into peach paint, tap
Bonus Tip: To sweeten up this project skip the off the excess paint until you have a near dry
Not Just For Sandwiches and TV Antennas
bow and instead slip a strip of white paper in the brush. Working quickly, paint a light topcoat
This material is the perfect fix for those odd­shaped How It’s Done:
top. Ta­da. You've got a hersehy kiss and the over the stamped design.
presents, since it can be manipulated to hug what­ paper strip will serve as your gift tag. 1.Wrap the gift in tissue paper. 3. Hot glue velvet ribbon across the top and at­
ever item you cover in it. Or even wrap your boxed 2. Cut the zipper off of the plastic bag. tach the remaining ribbon and floral sprig to the
gifts with this reflective foil for an eye­catching 3. Insert wrapped gift into the bag, along with handle.
shine reminscent of Christmas tree tinsel. A Fresh New Use for Your the decorative items you’ve selected (ie.
Bonus Tip: You
Ziploc Bags pinecones, strips of ribbon, etc. could also spruce
4. Tie the bag closed using the ribbon.
A simple plastic bag and some festive trimmings up any plain gift
will give the appearance that your gift is en­ Blooming Bag bag using rhine­
closed in a snow globe. stones, scraps of
What You’ll Need: 1 Ziploc bag (gallon­size What You’ll Need: Plain gift bag (75 cents at a ribbon, beads, but­
works best), tissue paper, tape, scissors, ribbon. drug or craft store); flower­shaped foam stamp tons, pieces of fab­
Optional materials: confetti, pinecones, tinsel, (50 cents at craft stores), peach and gold acrylic ric and whatever
and strips of ribbon. craft paints ($2 at craft stores), wide flat paint­
brush, foam paintbrush, velvet ribbon, holiday