The Empress

This light dish dresses up any meal and is a palate pleaser!

ASIAGO APPLE SALAD

• 2 medium, firm apples (such as honey crisp), cored and sliced
• 1 small celery root, peeled and julienned
• 1 small head frisee cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup red grapes, sliced in half
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups shaved Asiago cheese
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 1/4 cup torn fresh dill
• 1 recipe Creamy Honey-Dill Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
• Garnish: microgreens

1. In a small bowl, combine the apple slices, celery root, frisee, grapes, lemon juice, pepper and salt; toss to combine
2. On salad plates, create layers of the apple mixture, Asiago, pecans and dill.  Drizzle each salad lightly with Creamy Honey-Dill Vinaigrette.  Garnish with microgreens if desired and serve immediately.

CREAMY HONEY-DILL VINAIGRETTE (makes about 1 cup)

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, mayonnaise, honey, dill, salt and pepper; whisk to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Remaining dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The New Year’s Eve Wine Dinner Dance at The Empress was greatly enjoyed by all!  The Food was delicious, the music wonderful and the company fun and interesting!

The Menu was amazing and included: Sweet Potato Vichyssoise with Peanut Noshes, Holiday Sorbet, Braised  Lamb with Figs in Red Wine Demi-glaze, Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Red Onions, Asiago Apple  Salad with a Creamy Honey Dill Vinagrette, Herb Bread & Butter and a finale of Glazed & Candied Chocolate Beet Cake with Vanilla Bean whipped cream and Strawberries.

Want to share some of these fabulous recipes?  We have already given you instructions for our Sweet Potato Vichyssoise both on our blog and on Saturday Daybreak.  Join us on our blog each day this week for another of our fabulous New Year’s Eve Recipes!

We all enjoyed seeing The Empress’ Sharon Welch-Blair once more appear on Daybreak and demonstrate why she has been nick-named the “Victorian Martha Stewart”.  Her Sweet Potato Vichyssoise looked amazing and I want to make those Peanut Noshes tonight!!!

Don’t forget, there is still time to buy tickets to our New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance, where the Vichyssoise and more recipes chosen by and prepared with the personal attention of Sharon will appear!  Call 501-374-7966 before December 26th and your ticket is only $200.  There are also still a few rooms left that weekend for a Romantic Getaway to start the year off with an amazing bang!  CALL TODAY!

Check out the Video of Sharon’s appearance!

And here is the recipe for that amazing Sweet Potato Vichyssoise:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 leeks (white part only) well
rinsed, dried and sliced

6 cups Berta’s chicken stock or
canned chicken broth

1 ½ cups dry white wine

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled
and chopped

Grated zest and juice of one
lime

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

Salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste

Peanut noshes or thin lime slices
(garnish)

1. Melt the butter in a
   large stock pot over medium-high heat.  Add the leeks and sauté until soft
   and transparent
2. Add the stock, wine,
   and sweet potatoes.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer until
   the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the lime
   zest and juice, milk and cream.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Puree the soup in
   batches in a blender until very smooth.
5. If you are serving
   the soup hot, gently heat it and serve it with peanut noshes.  If you are
   serving the soup cold, refrigerate it for several hours and serve it garnished
   with lime slices.

6
portions

Peanut Noshes

18 slices Pepperidge Farm
sandwich or other firm white bread

1 ½ cups chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Preaheat the over to
   350 F
2. Trim the crusts from
   12 slices of the bread and cut the trimmed bread into ½-inch squares.
   Place the squares flat on a baking sheet and bake just until lightly browned.
3. Place the trimmed
   crusts and the remaining 6 slices of bread on another baking sheet and bake
   until golden.  Process in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel
   blade to fine crumbs.  Remove to a shallow bowl.
4. Heat the peanut
   butter and oil in a small saucepan until blended and warm.  Dip the
   toasted bread squares completely into the peanut mixture and then coat with the
   bread crumbs.  Let the bread dry flat on the baking sheet.  Store in
   an airtight container.

About
8 dozen

Just in time for out of town friends to enjoy over the Thanksgiving Holidays, Arvest opens its “River Market on Ice” Winter Celebration.  An Ice Skating Rink will be located in one of the River Market’s open-air pavillions overlooking Riverfront Park and the Arkansas River.  Starting November 19th, the ice rink will be open Monday-Friday from 4-9pm, Saturday from 10am-10pm, and Sunday from 12-8pm.

Grab your jacket, scarf and the hand of a loved one and get out on the ice!  And remember to check us out at www.TheEmpress.com for holiday specials and add-ons to make the most of your stay in Little Rock