Green Beans with Herb Butter

I've been so busy lately that I'm still finding recipes I made on Thanksgiving and haven't posted yet. Like these green beans. I was so rushed on Thanksgiving, that the only photo of the actual green beans I managed to snap was this one of the finished product (half pinned down by some instrusive stuffing that seems to be battling it out for plate real estate).

This is an easy way to make fresh green beans with lots of flavor in very little time (assuming you make the herb butter the day before, which I did). Love the day before.

GREEN BEANS WITH HERB BUTTER

Makes 8 servings

Herb Butter:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for boiling water

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 lb. green beans, trimmed

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1.      Stir together all the herb butter ingredients in a large bowl until combined well.

2.      Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 6 quarts water), uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes, then drain.

3.      Toss with herb butter.

Cooks' notes: Herb butter can be made ahead and chilled, covered, for 3 days (or frozen, rolled into a cylinder in plastic wrap and kept in a sealed bag, for 1 week). Green beans can be trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed bag lined with paper towels.

barely adapted from Gourmet, November 2007 by Melissa Roberts

tarragon

shallots

lemon zest

all the herb butter ingredients

herb butter mixed

herb butter shaped into a log and wrapped

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Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

I like most dips. It's hard not to with all that sour cream and mayonnaise. I'd almost go so far as to say that it's difficult to make a bad dip (no need to email me about the horrendous dip you were served last week - I said almost). This is an example of good dip. In fact, it reminds me of a dip I used to make when I was in college using Knorr Tomato Basil Soup Mix (which has since been discontinued - damn I'm old). It used to taste great served with cooked cold tortellini. In fact, I wish I'd remembered that yesterday when I served this. Oh well...it wasn't too shabby with vegetables and chips.

 

SUN-DRIED TOMATO DIP

Yield: 2 cups

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce (like tabasco)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon salt)

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Puree tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

from Ina Garten

sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream,
mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt and pepper

I forgot to chop my tomatoes first, but
isn't that what the food processor is for?

pureed; adding scallions

sun-dried tomato dip

sun-dried tomato dip on a cracker

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Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream

I could blame the lopsided swirl on my uneven oven (it hasn't been level ever since we had the kitchen floor replaced). Or I could pin it on my daughter - who walked up to the cake while it was rolled in the towel and gave it a good squeeze (which was followed by a little talk about never squeezing anything unless you know what it is and you're sure it wants to be squeezed). But regardless, this cake is awesome. I've had pumpkin rolls before, usually with cream cheese filling. And I thought that's how I liked them best. But man am I glad I tried this because the ginger mascarpone filling is (at the risk of quoting Guy Fieri), off the hook. I couldn't help it...it just is.

PUMPKIN ROULADE WITH GINGER BUTTERCREAM

Yield: 8 servings

cake:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting

filling:

12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 cup minced dried crystallized ginger (not in syrup)

pinch kosher salt

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1.      Preheat the oven to 375º F. Grease a 13- x 18- x 1-inch sheet pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and grease and flour the paper.

2.      In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and stir to combine. Place the eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light yellow and thickened. With the mixer on low, add the pumpkin, then slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Finish mixing the batter by hand with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake the cake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched.

3.      While the cake is baking, lay out a clean, thin cotton dish towel on a flat surface and sift the entire 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar evenly over it. (This will prevent the cake from sticking to the towel.) As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, loosen it around the edges and invert it squarely onto the prepared towel. Peel away the parchment paper. With a light touch, roll the warm cake and the towel together (don't press!) starting at the short end of the cake. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

4.      Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, and cream together for about a minute, until light and fluffy. Stir in the crystallized ginger, and salt.

5.      To assemble, carefully unroll the cake onto a board with the towel underneath. Spread the cake evenly with the filling. Reroll the cake in a spiral using the towel as a guide. Remove the towel and trim the ends to make a neat edge. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve sliced.

from Ina Garten

flour and spices

eggs and sugar

eggs thickened; adding pumpkin

adding flour mixture

batter mixed

batter spread in pan

baked pumpkin cake

peeling off the parchment

rolling the cake

I was pretty nervous right about now, but it was easy.

cake rolled and wrapped; cooling

I couldn't be too mad at my daughter for
squeezing it. She didn't know what it was.
I probably would have squeezed it too.

mascarpone, cream and sugar

adding chopped crystallized ginger and salt

I highly recommend Reed's
crystallized ginger (my favorite)

ginger "buttercream"

I'm not sure why Ina calls this a
buttercream (clearly there's no butter in it).

cake unrolled; spreading the filling

filling spread

rolling the cake again

cake rolled
 
At this point, I wrapped it in the towel again and
put it in the fridge overnight. I'm sure plastic wrap
would have been fine, but the towel was already
there and I knew it wouldn't stick.

pumpkin roulade with ginger buttercream
(sprinkling with confectioners' sugar)

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