Fresh & Fast Vegetarian_ Recipes That Make a Meal - Marie Simmons [66]
Place the onion in a small bowl of water and add a couple of ice cubes. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and boil, stirring occasionally, until tender to the bite, 4 to 6 minutes, depending on the size and maturity of the beans. Drain the beans and return to the hot pot. Drain the onion and add to the beans.
Add the pesto and fold until combined. Spoon into a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Substitutions
For extra depth of flavor, make the pesto with toasted almonds. Or substitute pine nuts, walnuts or pistachios for the almonds. Vary the herbs by substituting fresh Italian parsley or mint for some of the basil.
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Make a Meal
Serve with Whole-Roasted Tomatoes with Warm Goat Cheese ([>]) and Curried Corn with Sugar Snap Peas and Mint ([>]).
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PAN-BRAISED BEETS WITH PISTACHIO PESTO
You can use large, round beets cut into thick slices or smaller beets, quartered, for this recipe. Either way, arranged on a large platter and dotted or spread with the thick green pistachio pesto, they are beautiful to behold.
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
2 bunches medium beets, preferably with leafy green tops attached (about 1½ pounds)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pistachio Pesto
¼ cup shelled and skinned pistachios, toasted
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Cut the leafy tops from the beets and set aside for another use (see opposite page). Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler if the skins are thick. Cut large beets into ½-inch rounds or quarter small ones. Place in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the beets are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 12 minutes, depending on the density of the beets. Check the moisture level in the pan halfway through the cooking time and add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if needed.
To make the pesto by hand: Combine the pistachios, garlic and salt in a large mortar and pound with the pestle until finely crushed. Add half of the basil and pound until reduced to a coarse paste. Repeat with the remaining basil. Gradually add the oil, stirring with the pestle. Stir in the cheese and set aside. To make the pesto in a food processor: Finely chop the pistachios, garlic and salt. With the motor running, gradually add the basil and process to a coarse puree. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the cheese. You should have about ½ cup pesto.
When the beets are tender, uncover, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Arrange the beets on a platter and top each with a dollop of the pesto. Sprinkle with the torn basil leaves and serve.
Preparing Beets
Use a serrated vegetable peeler to remove the thick outside skin from mature beets. Young beets with thin skins need only a quick scrub with a vegetable brush and a rinse. To shred beets: Cut the beets into big chunks and push them through the feed tube of a food processor fitted with the wide shredding attachment or leave the beets whole and shred on the wide shredding side of a box grater. Your hands will turn purple, but if you wash them immediately with soap and hot water and rub stubborn spots with a wedge of lemon, the stains will fade.
Using Beet Greens
I always try to buy beets with greens, because they are fresher.