Sourdough Toast with Green Onion Pesto and Hard Boiled Eggs

You guys.  

Peeling hard boiled eggs is the equivalent of getting a root canal for me.  Except getting a root canal is much more pleasurable and relaxing. 

I have read and done every hard boiled egg tutorial known to man, my eggs were weeks old, I have tried salt in the water, peeling under cold water, blah, blah, blah, and, for me,  it's still the toughest job in the kitchen.  I just can't do it without pulling off large chucks of the white flesh.  And I accept that.  I am at peace.  And although I love to eat them, I just don't make them often because of my rage issues.

(Just kidding.  I don't have rage issues.  Until I begin to peel hard boiled eggs, then yes.)

But I suffered through a batch yesterday, because for the last month I've been toying around with a recipe idea in my brain, and I finally made it yesterday.  And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.  

This green onion pesto screams spring to me.  I can always find green onions at the store and they are fragrant and flavorful and, I think, a little under-appreciated item in the produce section.  And making them into pesto is the perfect condiment for your Easter table and for all those leftover hard boiled eggs you will have.  Green onion pesto on some toasted and buttered sourdough bread topped with hard boiled eggs is a lovely, lovely, breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Or snack.  

I bet you will have some leftover hard boiled eggs this weekend, right?

Have a blessed and happy Easter Sunday, my friends!  

My notes:

--This pesto is kind of creamy.  I didn't think it would be, but it is.  It's lovely, really.

--I used a mini food processor because that's all I have.  If you had a larger food processor with a chute, you could drizzle in the olive oil at the last, like it's traditionally made.

--You can adjust the amount of olive oil to make it thinner or thicker.  Mine was pretty thick.  You could also add a little bit of water to thin it out.

--You could also use a different type of nut.  Pine nuts are traditional in pesto, but I used pecans.  You could also use walnuts.

--I think this would also be delicious on chicken, fish, or pasta.  But I love, love my sour dough toast.

Green Onion Pesto

Printable Recipe

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 package (5.5 ounces) green onions, trimmed, washed, and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon water

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until creamy and a spreadable consistency.  Serve immediately.  

Serve on buttered sourdough toast, then top with sliced hard boiled eggs.  Also great on chicken, fish, or pasta. 

Three Easy Compound Butters for Thanksgiving

I am going to make this quick because it's Thanksgiving week and things are crazy busy.  An easy way to dress up your Thanksgiving table and let people know they are special and stuff, is to make compound butters.  And I've got three options for you today.

One of these butters, the cranberry-orange butter, has been a tradition in my family a long time.  It's tangy and sweet and yummy. (And yes, it was already on my blog before, right here.)  The other two are my own creation.  I am absolutely in love with all of them because they play such different rolls in my life.

The caramelized onion and gruyere is TO. DIE. FOR. on warm, crusty bread because the cheese melts slightly.  DO YOU HEAR WHAT I AM SAYING?!  THERE IS CHEESE *IN* THE BUTTER!

The honey butter gets a subtle spicy kick from coarse black pepper.  It is fantastic with buttermilk biscuits as well as traditional rolls.  Plus it's pretty.  Like a little speckled log.

The really great thing is that you can make these well ahead of time and stick them in the fridge. (Like maybe a week!)  Pull them out and let them come to room temperature before you serve them.  Shape them into logs or put them in a bowl.  Whatever stuffs your turkey.  But just make them.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Black Pepper and Honey Butter

Printable Recipe

4 sticks butter, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Whip butter on high speed until smooth and fluffy.  Beat the honey and black pepper.  Shape into 2 logs of equal size using parchment paper.  Refrigerate until needed.  Let come to room temperature before serving.

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Butter 

Printable Recipe

4 sticks butter, softened to room temperature, divided

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until melted.  Add onions and cook until caramelized, about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in Worcestershire sauce.  Remove from skillet and cool completely.  

Whip remaining butter on high speed until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in the onions, gruyere cheese, thyme, and black pepper.  Shape into 2 logs of equal size using parchment paper.  Refrigerate until needed.  Let come to room temperature before serving.

Cranberry-Orange Butter

Printable Recipe

4 sticks butter, softened to room temperature

2/3 cup whole cranberry sauce

1/4 cup orange marmalade

Whip butter until fluffy with electric mixer or hand mixer.  Beat in cranberry sauce and orange marmalade. Shape into 2 logs of equal size using parchment paper.  Refrigerate until needed.  Let come to room temperature before serving.

Cranberry-Orange Butter

 Do you want your Thanksgiving table to be all it can be?

Well do you, punk?

One of the easiest ways to add some pizazz to your Turkey day dinner is with a compound butter, and this one is a cinch.  My mom always makes this for Thanksgiving, but I never actually tried it until just a few years ago because way back in my youth I had labeled it "yucky", and that stamp of disapproval carried over into my adulthood. One Thanksgiving not too long ago, I got the courage up to slather some on a hot roll.  I was hooked from then on.   

Just three ingredients for this simple, sweet and slightly tart butter.  And I'll tell you what,  I used the off brand for all of them to save a buck.

 Cranberry-Orange Butter

Printable Recipe

2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature

1/3 cup whole cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

Beat butter until fluffy.  Beat in cranberry sauce and orange marmalade.  Will keep several weeks in the fridge.