fancy microwave dinner.

have you ever had one of those days where, even though you planned out how you were going to do things, things just kind of go to hell? i had one of those days today. actually a whole week. it started out with getting sick on a sunday (already a bad omen), then getting to work progressively later each day, then hitting traffic, losing a usb drive (with family/friend pictures in it), then making a mess of dinner today.

actually, i might've exaggerated that last bit. dinner wasn't too bad. i was thinking about making a roulade with some pesto and dried tomato cheese spread that i had gotten and pairing it with polenta and a green bean sauce. but just as i was putting the chicken in the oven and went to get my green beans from the fridge, i found that they had already gone terribly bad and my other alternative was going canned. *sigh*

i usually don't like canned food as they tend to have a funny taste (except for canned corn...i grew up on canned corn and i love the stuff! is it weird to prefer canned corn over frozen??). so, i went ahead and used the whole can. it turned out okay...not the earth-shatteringly good sauce that i had hoped for but I'm thinking it's because of the substitution. it turned more into a side, actually. i also didn't like that my food only had one hue but i decided to say "fuck it!", and topped it with some pesto. when i started to pack it away for tomorrow's leftovers, i noticed right away what it looked like: a fancy microwave dinner. :/ back to the pantry i guess...

 
Shallot and Garlic Butter Sauce with Green Beans
(from The Kitchen Mirror)

1 lb. trimmed green beans
4 large shallots, very thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt (omit salt if using salted butter)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Thoroughly rinse green beans and trim the tips. If the beans are very long, cut them in half, or to about 2-3 inches in length. Steam the beans for about 5-6 minutes, or until just tender and bright green.

In a bowl, combine shallots, garlic, lemon juice, and salt, and stir well.

In a large skillet or saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallot mixture to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until shallots are soft and highly fragrant.

Add the steamed beans to the pan and toss to coat. Remove from heat.

Serve over pasta, rice, or chicken or fish, and season with black pepper to taste.