What did we eat?

My Version of Nicoise Salad

Nicoise Salad -

This is one of our new-found favorites despite the fact that it's an old classic. I hear that traditional Nicoise salad doesn't have potatoes or cooked veggies; however, I believe these additions are what make the salad so great. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to add potatoes to last night's version (forgot to buy them), but there's a mistake I won't make twice! The starchiness of the potatoes brings a nice balance to the acidity and saltiness of the rest of the salad. Of course, you can always opt out of anchovies, but the balsamic dressing is still tart and tangy. Nicoise salad is lively and bold, like a party on your plate. It's the perfect choice for an entree salad because it's so filling, and especially delicious if you're craving something salty.

Since I couldn't find fresh tuna at the grocery, I used the pre-packaged, pre-cooked tuna. Yuck, yuck, and more yuck! I do not recommend doing this, but it worked for me in a pinch.

For the marinade and dressing...
Combine 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Season with sugar, salt and pepper (to taste)
Slowly whisk in 1/4 Cup olive oil to emulsify

Place 1/4 Cup of the vinaigrette over tuna fillet in a shallow dish and marinate @ room temp for 20 minutes, turning fish once. Drain the fish and discard marinade.

Meanwhile, cook red new potatoes in a saucepan for 10 minutes. Add fresh green beans for the last 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes and beans and cool. Once cool, place them in a bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil. In another bowl, hard boil 1 egg per serving for 10 minutes.

Place the fish on a grill pan and cook over medium heat for 8-12 minutes until desired temperature is reached. Add the veggies to the grill pan and re-heat for about 10 minutes, or until warm.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes and red onion. Arrange the cooked fish, potatoes, green beans and sliced hard boiled eggs. Top with capers and anchovies. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.