Dinner when we're craving veg and protein

[debgeisler]

Aside from potatoes, there are no starches, very little fat (olive oil), and few carbs in the dinner we fixed tonight. But we were both in need of one of our favorites: Salade Niçoise.

There are as many recipes for this veg-and-tuna salad as there are people in Provence, France. The one we use is

Salade Niçoise From The Joy of Cooking

For Salad:
6 small red potatoes
1 lb. fresh green beans
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
5 hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthwise
One 6-ounce can tuna,m preferable oil packed, drained and flaked
1/2 cup Nicoise olives
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. drained capers
2-4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 head Boston lettuce, separated into leaves, washed and dried (we didn’t use this)

Vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I used whole grain Dijon mustard)
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilPlace the new potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a few teaspoons of salt and bring water to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon, let cool and cut into 1/2″ thick slices. Place in a medium bowl.

Bring the salted water back to a boil and add the green beans. Cook beans for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green and still crisp. Drain the salted water from the beans, replacing it with fresh, cold water. Drain again and place beans into the bowl with the potato slices.

Prepare vinaigrette by whisking together red wine vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper. Add the olive oil a little at a time while whisking. Alternatively, place all ingredients in a small jar and shake well. Drizzle about 1/4 of the dressing over the beans and potatoes, toss gently, being careful not to break the potato slices.

If using the lettuce, arrange it on a large platter and begin layering: tomato wedges, an additional 1/4 of the vinaigrette, the green beans and potatoes. Place the egg halves around the edges. In the center of the salad, place the flaked tuna. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Top with Nicoise olives, minced parsley, capers, and anchovy fillets, if using. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

If not using lettuce, place the potatoes and green beans onto a platter. Arrange tomato slices and hard-boiled egg halves around the edges. Drizzle with another 1/4 of the vinaigrette. Place the flaked tuna in the center of the salad and sprinkle the Nicoise olives, parsley and anchovy fillets, if using, over the top and sides. Serve immediately and pass the remaining vinaigrette alongside, or reserve for another use.

Makes enough for 4 main dish servings.

We cheat, however, using kalamata olives when we can't easily find the tiny nicoise ones. And we've never remembered the parsley. :-) So we just skip it, and we reduce the quantities of everything so that it serves two people, rather than four.