Lunch Today: Salad Nicoise

I was intently working today and ignoring my hunger pangs to eat because I didn’t feel like cooking. But as a stomach has a tendency to do, it got the better of me and forced me to see what I had.

Inspired by the smallest new potatoes I’ve ever seen and some haricot vert I had left over, a salad Nicoise would be born. The errant plum tomato, necessary staple of albacore canned tuna, olives, red onion and avocado (why not?!) would round out the meal.

A quick 7 minute steam on the potatoes then adding the beans for another 3 was all the cooking needed. The rest was a can opening, some cutting and assembly. My homemade vinaigrette uses 3 parts balsamic rice vinegar and 1 part olive oil with Dijon mustard, black pepper, salt and minced garlic to taste. The rice vinegar adds a great sweetness to the dressing while maintaining that necessary twang.

SCHOP! Tip: For a perfectly dressed and assembled salad, dress the ingredients separately (at the very least the greens) with a little dressing – greens first for the bed then each of the other ingredients before putting them in there rightful place on the plate. Save for the avocado that only needs a gentle slicing and a sprinkle of salt on the plate, the tomato wedges too.

Et voila! It called for some french bread and a glass of wine but there was more work to be done before the day was over. Tant pis, a la prochaine fois…

#whattodowithcannedtuna #nakanobalsamicricevinegar #vinaigretterecipe #quickafternoonlunch #SaladNicoise #cannedtuna #howtodressasaladproperly