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Tuna Nicoise Salad

Wednesday, 4 August 2021

Tuna Nicoise Salad. I confess I am a huge fan of salads in the summer months. I especially love main dish salads like this one, which is not only a feast for the eyes, but for the tummy as well.

Nicoise Salad or Salad Niçoise as it is also called is a French Salad. It is what is known as a composed salad, somewhat similar to a Cobb salad, with the main difference here being that there is no chicken involved and no bacon either!

This delicious salad comes from Nice, France, which is on the Mediterranean side of France. The side where the Riviera is. So think seafood and sunshine.

One thing which I like about it is that its a salad in which you can totally prepare all of the elements for it ahead of time. This makes it a perfect salad for entertaining as you need only whisk up a dressing and throw things together at the last minute!

The main ingredients for the salad are tuna (of course), boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, green beans and black olives.

In France they always use tinned tuna. I use tinned tuna, but you can certainly cook fresh tuna steaks in the place of the tinned tuna if you wish. Just make sure you don't overcook them or you run the risk of them tasting like chicken.

And trust me, if you have run to the expense of buying fresh tuna steaks to use in this delicious salad, you don't want it to taste like chicken. One minute per side is all you really need as far as cook time goes.

I always just use tinned tuna myself. I do use a solid albacore tuna however. I never buy any other kind. Its just my preference when it comes to tuna.

An Italian lady stopped me in the grocery store one day while I was buying tuna and told me that I should only ever buy albacore tuna. She said the rest was garbage.

Who am I to argue with experience! I was quite young at the time and she seemed to be quite old. In all truth she was probably younger then than I am now, but hey ho! She knew what she was talking about.

I have never bought anything but Albacore tuna since that day. I know it can seem to be a bit expensive, but at the end of the day, you always get what you pay for.

I like it in water or in oil. The one in oil is infinitely better, but because I am watching my cholesterol these days, I always settle for it in water.

This is a wonderful time of year to enjoy this salad. We are being spoiled right now with an abundance of fresh summer vegetables. Green beans, tomatoes, new potatoes, salad leaves.

Everything is so fresh and local and delicious! It doesn't get much better than this!

I love the wonderful earthy flavors of fresh new potatoes. You don't need to do anything special to them, just wash them really well and pop them into a saucepan of boiling lightly salted water.

10 to 15 minutes later, depending on the size of your potatoes, they are done to perfectly. I like them with the skins on myself. More fiber and that skin is so delicious.

Green beans are in season at the moment and our local ones are beautiful. So are the golden yellow wax beans. I have been feasting on them while I can!!

You want to pick beans for this salad that are not overly large in size. The smaller ones have the best flavor.

I have chosen today to use a mix of salad greens consisting of spinach and baby rocket/agugula. I love the iron earthiness of spinach and I just adore the peppery and meaty punch of rocket leaves!

I eat a lot of rocket, truth be told. I love it in sandwiches, on burgers and all sorts. Trust me when I say a roast beef sandwich with horseradish mayo and rocket leaves is a sandwich made in heaven!

I only ever buy free range eggs. If you are lucky enough to have a farm close by where you can buy free range eggs, so much the better.

Many people are greatly intimidated at the thought of hard boiling eggs. Its really not that hard and is a matter of timing. To hard boil eggs with a firm white and yolk start with room temperature eggs.

Pierce the large end of the egg with an egg piercer or a needle; this helps to prevent the egg from cracking in the heat of the water.

Place then into a saucepan and cover them completely in water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, maximum.

At the end of that time, remove them from the heat and place them in cold water immediately. This will prevent them from over-cooking and developing that unsightly dark ring around the yolks.

They will still taste okay, should the dark ring develop, but they are not as attractive to look at and in this salad, that's quite important.

Black olives are also an important part of this salad. You should use Nicoise olives if you can find them. I can't find those here so I have used Kalamata olives, which are a wonderful substitution.

The final salad ingredient is ripe garden tomatoes. They are starting to come into their own now. Just an ordinary tomato will do . . . fresh from the vine with the warmth of the summer sun still on its skin.

That's what you want, and what is ideal. Failing that, just get the best your money can buy and leave them at room temperature to ripen for a few days. You won't be sorry!

There are a few other things you can add if you want to. Capers is one. I adore capers. Vinegary, salty, they go so very well here.

Some thinly sliced red onion also works well. I have gone for simplicity here however, so I did not include either of those two things.

The final element of course is the dressing and I say keep it simple. I have chosen to use a simple vinaigrette dressing without any bells and whistles. With all of that fresh produce, why run the risk of overwhelming them with a dressing which is overly flavored.

Simple. Simple. Simple. Oil, vinegar and seasoning. That's all you need. Let the beauty of your fresh ingredients speak for themselves. Let them sing. A good dressing will only enhance their flavors, not overwhelm them. This simple dressing does just that.

Enjoy!

Tuna Nicoise Salad

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

A beautiful main dish salad for those days when you just can't be asked to cook. It makes a great use of the abundant produce available to us this time of year as well.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

2 TBS white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (120ml) olive oil
1/4 tsp ground paprika

For the salad:

2 large free range eggs, hardboiled. peeled and quartered
4 new potatoes, scrubbed, cooked and quartered
12 French beans, washed, trimmed and cooked until crispy tender
2 heaped cups (120g) mixed salad leaves
2 tomatoes, washed and quartered
12 kalamata olives
1 (6 1/2 -ounce/170g) solid albacore tuna, drained

Instructions

Mix the vinegar and the salt together for the dressing in a small bowl. Leave to stand for a few minutes. Add the pepper and then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies. Whisk in the paprika. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Set aside.
Put the eggs and potatoes into a mixing bowl. Toss with a little bit of the dressing.
Divide the salad leaves between two chilled plates. Top with the eggs and potatoes. Add the tomatoes and green beans. Place all of this around the edges. Divide the tuna in half and place half in the center of each plate. Scatter the olives over top.
Drizzle the remaining dressing over everything and serve immediately.

Notes:

You can use two fresh tuna steaks in the place of the tinned tuna. Put a small amount of oil in a skillet and heat over high heat. Season the tuna steaks and sear them in the hot oil, cooking them for no longer than 1 minute per side. Place one onto each plate of salad and serve.

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Deviled Ham Spread

Wednesday, 15 April 2020

One thing we used to really love mom to put in our lunches when I was growing up were deviled ham sandwiches. Deviled Ham was a type of meat paste that came in a can, but it was different from other canned meat pastes in that it came wrapped in white paper with a fancy red devil printed on the outsides.

We loved it. It was a bit spicy and salty and we just thought of these sandwiches as being very tasty. I am not sure if there is anything here in the UK that is the equivalent of it. If there is I have not found it.

I usually make my own and today I used some of the leftover ham from our Easter dinner to do just that. It is a very simple thing to make if you have a food processor. I am not sure you could get the ham fine enough otherwise although you could certainly try.

I think you might could with a really sharp knife, but it would take some time, chopping and re-chopping it to get the right consistency. If you have a food processor, I would definitely use that.

Even so you need to chop the ham up into a smaller pieces anyways. I cut my ham into thin slices with a sharp knife and then slivered the slices before popping it into the food processor. I used my small processor. It worked really well.

A small amount of softened butter adds to the richness of this spread. Making it even creamier. Don't use cold butter. It won't amalgamate as well. You need it to be softened. This gets blitzed with ham just until both are well mixed together and you cannot tell where one starts and the other ends.

Once that has happened it is only a matter of scraping it into a bowl and then adding a few more ingredients to add to the pleasure of this tasty spread.

Mayonnaise and mustard. I use real mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. The Dijon provides lots of flavour and heat and the mayo adds to the creaminess.

Sweet pickle relish. Now that is not something which is readily available here in the UK.

The closest thing I have found to it is this.

This is what I normally use however. I buy it from an American supply shop and it lasts for quite a while in the refrigerator. We enjoy it on hotdogs and burgers, etc.

If you can't get that then I suggest you get some sweet pickles (Mrs Elwood makes good ones) and chop them really fine. Or just leave them out entirely. Its your choice.

It goes without saying that you will not need any salt in this spread, the ham is salty enough, but you will need a few other things. I like to use plenty of ground black pepper, and then I add a touch of ground allspice for authenticity, and some cayenne pepper for heat.

There is not enough of any of them to be truly discernable, just enough to give you a hint of flavour and to be honest it wouldn't taste truly authentic without them.

While I am very happy to enjoy my Deviled Ham on crackers or crisp breads, Todd enjoys his in a sandwhich. This goes very well in a sandwich. Nothing else needed, just lightly buttered white bread and then a nice layer of Deviled Ham. Scrumdiddlyumptious!

Deviled Ham Spread

Yield: 16

Author: Marie Rayner

This is rich, tangy, a touch sweet with a bit of heat. In short, delicious. Ready to spread on crackers or crisp breads or to fill a sandwich. This is perfect.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound of roast ham, thinly sliced and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 TBS unsalted butter, softened
5 TBS real mayonnaise
3 TBS Dijon mustard
2 TBS sweet pickle relish
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Instructions:

How to cook Deviled Ham Spread

Put your ham into the bowl of a food processor and blitz several pulses until coarsely chopped. Drop in the butter and blitz again, pulsing until the ham is finely chopped and the butter has been thoroughly mixed in.
Scoop the ham into a bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients, combining all well together. Cover and chill for at least half an hour before serving.
This will keep up to three days, covered and refrigerated.

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Created using The Recipes Generator

This makes about 2 cups of deviled ham. I don't recommend freezing it, but you can quite successfully cut the recipe in half. I have done so myself without any problems. It will keep a few days in the refrigerator however. I have never had to throw any of it away as it always gets used up quickly. Very moreish.

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Summer Berry Delights

Saturday, 2 July 2016

Quintessentially British, these recipes will help Wimbleton tennis fans across the UK to celebrate the grand slam in style, with some indulgent sweet treats. Who needs strawberries and cream when you have cake and pavlova?

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Meals of the Week, July 23rd - July 29th

Sunday, 30 July 2023

Here we are, another Sunday, another Meals of the Week post. The one where I share with you all the main meals I have cooked and enjoyed over the past 7 days. If I eat out for one or two of them, I also always share a homemade alternative.

I really like doing these meals of the week posts. It helps to keep me accountable and helps me to see what I am eating, if I may need to make improvements in my diet, and keeping track also helps to keep me fresh. Being able to share these things with you keeps me excited about the things I am eating because I want to inspire you as well! Since I started doing this my cooking has never been boring!

At least not to me anyways! I cannot speak for you. Maybe you find my cooking very boring! But I hope not!

I have had my oldest daughter staying with me for half of this week and she will be with me all of next week. This has also been fun. I like having someone around to cook for and I know she enjoys eating the things I cook! She has helped me out a bit as well! And we get to do it together for one more week!

Its a bit sad when your kids all grow up and move out of the house, you lose your spouse, and you find yourself living all on . It can be very tempting when you live on your own to want to take the easy way out and eat frozen dinners or other convenience foods.

My goal is to not do that. I want to cook for myself fresh and delicious meals every day of the week. This makes for a healthier and happier me. So for as long as I can, this is what I will be doing, and hopefully you don't mind me sharing my meals with you.

Perhaps we can both be inspired! And so, here are my meals for the last 7 days. My daughter was with me for half of them, which made a nice change!

SUNDAY, July 23rd - Crock Pot Mongolian Beef

Family Dinner Day and this week it was a meal with a bit of an Oriental slant to it, Crock Pot Mongolian Beef. I love Crock Pot Meals on a Sunday. Everything just gets popped into the slow cooker early in the day and it cooks all by itself until supper time. The smell of this is amazing. Ginger, soy, garlic and brown sugar, with a bit of heat from crushed red chilies.

You can totally adapt the heat to your taste. This is delicious served with steamed rice and some vegetables on the side. The leftovers make a fabulous Fried Rice.

MONDAY, July 24th - Curried Beef Fried Rice

I used the leftovers from the roast to make myself some curried beef fried rice. It actually worked out very well. I love fried rice. You can make it from just about anything. Some cooked vegetables, or raw carrots, frozen corn, peas, onions, cabbage, cauliflower. You name it, it goes!

A bit of scrambled egg, a bit of meat and Bob's Your Uncle! Dinner is done! I like a bit of sauce on mine sometimes. Usually I like to pour a bit of Ketjap Manis on mine, which is a thickened sweet soy sauce. I make my own from scratch.

TUESDAY, July 25th - Cold Ham and Sweet & Crunchy Corn Chip Salad

We have had a hot and sticky week weatherwise. I wasn't feeling overly hungry on Tuesday so I had myself some cold sliced ham and enjoyed it along with a salad. Sweet & Crunchy Corn Chip Salad. I love this salad which is the perfect mix of crunchy, sweet, creamy, smoky. Bacon, Cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, corn ships and a poppyseed dressing. What's not to love!

WEDNESDAY, July 26th - Dinner out with Dad, Hazel and Eileen

On Wednesday nights I go out to dinner with my dad and his friend Hazel. Eileen (my oldest daughter) was with us this week. I had the special, which was a club sandwich panini. It was not near as tasty as my own homemade Ultimate Turkey Club Sandwich, but someone else was cooking it so it made a nice change!

Dad and Hazel had Fish and Chips. Eileen had Spaghetti with meat Sauce. We were all happy. I had a slice of raisin pie for dessert (very naughty), Eileen and Dad had Coconut Cream Pie and Hazel had a slice of carrot cake!

THURSDAY, July 27th - Grilled Chicken with a Summer Berry Salsa

Still hot so we enjoyed some grilled chicken with a delicious berry salsa. This salsa is filled with plenty of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, a bit of zip from a red chili, some chopped coriander leaf, red onion, ripe avocado, and lime juice. Nice and zesty and goes beautifully with the mild flavor of the chicken! The chicken is just seasoned with some salt and black pepper and brushed with some oil prior to grilling.

This is a simple supper with lovely fresh tastes. If you wanted a heartier supper you could add some cooked rice or even a baked potato.

FRIDAY, July 28th - Crispy Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta

I know, chicken two days in a row, but my daughter and I both like chicken and this was a completely different way of cooking it than the day before. Plus we were out and about and wanted something really quick and easy. This is all that and more. Frozen crispy coated chicken breasts are cooked and while they are cooking you make a delicious creamy garlic sauce to toss with freshly cooked penne.

The two together are really delicious. Tender and juicy pieces of chicken and that creamy pasta. So good, and done in less than half an hour. You can't beat it for a quick meal. We enjoyed a salad on the side.

SATURDAY, July 29th - Quick Naan Bread Pizzas

We both love these Quick Naan Bread Pizzas. They use a simple Naan Bread base. You can use a garlic one, or a plain one. They are brushed with some of the oil from a jar of marinated artichoke halves and then topped with a variety of cheeses and the artichokes and plenty of green olives, and some fresh thyme leaves.

These are really delicious. You could go the traditional route and use pizza sauce and regular pizza toppings, but these make a tasty change from the regular.

Again we had some salad on the side. We didn't want to eat too much because we were going to have a movie night with some crisp vegetable dippers and homemade Garden Herb dip and some hummus. We also had some grapes and cheese. Yummy!

And that was the week that was! My daughter and I ate very well and enjoyed a nice fresh variety of things. Today we are going to my sister's for supper and we have a whole new week of things to enjoy together coming up! She goes home on Saturday.

Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!

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Salmon Pie Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Tuesday, 18 July 2017

Of all my favourite childhood food memories, the most favourite of all has to be my mother's Salmon Pie. It's very much a French Canadian thing and is delicious. A two crusted pie filled with a mix of tinned salmon mashed together with grated onion, mashed potato, seasoning and herbs. If this pie was on the menu in our house, everybody was happy! Leftover cooked salmon also works very well.

I can remember when I was just a young Bride newly married, I would bake one if I knew my father was going to be stopping by for lunch. It was a real treat for him. If it wasn't salmon pie it was a toasted bologna and cheese sandwich with mustard and chives. My Uncle Harold used to stop by for glasses of cold cool-aid. Good times!

Today I started to thinking that the salmon filling for the pie would be the perfect filling for a baked potato, and maybe even a bit lower in fat than having a pie, and certainly a bit less trouble because there would be none of the faff of making pastry, rolling it out etc.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to try it and so that's just what I did, with really delicious results I hasten to add! These are fabulous!

In order to keep the kitchen cool, I did the initial baking of the potatoes in the Microwave, which worked very well and takes a lot less time. In fact, from start to finish these were done and on the table in less than half an hour which also makes them a quick supper!

I like the boneless, skinless salmon. There is no waste and I don't have to spend ages picking out the skin and bones only to end up with fingers that I can't get the smell of the fish off of. Blecch. I hate that smell and I hate getting a fish bone in my mouth! In any case I was really pleased with the results of my experiment and I think you will be too.

*Salmon Pie Stuffed Baked Potato*

Makes 4

Printable Recipe

My favourite savoury pie filling stuffed into a potato shell. Scrumptious.

2 large baking potatoes

170g tin tin boneless, skinless salmon,
drained and mashed (about 6 ounces)

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

2 TBS butter

a bit of softened butter for rubbing on the potato skins (optional)

2 TBS dairy sour cream

salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 tsp summer savory (can use a mix of thyme and marjoram)

4 TBS grated cheddar cheese

Wash your baking potatoes and dry very well. Prick all over with a fork. Wrap each in paper towelling and then microwave one at a time on high in the microwave until cooked through and soft. (I had really big potatoes and it took six minutes for each.) Let stand for a few minutes. Cut in half horizontally and scoop out the insides carefully with a teaspoon into a bowl, and leaving the skins intact. Mash the potato pulp together with the butter, sour cream, salmon, spring onions, salt, pepper and summer savoury. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Divide this mixture between the four potato skins and fill them, fluffing up the tops a bit with the tines of a fork. Place onto a baking tray. Rub the skins with a bit of softened butter if desired. Sprinkle 1 TBS grated cheese on top of each.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Bake the filled potato skins for about 15 minutes until heated through and the cheese has melted and turned golden. Serve hot with some salad on the side.

A salad on the side and dinner is served! Serves 2 hearty eaters, or 4 small eaters. Bon Appetit!

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Tuna Nicoise Salad