Nicoise Salad

Approximately 600 calories per person for two people

Prep time: 20 to 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes, including getting water to a boil

Ingredients

8 ounces (223 grams) unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/3 inch thick
8 ounces (223 grams) thin green beans, washed and trimmed
2 large eggs, medium, soft boiled
8 ounces (225 grams) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
½ head Boston (or Bibb, Butter, Red or Green Leaf or Romaine) lettuce – leaves separated, trimmed, and washed. Ideally you have 8 large leaves, but 10 to 12 medium leaves will work.
4 radishes, trimmed and quartered
1 5 ounce can or packet of Tuna in water, drained and patted very dry with a paper towel
16 Kalamata olives, sliced in halves
4 teaspoons (tsp) capers
1 tablespoon (Tbsp) of Sherry Cooking Wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (Tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) white wine vinegar
- ⅓ ounce (10 grams) shallot, minced
- ½ tablespoon (Tbsp) dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon (Tbsp) mustard with seeds
- ½ tablespoon (Tbsp) fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Prep the potatoes, green beans, shallot, thyme, lettuce, tomatoes, tuna, and olives.
Make the dressing:
- Whisk the white wine vinegar, shallot, mustards, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper (more or less to taste) in a bowl.
- Whisk the olive oil into the above ingredients – pouring it in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.
- Set aside
Toss the sliced tomatoes in a small bowl and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Cook the potatoes:
- Put the sliced potatoes in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Do not over cook. You want the potatoes firm and throughout cooked but not mushy.
- With a slotted spoon, carefully remove potatoes from the pan and transfer to a medium bowl, leaving the hot water in the saucepan to cook the beans.
- Drizzle the potatoes with the Sherry cooking wine. Occasionally, toss them, but gently, as you allow them to cool.
Cook the Green Beans.
- If needed, add more water and salt to the saucepan to cover the beans. Bring water to a boil. (While the water is reaching a boil, fill a bowl with salted ice water to cold-plunge the cooked beans.)
- Add the green beans to the boiling water. Cook 2-4 minutes until crisp-tender and bright green.
- Drain the beans and immediately plunge the them into the ice water.
- Leave for only a moment, then remove with slotted spoon, drain, pat dry and set aside.
Cook the eggs
- Egg cooker method for soft boiled eggs:
  - If the eggs are cold, set the cooker for hard boiled to achieve soft/medium boiled eggs
- If not using the egg cooker, apply these steps:
  - Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover the shells one inch high in cold water.
  - Over high heat, bring to a boil then cover and lower to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let stand, 10 minutes.
  - Drain, then run under cold water to cool.
- Peel the eggs in a bowl of cold water.
- Slice the medium-cooked eggs into quarters. Set aside.
Pour any juices rendered from cutting the tomatoes into the dressing.
Divide the lettuce among 2 plates, making a ‘base’ of leaves over the entire surface of the plate.
Arrange the potatoes, green beans, radishes, eggs, olives, capers, tomatoes, and tuna on top of the leaves. Be artistic! Food is celebration!
Stir the dressing, then drizzle the two plates evenly to cover all the ingredients.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!