Salade Niçoise

I had a can of tuna and I didn't want to make another tuna fish sandwich- so I let it hang out in the pantry until one night I was totally inspired a la Julia Child to make a salad niçoise.. my version.

Category:  Dinner OR Lunch, Main Dish, Salad


Frenchman Rating: 9/10, "Incredibly delicious, and surprisingly was not simply just a salad, but a filling meal."

Cost per Serving:  €2.53 per serving

 Ingredients

• 1/2 sac of mache lettuce OR 1/2 head of any type of green leafy lettuce

• 2 whole tomatoes, chopped into chunks  

• 1 can of tuna (usually about 15oz can)

• 2 lemons

• 1 tin of sardines (suprisingly delicious, tastes like a rich tuna)

• 1 large can green beans

• 4 boiled eggs, shelled, chopped
• 3/4 medium onion, sliced
• 1/3 cup black olives (pitted or non pitted)
• 3-4 baked or steamed potatoes
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Begin by opening the tuna, draining, opening the green beans, draining, and pretty much preparing everything (chopped tomatoes/eggs, sliced onions, steam the potatoes)..
2. Mix up the '*super ball-samic dressing'
3. Layer:
1. Lettuce
2. Tomatoes/Olives/Greenbeans
3. Tuna/Onions with a little spritz of lemon juice or oregano
4. Eggs
4. Serve with dressing on side, or dressing tossed into it.  Serve with two slices of lemon. I like to ensure my potatoes are still warm when I do the tossing.. really goes well with a crusty bread.

*super ball-samic dressing
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon red wine
2 tsp grainy mustard
(Shake well, serve)

Salade Lyonnaise

Typical Lyonnaise, typically delicious.  A salad that's like breakfast for dinner- easy, uncomplicated and totally filling.


This is my version.


Category:  Dinner, Main Dish OR Entrance

Frenchman Rating:  8/10, Successful



Ingredients 

Salad

• 1/2 butter leaf lettuce, chopped bite size
• 1 cup frisee lettuce
• 1 cup smoked bacon (chopped) and cooked
• 2 roma tomatoes (sliced) or chopped
• 1 small red onion (sliced thin)
• 1 garlic clove (chopped fine)
• 2 eggs

Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Begin by heating a pan over medium heat, add the bacon once the temperature is reached.
2. While bacon is cooking, insure all lettuce is cleaned and well dried and place in a salad bowl, mixing the arugula or curly endive (aka frisée) and the romaine lettuce.
3. Remove bacon from heat, place on layered paper towels to soak up the oil.
4. Poach all eggs, ensuring it's squishy in the middle, set each aside on a plate. To poach eggs: place about 2-3 cups water into a shallow pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so there are no bubbles. Either break the egg directly (gently) into the hot water, or place in a separate bowl and release into the hot water. Once in the water, use a spoon to lift the white and more water over the egg. Do each egg separately. You can also serve with a sunny-side up fried egg, yolk still squishy, if the poaching does not work.
5. Mix together the dressing ingredients, which will create a mild vinaigrette. Simply whisk the ingredients together in a bowl or shake in an empty glass jar. Adjust according to personal taste.
6. Assemble the salad by the following layers for each plate: 1.5 cup lettuce mixture, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, sprinkled around lettuce, 1/4 of the roma tomatoes, 1/4 of the chopped onions, 1/4 cup smoked cooked bacon and finally top with the poached or sunny-side fried egg
   .
7. Serve the vinaigrette on the side, or place about 1/4 of the mixture over the finished salad.
8. Enjoy as an entrance to a meal, or double for a main dish.

Essum ut vivas, bon appetit.