This recipe for Sunny Nicoise Salad combines some great fat burning foods – tuna, beans, eggs, and tomatoes. Buy tuna that is canned in brine or water not the oil variety and use fresh beans. Canned beans are ok but they won’t have the same flavour and crunch and if you use frozen make sure you thaw thoroughly and squeeze gently to remove excess water. If you want to reduce the calorie content further only use the boiled egg whites and discard the yolks and leave out the potatoes. This salad is best eaten chilled so if you have time, cook the vegetables and allow a few hours in the fridge along with the dressing before serving.
Preparation time: 10 minutes + chilling time
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Energy: 285 calories per serving
Equipment:
2 saucepans
Large mixing bowl
Sharp vegetable knife
Screw top jar or container
Serving platter
Ingredients:
1 can tuna steak
450g new potatoes
250g green beans
2 medium tomatoes
½ small red onion
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 eggs
50g pitted black olives
Lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons light oil (grape seed is good)
4 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
3/4 teaspoon dried dill
2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Wash the new potatoes and cut into bite size chinks. Boil until tender but not mushy. When cooked, strain and allow to drain.
Trim and cut the beans into short lengths and blanch for about 5 minutes until they are al dente.
Remove beans from saucepan and plunge into ice water. Strain and allow to drain.
Peel and thinly slice the onion.
Make the dressing in a screw top jar by combining the lemon juice, oil, mustard, water, dill and some salt and pepper. Shake well.
Chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces.
Boil 2 eggs and when cooled peel and cut into wedges.
Drain the tuna and break up to chunks.
In a large bowl put the tuna, potatoes, beans, olives, eggs and tomatoes.
Pour on the dressing and gently mix until the ingredients all combined and coated.
Arrange a pile of crisp green salad leaves on a platter and tip the salad mixture out onto the lettuce.