13 Sep SALMON NIÇOISE SALAD

SALMON NIÇOISE SALAD

We’ve had 3 days of near-100 degree weather in Los Angeles. Whew! That may be the norm for many of you, but in LA… that’s a serious heatwave! Now is not the time to be cooking (or eating) anything hot and heavy. This Salmon Niçoise Salad is perfect for hot summer evenings!  It’s typically made with seared tuna. However, tuna is high in mercury and should not be eaten more than once a week. Salmon, on the other hand, is high in nutritious omega 3 fatty acids. It’s a healthy dose of fat that makes your insides AND outsides pretty. Hooray!

(serves 6)

INGREDIENTS:
3 salmon fillets
Olive oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head butter lettuce
12 small purple potatoes (you can also use small red potatoes)
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
4-6 Roman tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
4-6 hard boiled eggs, quartered lengthwise
1 cup Niçoise olives
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced

(dressing)
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed and then minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1/2 teaspoon Stevia
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

PREPARATION:
1. Prep the grill, or grill basket, by spraying it with high-heat cooking spray. Brush salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Preheat grill to medium high heat.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the potatoes and boil until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer the potatoes to a plate to cool.

3. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook 3-5 minutes. Drain the beans and immediately add them to an ice-water bath. This will stop the cooking process and preserve the bright green color.

4. Grill the salmon 3-5 minutes per side or until salmon flakes when prodded with a fork. Set aside.

5. For the dressing, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, herbes de Provence, Stevia, and salt and pepper.

6. Break the butter lettuce apart and arrange on the bottom of a large platter. Arrange potatoes, green beans, eggs, olives, and red onion on top of the lettuce.

7. Lay the salmon fillets on top of the salad mixture (or break them into large chunks) and drizzle the dressing over the salmon and salad.

I serve this dish with toasted garlic baguettes (for my kids) and white wine (for me). Voila! A perfect dinner for a hot summer evening. 

Live Young,

Darnell 🙂