The South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors resumed for the fall season.  We are glad to see Paul and Frank back in the kitchen after they recovered from some health issues.  We also like to welcome Keiko and Chris who are new to the kitchen.

As usual, Charlene and Stella prepared a few delicious and healthy recipes for the seniors to participate in making and enjoying them for lunch.  The first recipe is called Salade Nicoise from Charlene.  This recipe serves 2 but we trippled it in the seniors’ kitchen.

The Salade Nicoise is a wonderfully balanced meal, offering vegetables, starches, and proteins all on one plate.  This salad gets its name from a French seaside city of Nice where tuna is traditionally features in this salad.

Sydney and Frank made this Salade Nicoise.

Ingredients

• 2 red potatoes
• 6 oz. green beans (about two small fistfuls)
• 2 eggs
• 12 cherry tomatoes, slice into half
• 6 black or green olives, slice into half
• 7-oz. can top quality tuna

Dressing:

• 4 anchovies (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

P/S: missing ingredients in the photo include eggs, and dressing ingredients.

Instructions

Place the eggs in a small saucepan and fill with water until the eggs are covered by at least one inch.  Bring the water to a boil and then immediately cover the pan and remove from heat.  Allow the eggs to sit in the covered saucepan for 12 to 15 minutes.  Rinse with cold water and peel.  Once completely cool, cut each egg into 6 wedges.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.  Scrub the potatoes, then cut into 1 1/2-inch dice.  Boil the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.  Remove the potatoes and set aside.

Remove the stem ends of the green beans, then boil them in the same saucepan until firm-tender, about 4 to 6 munutes.  Remove the green beans and set aside.

Drain the tuna.  Slice the cherry tomatoes and olives into half.You may substitute the tuna with other proteins like grilled or roast chicken, island pork tenderloin or slices of grilled flank steak.

Arrange the eggs, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, olives and tuna on a platter.  Sydney did a great job on the arrangement.

To make the dressing, smash the garlic clove and place it in a small jar or plastic container.  Add whole anchovies, vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Close the jar firmly and shake to emulsify the dressing.  Since we cant find a jar in the kitchen, we just mix them in a bowl.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving.

Tips for dining solo

You may double this recipe and store the leftovers separately in the fridge.  The cooked potatoes can be used to make hash browns, the dressing can be used on a green salad, the green beans can be reheated as a side dish and the boiled eggs can be used to make egg salad sandwiches.