Salade Nicoise | gianna1.com

This nicoise salad is before adding the vinaigrette dressing

Nicoise Salade

The first time I had this salad was in Nice, France. We wanted a little something to eat near our hotel. It was a lovely outdoor Cafe. It was such a simple salad. I've been making it for years. It's an elegant light lunch and saves very well for leftovers. Here's what you'll need:

1 lb frozen or fresh green beans (cooked to tender stage) in salted water, drained

4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and cut into quarters

2 cans of Italian tuna packed in olive oil, drained

1/2 cup calamata olives or your favorite type

Boiled potato, chopped into cubes

2 cubed tomatoes size of the potatoes

1 can of drained canellini or chick peas (optional)

Arrange on a large flat platter by placing bunches of cold stringbeans in each corner. Do the same with the beans. Arrange the hard-boiled egg quarters around the perimeter of the dish. Place tuna in the center of the platter piled up. Scatter the tomatoes and potatoes encircling the tuna. Scatter the olives around the plate, making sure there is a variety of salad for every serving.

Vinaigrette Dressings

2/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp anchovy paste (optional)

1 Tbsp chopped shallots or onion

Put in covered bottle and shake very well. Make ahead of time to keep in the fridge before use.

You can prepare this salad before your guests arrive and drizzle the vinaigrette all over the prepared salad just before serving. This salad should be served at room temperature or cold.

Bon Appetit!

Serve with sliced baguette..

Let's get baking!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil.

Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.

Add to the processor:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.

Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.

Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth. Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.

Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte (Jan)