For decades, any salad that contained tuna was labeled a Niçoise salad – whether the tuna was fresh, canned, raw, or cooked. Few of these salads resemble the iconic, authentic salad of Nice made with thin-skinned green peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and other local vegetables such as baby artichokes and olives. It’s easy to make a…
Niçoise Salade
Ingredients 1 head Boston lettuce or bibb 112-ounce can or jar imported tuna in olive oil 12 small new potatoes (cook until tender, then halve) 1 cup green beans, (trim ends, cook until tender) ½ red bell pepper (seed & julienne) 16-ounce jar artichoke hearts, marinated, drained 2 firm ripe tomatoes (quarter lengthwise) 2 hard-cooked…
Salad with Parsley and Romaine Lettuce
Oftentimes I’ll use parsley as a salad green, either using the leaves whole, or opting to cut them into a chiffonade (as done in this delicate salad.) Dressed with a simple vinaigrette, or a simple combination of 1tbsp lemon juice & 3tbsps olive oil (extra virgin) – either way, this is deliciously moreish! Ingredients 1…
Albacore Steak with Tomatoes and Lettuce
Inspired by a Provençal tuna dish, albacore works just as well. This is an ideal dish for New Year’s, what with all the bringers of prosperity in the green leaves & fish. Saffron is optional, but brings a unique flavor. I personally enjoy serving the lettuce as a side dish, cut into thin strips, but…
Petits Pois de L’Oustau de Baumanière
Ingredients 1 ½teaspoons olive oil (extra virgin) 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted) 2 ounces pork belly, sliced & uncured, or bacon (dice into ¼ inch pieces) 3 scallions, (use only white/light green parts, save the rest for another use). Slice thinly crosswise. 8 ounces fresh green shelled peas, peeling optional (view notes) 2 to 3 tablespoons…
Korean Grilled Beef Lettuce Wraps
This dish is sinfully addictive. Marinated in a salty, sweet, spicy marinade, these thinly-sliced strips of beef are swiftly seared on a grill before being rolled up in a Korean-style wrap (ssam). Fold 1-2 pieces of steak, some rice, herbs & vegetables inside a crispy lettuce leaf to start your addiction! Make sure to place…
Winter Squash Puree
This spicy cooked vegetable puree is typically served as a starter – one of many such purees popular across North Africa. Flavored with harissa (spicy hot pepper taste popular in Algeria & Tunisia), this is a truly authentic dish. If harissa is easily available, substitute 1 tspn (or more) to taste for the cayenne. This…
Black-Eyed Pea Fritters
This recipe is renowned chef Pierre Thiam’s unique take on a traditional Senegalese dish – the accara, or black-eyed pea fritter. Sold on street corners across West Africa, often as a sandwich on a fresh baguette. This recipe treats them more like a falafel, as they’re stuffed inside a pita bread instead. The spicy pickled…
Green Papaya Salad
Green papaya salad goes by ‘som tum’ in Thailand, som means sour, while tum is a reference to the pounding sound a large pestle makes when crushing ingredients. Often eaten as a snack, or alongside marinated grilled chicken and beef. Ingredients 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic (peeled) ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon dry-roasted…
Braised Lettuce
Ingredients 8 well-rounded heads of Little Gem or bibb lettuce 8 tablespoons butter (unsalted) Salt and freshly ground black pepper Juice of 1/2 lemon Nutritional Information Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings): 250 calories; 23 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams…