This year has been one of huge change in our house – way back in January Mr littleStuff was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, and not being a give-in kind of person he took it is a personal challenge. Since March he has lost over 6 stone in weight, and along the way has re-found his zest for life – and kicked his pancreas into working again. He’s no longer diabetic, and we seem to have almost accidentally re-invented our lifestyle; from the work we do to the food we eat, everything looks so different to the way it did a year ago.
I have noticed that as the days have grown colder and shorter, the yearning for hearty comfort foods has arrived. But this year an endless supply of sausage casseroles and cheesy shepherds pie is NOT on the menu.
What is on the menu is a whole range of veggie and fish recipes that would have been left politely uneaten if I’d served them up at any time on the last 20 years. Mr LittleStuff does NOT eat fish. At least, the old himself didn’t. The new himself oohs excitedly over a plate of mushrooms, aubergines and courgettes, asks if we might have fish again tonight, and mutters when his bread isn’t crammed full of seeds.
I know. You have no idea how weird it is.
But in a good way, obvs.
Anyway, I thought I’d share one of his new absolute favourite meals – Salade Niçoise is often seen as a summer dish, but we find using Salmon makes it a really filling hearty meal on colder nights. It’s filling and delicious, crammed full of goodness, and will be a perfect antidote to all the rich foods over the next few weeks.
Warm Salmon Salade Niçoise
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 40 minutes
Serves 4
What you need
For the Dressing:
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2tbs lemon juice
2tbs white wine vinegar (I use cider vinegar also)
1tbs minced onion/red onion/shallot
2 minced spring onions
1 clove garlic
1tbs mustard – I use Wholegrain, Dijon works well too
1tsp honey or brown sugar
Herbs – your choice form what you have available; I usually go for a handful of basil, but if I’ve none available I usually reach for 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning.
For the Salad:
6 eggs
1lb new potatoes, halved or quartered
4 Salmon fillets (one per person – if you have large fillets use your judgement, obvs)
Handful of green veg – I love sugar snap peas, but you could use green beans, asparagus, broccoli…
Olive Oil
Salad leaves
4 Medium Tomatoes
1 Onion
What You Do
- Start By Making the dressing. Add all dressing ingredients into a jug and mix well.
- Cover eggs in a small saucepan with cold water and bring to the boil. Remove the pot from the heat, and leave the eggs in the hot water for five minutes. Then transfer to icy cold water and leave to cool rapidly.
- Put the potatoes on to boil – you may need to also start your green veg here.
- Season the salmon, and heat an oiled skillet or griddle over a high heat.
- Add the salmon, and sear both sides.
- Lower the heat, and continue to cook until just cooked through.
- While it cooks, peel the eggs and quarter them
- Rapidly stir fry the sugar snap peas in a little olive oil with plenty of salt
Yes, yes – the eagle-eyed among you will have spotted that as we began to eat, the potatoes were still sitting happily in the pan… *eyeroll*
- Assemble on the plates – on the bed of salad leaves, add the quartered tomatoes and thin slices of raw onion. Then add the potatoes, peas, eggs and finally the salmon.
- Either serve dry with the dressing in a jug, or pre-drizzle yourself ;)
It’s such a simple recipe, and so flexible. You really can mix up the dressing and the beg with whatever you have to hand.
Try and add a twist to this great salmon recipe with some paprika.
Or make it a comforting winter dish with this Hot Nicoise Salad using baked tuna with green beans, tomatoes and egg.
Or perhaps Tiffanny Goodall’s chilli and asparagus version is what you need for a cold and grey January supper…
