Riviera Spa Salad
"A salad featuring the flavors of Mediterranean France, with enough vitamins and protein to give you energy for windsurfing or dancing, but minimal fat to keep you looking sleek on the beach. Submitted for Ready Set Cook Contest, Summer 2005."
- Ready In:
- 24mins
- Ingredients:
- 16
- Serves:
-
2
ingredients
- 1⁄2 red bell pepper
- 8 ounces fresh green beans
- 1 (6 1/2 ounce) can canned tuna, drained and flaked (or leftover tuna)
- 1 cup chickpeas, canned or cooked from scratch, rinsed
- 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
-
Dressing
- 1⁄2 cup plain yogurt (lowfat or nonfat)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced fine
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed lightly between your fingers
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1⁄8 teaspoon paprika
directions
- Broil the red pepper half until the skin blisters and chars; let cool and remove the skin.
- When the pepper is cooled and peeled, dice them.
- Clean the green beans, remove the ends, and cut into smaller pieces if desired - They look better long but are easier to eat small - you can always cut them up on the plate.
- Blanch the green beans in boiling water for about 6 minutes.
- Make the dressing: Mix the yogurt, vinegar, and garlic, then mix in the rest of the dressing ingredients.
-
These amounts are for 2 servings, so you'll use half of everything on each plate:
- On each plate, arrange green beans, chickpeas, and tuna each on a third of the plate.
- Sprinkle the capers over the tuna.
- Sprinkle the diced roasted red pepper over the chickpeas.
- Pour as much dressing as desired over each salad.
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Reviews
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Fresh and attractive. I actually made this some time ago when we had guests, and forgot to post a review. I did cook the beans for less than 6 mins as I suggested in my ill-conceived first comments. As I have it available, I used fresh thyme, basil and oregano, finely chopped. Instead of the vinegar I used lemon juice. Original and refreshing. Oh yes: I doubled the recipe to use with French bread as a lunch for the guests. -
Tuna, beans & peppers work well together as a combination of flavors. The dressing is just heavenly. I made up a double batch, so I can use it again on other salads.
Tweaks
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Fresh and attractive. I actually made this some time ago when we had guests, and forgot to post a review. I did cook the beans for less than 6 mins as I suggested in my ill-conceived first comments. As I have it available, I used fresh thyme, basil and oregano, finely chopped. Instead of the vinegar I used lemon juice. Original and refreshing. Oh yes: I doubled the recipe to use with French bread as a lunch for the guests.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I live in Los Angeles, and there are really great farmer's markets here, and corner stores featuring foods of many nations. I try to take advantage of these resources by using fresh seasonal produce and trying foods from different cultures. I don't exactly have the problem of not being able to find exotic ingredients; more often, I see things in the local stores (lotus root! passionfruit! chayote!) that turn out to be delicious when I finally learn how to prepare them. Interested in expanding my repertoire of techniques and cuisines, I finally took up my sister - Recipezaar member Roosie - on her recommendation to visit this site. I hear our parents use it too sometimes, but they don't seem to have figured out how to write reviews. My culinary pet peeve is when people stir rice while it's cooking, thereby making it gummy.
