On Wednesday I prepared two outstanding salads on AM Northwest - the Real Salade Nicoise and a Hands On Caesar Salad. You can watch the segment here.

The Real Salade Niçoise
Prepare everything the night before and this makes a great salad for a picnic in the park. When eating the salad, make sure you get a little bit of everything on your fork because the flavors work so well together.

Serves 2

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 large eggs
4 cups mixed baby greens
2 small tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 medium cucumber slices, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 large basil leaves, chopped
20 pitted Niçoise olives
4 ounces good quality tuna packed in oil, drained
4 good-quality anchovy fillets
Salt and pepper

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Gently lower eggs into water and cook 11 minutes. Drain eggs and cover with cold water. When eggs are cool enough, crack and peel them. Slice eggs into quarters and set aside.

To assemble salad, mound lettuce in middle of two plates. Place tomato wedges and eggs decoratively around edge of plate. Sprinkle cucumbers, green pepper, green onion, and olives over lettuce. Top with basil, tuna and anchovy fillets. Spoon dressing over top and serve.

Hands On Caesar Salad
I love food that you can eat with your hands and this salad is definitely fit for that.  I usually explain to guests when they sit down at the table that there’s a rule when eating the salad – you can’t use any utensils.  I usually get a few questionable looks, but as soon as they begin, they can’t stop.   This recipe has no anchovies or raw eggs, so it’s perfect for kids.

Serves 4

4 tablespoons mayonnaise – preferably Best Foods or Hellmann’s
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard – preferably Greg Poupon
1 tablespoon Worchester sauce
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese + plus more for garnish
2 cloves of garlic – one finely chopped, one smashed
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons
2 slices sourdough bread, crusts cut off and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 package hearts of romaine

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add smashed clove of garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add bread cubes and coat evenly with oil.  Stir cubes until crisp and toasted, approximately 5 minutes.  Transfer cubes to paper towel and cool.

Mix first six ingredients in a bowl to blend.  Slowly whisk in oil.  The amount of oil used depends on your taste.  Set dressing aside.

Cut off bottom of each head or lettuce and separate leaves into spears.  Place whole lettuce leaves on salad plates with larger leaves on the bottom and smaller leaves on top.  Drizzle a couple tablespoons of dressing over each salad.  Top with croutons.  Using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan curls over the top.  Eat with your hands – no forks needed!

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