It isn’t always easy to get fresh produce into our diets. I get it…some of us have kids (or husbands, not that I’m naming names) who only like certain fruits and veggies and refuse don’t like to try new things. Short of force-feeding, what’s a veggie-loving girl to do?
Sometimes you have to get inventive. One surefire way I’ve found to get veggies into the most stubborn veggie-averse eaters is to take a classic favorite and tweak it just a little. Not too much, because then it automatically gets put in the “I’ve never had that/I don’t like that/I don’t think I’ll like that” category. Just change it enough to keep the recipe fresh and exciting.
Like using salmon instead of tuna in a lovely Niçoise Salad. :)
What inventive ideas do you have for fresh eating?
Salmon Niçoise Salad
Serves 2
Salad:
2 salmon fillets, pan-seared in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper
2 cups mixed field greens
1 cup green beans, blanched in boiling water for 90 seconds and then chilled in an ice bath
4 baby potatoes (about 1 cup sliced potato), sliced, boiled until tender, drained, and cooled
6 baby Roma tomatoes, halved (or any tomatoes you like)
6-8 black good quality olives (such as Niçoise or Kalamata)
8 soft-boiled (or hard-boiled, if you prefer) quail eggs*
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice)
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch salt and pepper
*If you can’t find quail’s eggs, you can use 2 hen’s eggs (1 per person, since 4 quail eggs equals about 1 hen’s egg).
To soft boil the quail’s eggs, bring a small saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Carefully add the quail’s eggs and boil for 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer the eggs from the boiling water directly into an ice bath (a bowl of cold water filled with ice). Cool completely, then crack and peel, being a bit careful because the membrane between the egg white and shell is a little thicker than in a chicken’s egg. (To make medium-boiled quail’s eggs, boil for 3 minutes; for hard-boiled, boil 4 minutes. I used Simply Cooked’s guide on How to Cook Perfect Quail’s Eggs and it worked like a charm.)
Arrange all salad components on two plates in any decorative way you like. Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and drizzle on top. Serve immediately, with fresh ground black pepper on top.
With ultra-filtered water from the first ever hands-free dispenser, and micro-climate controls powered by TwinChill technology, the new GE French Door Refrigerator is engineered to push the limits of fresh.
Disclosure: Compensation for this post was provided by GE via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are my own, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of GE.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Sue/the view from great island says
August 24, 2012 at 10:05 amThis is my favorite way to eat in the summer, and salmon makes this salad so much classier!
Rosa says
August 24, 2012 at 10:26 amA beautiful salad! Perfect with salmon.
cheers,
Rosa
Lisa says
August 24, 2012 at 10:58 amThis sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing… :-)
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz says
August 24, 2012 at 11:50 amI love the colors of this classic salad and this is nicely paired with fish. Oh yes those ‘kids’ can be difficult!
nancy at good food matters says
August 24, 2012 at 2:55 pmWhat a great idea to have salmon in place of tuna. I like to serve these sorts of deconstructed salads in the summer, where you can simply graze. I think the veggie-adverse eaters do better with that sort of easy picking.
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
August 24, 2012 at 9:39 pmThat is a beautiful salad Faith and those eggs are stunning in there! Come over and make me one ;)
Jenn and Seth says
August 24, 2012 at 10:14 pmthis is a gorgeous meal, i love the idea of replacing the tuna with salmon!
angela@spinachtiger says
August 25, 2012 at 7:20 amA much better idea than tuna. I love healthy and this is a great classy choice.
tania@mykitchenstories.com.au says
August 25, 2012 at 7:55 amI love it it looks great. A fantastic twist on the old nicoise
Jeanette says
August 25, 2012 at 8:33 amWhat clean eating – love this made with salmon, and those little quail eggs look perfect for this salad.
Sanjeeta kk says
August 25, 2012 at 8:56 amYou are right, Faith, tweaking our traditional recipes is a sure shot way to get veggies going! Now my children love the taste of most of the veggies…
marla says
August 26, 2012 at 10:31 amSalmon is my all time favorite!! This salad sure impresses :)
Krista says
August 26, 2012 at 8:33 pmWhat a good idea, Faith. :-) I love tuna would have salmon over tuna ANY day. :-) I like making fresh gazpacho to get fresh veggies in my diet. :-) It’s so much easier to eat that a huge salad, and tastes absolutely wonderful. :-)
Katerina says
August 27, 2012 at 7:49 amI love salmon and quite often substitute my tuna salad with salmon. This nicoise looks perfect for my diet!