Carmela Soprano's Tuna Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes ............ Salad Niçoise

There's a recipe that reminds me of Salad Niçoise in Jennifer's chapter

Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Don't panic at the fancy French name.

It's another raw salad, alright.

It's just something that can be served to non-dieters, too.

It has a bit of heft to it.

Oh, about Salad Niçoise  ( French pronunciation: niˈswaz )…

It is a salad of tomatoes and green beans topped with tuna and anchovies

and dressed with a vinaigrette.

It is served with or without a bed of lettuce.  The tuna may be cooked or canned.

Hard-boiled eggs and Niçoise olives are common accompaniments.

Julia Child introduced it to Americans a few years ago.

Traditionally the salad included raw red peppers, shallots, and artichoke hearts,

never potatoes or other cooked vegetables.

Well, I've added leftover boiled potatoes and nobody complained.

I even used mayonnaise instead of the vinaigrette.

It's a very forgiving recipe.

In other words…

Use what you have on hand, prepare it any way you wish and enjoy.

                        Tuna Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes

Serves 2

In a large bowl place

tuna, with its oil, from one 7-ounce can

If it's a chunk, break it into pieces.

Add

2 medium tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered

3 or 4 thin slices red onion, quartered

Sprinkle with

pinch of dried oregano

1 - 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

pinch of salt

pepper to taste

Toss gently.

Arrange on a platter

8 ounces green beans, cut into bite sized pieces, cooked

Top with the tuna salad

Garnish with

lemon wedges

Serve immediately.

Would I make Tuna Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes again?

Salad Niçoise is an old favourite.

And I can remember watching Julia Child make it on her show.

Bon appétit!!

One recipe down.  Fifty-seven more to go.

Mustard (seeds and ground) / Homemade Hot Chinese Mustard - Margaret Ullrich

Mustard is not a mystery ingredient.

It's probably the first spice a kid grabs.

Especially in the summer.

I mean, what's a hot dog without mustard?

Everybody knows that creamy golden glop on top.

And prepared mustard comes in such a variety of strengths.

Notice I said "Prepared".

Yes, mustard, as most folks know it, is prepared.

Prepared from, you guessed it, seeds.

Just like Fennel and Caraway, Mustard can be bought as seeds.

Really.

And you can actually use the seeds, as is.

Add a few to pickling brine.

Dry-roast seeds in a skillet until they pop, then add to braised cabbage 

or hot green beans.

Add some to simmering brisket or corned beef.  

Make this a St. Patrick's Day they'll remember!!

And just like the other seeds, you can easily grind Mustard seeds.

That's what the big companies do to make your old favorites.

You can do it, too!!

And what fun you can have with the powdered mustard!

Add, with roasted seeds, to white sauce.  Serve with fish and meat.

Small hint:

Mix it with cold water to make a paste before adding to other food, 

to prevent clumping.

Which reminds me...

Like Chinese take-out?

Want to have more Hot Chinese Mustard?

You can make your own!!

Hot Chinese Mustard

Mix powder with water (or vinegar, or a mix of the 2)  

Let stand 10 minutes

Carmela Soprano's Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

Green beans are like eggplants.

You can't eat just one.

And there isn't just one way to cook them.

Last week I posted Ma's Green Bean Salad recipe.

But Carmela's Red, White and Green Salad was perfect for the holiday weekend.

Well, I thought it was.

In the Come to My Home chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos, 

there's a recipe for Green Beans in Tomato Sauce.

I should've posted this recipe last week so you could've compared them.

So, here's Carmela's green bean recipe.

A week late.

Big deal.

It's still good.

And there are lots more green beans to eat.

Oh, about the liquid left after cooking the beans...

In situations like this, I like to stir a teaspoon of corn starch into an ounce or so of water and then stir the corn starch water into the pot's liquid and cook it for a few minutes so I'll have a sauce that clings better.

Just an alternative.

It's your call what you prefer.

One week with corn starch, one week without.

Whoopee!!

Oh, keep an eye on the pot - garlic burns easily. 

                             

                               Green Beans in Tomato Sauce 

In a dutch oven, place

1/4 Cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes.

Chop coarsely and add

1 1/2 Cups canned Italian tomatoes, with the liquid

Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.

Add

1 pound green beans, trimmed

salt

coarsely ground black pepper

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Stir in

1/2 Cup fresh basil leaves

Remove the beans to a serving bowl

If there's too much liquid left, boil the sauce down until thickened.

Pour sauce over the beans and serve.

Would I make Green Beans in Tomato Sauce again?

Sure.

What's not to like?

It even has garlic.

Another recipe down.  Thirteen more to go.

Anna Sultana's Green Bean Salad with Dressing, Maltese Style

A little while ago I wrote about how Pop kept us fed while he was out of work.

We really depended on his garden.

Especially the green beans he grew.

And grew.

Here's one of Ma's green bean recipes.

Of course it has the Maltese touch.

Garlic.

Good for what ails you.

                        Green Bean Salad

Wash and remove tips of

1 pound fresh green beans

Cook in salted water 15 minutes.

Drain.

Put beans in bowl.

Add

1/4 Cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

Toss well.  Check seasoning.  

Serve warm or chilled.

What's nice about this recipe is you can make extra.

Store the extra beans in the fridge for when you're going to be busy.

It improves while storing.

Well, as much as green beans can improve.

Don't expect miracles.

Carmela Soprano's Green Bean, Potato and Red Onion Salad

Did you get compliments for making Carmela Soprano's Cream Puffs?

Did folks say "Oh, you shouldn't have?"

Good.

A little guilt, when your guest or the family has it, is a good thing.

Okay... speaking of guilt, it is still Lent and we should eat simply.

In the Welcome to the Family chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with The Sopranos, Carmela throws together a Green Bean, Potato and Red Onion Salad. 

Now this is the chapter with recipes Carm prepares for family gatherings.

Important gatherings.

Baptisms, Communions, and Confirmations.

Once in a lifetime occasions.

Sometimes I just don't know what that girl is thinking.

Well, maybe she made this for the dieters in the family.

Like Janice.

Yeah, right.

This recipe uses some of those capers you bought back in November 

for Carmela's sea bass recipe.

And you could serve it with a tin of tuna for some protein.

Let's live off that hump.  

                        Green Bean, Potato and Red Onion Salad

                       

Serves 4 to 6

Steam until tender

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed, cut (or buy frozen) 

Place on a large serving platter

----

Put in a medium saucepan

4 to 6 medium Yukon gold or red-skin potatoes

             Peeled, if you want, and cut into cubes.

add 

cold water to cover

salt to taste

Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Drain and let cool slightly.

----

In a large bowl, whisk together

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

3 to 4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt & black pepper to taste

Stir in 

2 Tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained.

Add

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

the cooked beans and potatoes

Toss well.

Serve at room temperature.

Okay...  

At this rate you should have an empty shelf or two in a few months.

It took a while to build that hump.

It'll take a while to eat it all.

Would I make Green Bean, Potato and Red Onion Salad again?

Sure.

And I'd add a tin of tuna... or two.

Another recipe down.  Twenty-five more to go.

Carmela Soprano's Italian Tuna Salad using Canned Tuna

Last week I prepared Carmela Soprano's Veal Rollatini with Peas.

I know... 

it was a bother to make and the vegetarians in the family were giving you The Look.

The Look that Paulie Walnuts gives on a bad day.

A bad day for someone else.

You felt like you were Big Pussy on the boat ride.

The non-return boat ride.

Well, so much for the fancy shmancy dinners.

Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday.

We're in Lent.

Time to cut back.

Time to trim the fat.

Eat simply.

Cook simply.

Hey, maybe Lent's a good thing.

In the Fit for a Bride chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with The Sopranos, Carmela prepares an Italian Tuna Salad. 

Sometimes I wonder about old Carm.

She has some weird ideas on what to serve at a wedding.

There was that Poached Chicken with Pesto incident.

Some whoopdy doo dish for a wedding.

Even for her sister-in-law, Janice.

Maybe it wasn't Carmela's idea.

Maybe she had a chapter on meals for Lent, or regular family meals.

Maybe her editor thought it wasn't fancy enough.

Maybe he just stuck them in this chapter.

Let's give Carm the benefit of the doubt, shall we?

Okay... tuna.  It's just about guaranteed you have a can or two on a shelf.  They're usually featured as a sale or a "buy 20 and get 10 extra airmiles" item.

Let's live off the hump.  

                        Italian Tuna Salad

                       

Serves 4 to 6

Steam until tender

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, cut (or buy frozen) 

Place on a large serving platter

----

Top the beans with

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

3 celery ribs, cut up

1/2 small red onion, sliced

----

In a small bowl, whisk together

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

salt & black pepper to taste

---- 

drain        

2  7-ounce cans of tuna

hard cook 

4 eggs, then peel and quarter them

----

Just before serving

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well.

Scatter the tuna chunks and egg quarters over the vegetables.

Garnish with 

chopped fresh parsley or basil

Serve immediately.

Okay...  Like I said last week, Carmela can buy what she wants.

This week she called for imported Italian tuna packed in olive oil.

Okay...  I don't recall seeing that in the flyers or on the shelf.

Life is short.

Use what you've got.

We're living off the hump, not going on a food quest.

Would I make Italian Tuna Salad again?

Sure.

'Shoppers' has canned tuna on sale regularly.

So does everybody else.

With and without the airmiles.

Another recipe down.  Twenty-seven more to go.