Tuna Salad with Nicoise Flavors

I was craving Tuna today and I wanted to make a salad that wasn’t creamy. I’ve been off Mayo lately, so I decided to transform one of my favorite Summer time foods – Nicoise Salad into a Tuna Salad with all the ingredients mixed in. Now, this recipe may very well offend purists, but I absolutely loved it!  I mixed a can of Tuna with the traditional ingredients – pieces of boiled Potato and a Medium Boiled Egg, a chopped Tomato, some diced cooked Green Beans and some Capers and a very few black olives I had in the fridge. I dressed the salad with a Vinaigrette that included anchovies and it was so delicious! I lined the serving bowl with lettuce and served it with Rice Crackers. It was the perfect Sunday lunch and brought me back to the Mediterranean with each bite. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and I think it makes a wonderful spread with Crackers or Bruschetta and perfect for a party.

Tuna Salad with Nicoise Flavors

1 5 oz can Tuna (preferably packed in Olive Oil) drained

1 medium Yukon Gold Potato*, washed with peel left on

1/3 cup chopped Green Beans*

1 Roma Tomato, cut into small pieces

2 Tablespoons Capers

1 Egg*

2 Tablespoons Chopped Shallot or Red Onion

2 Tablespoons White Wine, Champagne Vinegar or White Balsamic

1 or 2 Anchovy Filets, mashed

1/3 cup Olive Oil

½ teaspoon flaky Sea Salt

1 scant teaspoon Dijon Mustard

Sprinkling of Black Pepper

Optional:  2 Tablespoons of pitted black olives cut into small pieces and/or

A sprinkling of fresh Tarragon or Basil Leaves

In a saucepan, cover the potato with water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potato is tender, about 25 – 30 minutes. Remove and cool and carefully put the egg and green beans into the water. Cook for 9 minutes, drain and add cold water into the pot to cool down the green beans and egg.

In a small bowl, put the Shallot, Vinegar, Olive Oil, Anchovy and Dijon Mustard.  Stir to mix thoroughly and reserve.

Peel the Potato and cut into a small dice. Then peel the Egg and cut into small pieces. Then cut the Green Beans into small pieces. Place all in a serving bowl. Add in the Tuna, the Tomatoes, the Capers and the Olives. Drizzle the Vinaigrette over the top and stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with the Sea Salt and fresh ground Pepper. Serve in a bowl lined with lettuce and Crackers or Bruschetta on the side.

*Note: This is a great dish for using up leftover Potatoes and Green Beans or Hardboiled Eggs.

Five Element Analysis

Tuna belongs to the Water Element and the Anchovies and Egg add even more. The Vinegar, Olive Oil and Capers contribute the Wood Element. Tomatoes make sure that the Fire Element is present and the lettuce too if you eat it at the end.The Earth Element is represented by the Green Beans and Potatoes. The Dijon Mustard and herbs bring in the Metal Element.  This then is a perfectly balanced Five Element dish without even adding the crackers!

Muhamarra - Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip

It was my son's birthday today and I decided to make him some of his favorite foods.  He's quite partial to Greek food so we roasted a leg of lamb and made some lemon chicken along with a big Greek salad and some rice pilaf.  But for starters, I made some Hummus, some Eggplant Dip and Muhamarra, which is Roasted Peppers combined with walnuts.  It's a simple preparation that only requires that the peppers are roasted ahead.  Then it's a quick buzz in the Cuisinart and it's ready to go. I adapted this recipe from one I found on Epicurious. I like to make it a little ahead of time to let the flavors meld.  I served it with Pita bread for the wheat eaters and gluten free crackers for me.  This is an amazing dip that if you haven't tried, you need to!  It's incredibly satisfying in some deep primal way. It's one of those foods that you just can't get enough of and I definitely didn't make enough as it was the first to be eaten up.  I'm making it again soon!

Muhamarra

2 large Red Bell Peppers

1 cup Walnuts

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (reserve a little for drizzling on top)

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut Red Peppers in half and remove seeds. Place skin side out on baking dish.  Put in the oven and cook until the skin is blistered and beginning to blacken.  Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 - 15 minutes.  Then remove skin and place the peppers in the Cuisinart.  Add the walnuts, olive, oil, lemon juice, Paprika, Sugar, Cumin, Salt and Cayenne Pepper. Blend until smooth. 

Place in a bowl and drizzle with reserved olive oil and garnish with a few Walnut halves. Serve with Pita Bread, Pita Chips or crackers of your choice.

Five Element Analysis

Red Peppers, Paprika and Cayenne Pepper belong to the Fire Element and Walnuts represent the Water Element so those elements are covered. The Olive Oil and Lemon Juice bring in the Wood Element. The Earth Element is shown in the small amount of Sugar and the Cumin contributes some of the Metal Element. Although all the elements are present, the Earth and Metal Elements need some support so be sure to serve foods from those elements during the meal.

Spanikopita

I had a request for my Spanikopita recipe from a friend, who had it at a party I gave last year. So I decided to go ahead and make it again so I could take a picture to post the recipe for her. I had Filo dough in the freezer, as I usually do, but this time it came out in pieces so that the crust had to be layered. It came more delicate that usual and I decided that I like it better this way so I am going to give up trying to make perfect Spanikopita from now on. Many of you probably eat these as little appetizer triangles, but I actually like it best as a pie. Actually it is a cross between a pie and a quiche.  It looks much harder to make than it is - it literally takes just minutes to put together and then you just pop it in the oven until it is brown. It is so delicious!  

Spanakopita

2 Tablespoons butter

1 small bunch scallion

1 leek, chopped

3 pounds spinach, washed - stems removed

1 small bunch parsley leaves, stems removed and chopped

1 small bunch dill leaves, stems removed and chopped

1/2 salt and freshly ground pepper

½ pound (8 oz) feta cheese

4 eggs lightly beaten

About 12 Filo sheets, unrolled flat and kept covered

4 Tablespoons melted butter

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook spinach until wilted and drain it.  Squeeze out extra liquid.  Then, heat the butter in the pan and sauté the leeks until soft.  Add spinach to scallions and add parsely and dill – sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in the feta and the eggs. 

Now assemble the pie. Butter the 9” inch round pie pan. Then spread 6 filo sheets, brushing each with butter, letting the extra hang over the sides. Put in the spinach mixture and bring the filo over the top. Then take remaining filo dough in big strips and lay on top (buttering each one as you go). Tuck the extra filo down the sides or fold under on top. If the filo stays intact, you can cut several steam vents with a sharp knife.

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until the top is golden and flaky. Cut into 8 pieces and serve warm or cold.

Five Element Analysis

Spinach belongs to the Wood Element and the Filo adds even more as it is made from wheat.  The eggs add the Water Element. The Feta cheese, green onions, leek, dill and parsley contribute the Metal Element.  This dish is missing the Fire Element, which is easy if you serve it with tea or coffee or something else spicy.  And it is also missing the Earth Element, so serve something sweet later to create a Five Element balance.

Provencal Style Pissaladiere with Tomatoes

I didn't know what to call this recipe because it is an amalgamation of different things I like to eat in the South of France and Mediterranean Italy. I came home from my birthday visit to Nice with a bag of really wonderful Herbes de Provence and felt like making something with it that reminded me of that fabulous trip. And, I was invited to a friend's birthday party and needed to bring an appetizer. So, I created this variation of a Pissaladiere which is a Southern French Flatbread with Caramelized Onions and Anchovies, but is is also a lot like a pizza minus the cheese. I decided to take a little shortcut and used puff pastry instead of a raised yeast dough. Also, I didn't have quite enough onions so that's why I decided to add some tomatoes along with just a bit of anchovy paste along with those wonderful herbs to make little appetizer bites for the party. They were a huge hit!  And, since the recipe was requested many times, I decided to post it for all of you too. It's a simple recipe as most of my recipes are and can be served whole and cut like a pizza or cut up in little bite sized pieces. Because there were a number of Pescatarians there - vegetarians who also eat fish - I didn't put on ham, but I thought about it and I am sure that it wold be really good addition. Nicoise Olives would be a good garnish too and I will remember to put on both those next time.

Provencal Style Pissaladiere with Tomatoes

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 large onions chopped

1 large canned tomatoes

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon Anchovy Paste or 1 salted Anchovy

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 package  (17 1/4 oz) frozen Puff Pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large frying pan, put in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and onions. Cook until onions are lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Put on a plate to reserve until later.

Heat remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil in the pan, add the tomatoes and break them up into smaller pieces with the spatula (or squeeze them through your fingers).  Add in the sugar and Herbes de Provence and cook stirring until the mixture becomes thick.  Return the onions to the pan and turn off heat. 

Toll out the two sheets of puff pastry into about 12 inch squares. Fold over the edges to create a rim and put half of the tomato mixture on the puff pastry, spreading to the edges.  Bake until the edges (and underside of the pastry) are golden brown - about 20 - 25 minutes. Cut into bite sized pieces for a party or into squares if serving as part of a meal.  

Five Element Analysis

Puff Pastry is made of wheat and that belongs to the Wood Element so that element is covered.  Tomatoes and the the Cayenne Pepper bring in the Fire Element.  The Earth Element is represented by the caramelized onions.  There is just a hint of the Water Element with the Anchovy Paste and the Metal Element is also barely there with the Herbes de Provence and the garlic.  But the Water and Metal Elements need enhancing so be sure to serve this appetizer with some other foods that contain a lot of the Water and Metal Elements.  This was served with a lot of other appetizers that had cream cheese and sour cream and there was also some roasted

I didn't know what to call this recipe because it is an amalgamation of different things I like to eat in the South of France and Mediterranean Italy. I came home from my birthday visit to Nice with a bag of really wonderful Herbes de Provence and felt like making something with it that reminded me of that fabulous trip. And, I was invited to a friend's birthday party and needed to bring an appetizer. So, I created this variation of a Pissaladiere which is a Southern French Flatbread with Caramelized Onions and Anchovies, but is is also a lot like a pizza minus the cheese. I decided to take a little shortcut and used puff pastry instead of a raised yeast dough. Also, I didn't have quite enough onions so that's why I decided to add some tomatoes along with just a bit of anchovy paste along with those wonderful herbs to make little appetizer bites for the party. They were a huge hit!  And, since the recipe was requested many times, I decided to post it for all of you too. It's a simple recipe as most of my recipes are and can be served whole and cut like a pizza or cut up in little bite sized pieces. Because there were a number of Pescatarians there - vegetarians who also eat fish - I didn't put on ham, but I thought about it and I am sure that it wold be really good addition. Nicoise Olives would be a good garnish too and I will remember to put on both those next time.

Provencal Style Pissaladiere with Tomatoes

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 large onions chopped

1 large canned tomatoes

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon Anchovy Paste or 1 salted Anchovy

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 package  (17 1/4 oz) frozen Puff Pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large frying pan, put in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and onions. Cook until onions are lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Put on a plate to reserve until later.

Heat remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil in the pan, add the tomatoes and break them up into smaller pieces with the spatula (or squeeze them through your fingers).  Add in the sugar and Herbes de Provence and cook stirring until the mixture becomes thick.  Return the onions to the pan and turn off heat. 

Toll out the two sheets of puff pastry into about 12 inch squares. Fold over the edges to create a rim and put half of the tomato mixture on the puff pastry, spreading to the edges.  Bake until the edges (and underside of the pastry) are golden brown - about 20 - 25 minutes. Cut into bite sized pieces for a party or into squares if serving as part of a meal.  

Five Element Analysis

Puff Pastry is made of wheat and that belongs to the Wood Element so that element is covered.  Tomatoes and the the Cayenne Pepper bring in the Fire Element.  The Earth Element is represented by the caramelized onions.  There is just a hint of the Water Element with the Anchovy Paste and the Metal Element is also barely there with the Herbes de Provence and the garlic.  But the Water and Metal Elements need enhancing so be sure to serve this appetizer with some other foods that contain a lot of the Water and Metal Elements.  This was served with a lot of other appetizers that had cream cheese and sour cream and there was also some roasted fish for the main course and Fennel Salad - fennel is quite aromatic and therefore metallic, so the entire meal became quite balanced.  

Ratatouille

A lot of you probably already know how to make Ratatouille, but for those of you who don't - this recipe is for you and for my son, who requested it. And no, I don't make it anything like in the movie, where it is beautifully layered, but this version still tastes wonderful even though all the vegetables are cut into chunks. I first had Ratatouille in the South of France - in Nice to be exact and this dish still reminds me of the French Riviera. It is the perfect summer lunch with a crisp baguette slathered in fresh butter and a glass of wine. 

Ratatouille is a combination of eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, tomatoes, onions and garlic. If you want to be a purist, you can dunk the tomatoes in a boiling water bath for a few minutes and peel off the skins and take the seeds out. But this is a rustic dish and I don't mind the peels and seeds at all. This dish also has beautiful contrasting colors so you know that there is some inherent Five Element balance to it. The olive oil and fresh basil add just the right note of extra interest to the fragrance of the dish - be sure to use a good Extra Virgin olive oil as you will taste the difference! You can serve this dish hot or you can serve it cold. It goes very well with a piece of grilled chicken or a steak, but I like it all by itself and I have been known to spoon leftovers out of the bowl straight out of the fridge. It's that good and it's very simple to make. It's also very good as a topping for Bruschetta when you have a party. Here's the recipe I learned years ago from a French friend:

Ratatouille

1 small eggplant, stem cut off, sliced into 3/4 inch slices and thencut into small chunks, sprinkled with salt

1 medium zucchini, stem cut off and cut into quarters and then small chunks

1 red pepper, seeded and stem removed and cut into small chunks

4 large Roma Tomatoes, stem end removed and cut into chunks or 5 - 6 whole canned tomatoes chopped

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

6 leaves of fresh Basil, or 1 teaspoon of dried Basil

1 spring of fresh Thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme

6 - 8 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Rinse eggplant and dry with paper towels. In a large frying pan, heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and add in garlic and onions. Cook until onions begin to get soft - about 2 - 3 minutes. Add in the eggplant chunks and cook until the eggplant starts getting soft - about 8 - 10 minutes. Then add in 3 more Tablespoons of olive oil and put in zucchini and red peppers. Cook for an additional 5 - 8 minutes until zucchini is cooked but still a bit firm. Then add in tomatoes, basil and thyme and a bit more olive oil if desired and simmer for about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Five Element Analysis

Eggplant is a Water Element vegetable, so that element is covered. Zucchini comes from the Earth Element and the Red Pepper and Tomatoes add the Fire Element. Olive Oil brings in the Wood Element and the onion, garlic, thyme and basil contribute the Metal Element. Guess what? This is a dish in balance all by itself - so you know it has to be good for you!

Moussaka

One of Stephen's favorite foods is usually something Greek so we made Moussaka. Now, no one knows why he loves Greek food so much, but then so did his beloved grandfather, "Poppy." So, I just consider it one of his genetic traits. It's because of him that I learned how to make Greek food at all because he asked me to as my repertoire for many years consisted of mostly Chinese or Pennsylvania Dutch food from my heritage. Anyway, I decided this time that he should learn how to make Moussaka with me since he is now living on his own and he became my Sous Chef. I think he actually has quite a talent for cooking! Or at the very leas,t he is very good with a sharp knife and he cut up lots of vegetables! We made Moussaka with lamb, eggplant, zucchini and potato. It's really quite a light dish even with the cream topping and we all ate too much. We served it with a Greek olives as an appetizer and a salad that included chopped cabbage, yellow peppers, tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers in a lemon, olive oil and honey dressing. It was a crisp and refreshing counterbalance to the creamy, soft textures of the Moussaka. We had fresh figs for desert and were all stuffed, but happy. Here's our recipes:

MOUSSAKA

Meat Sauce:

2 pounds lean ground lamb

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large or 2 small onions chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

3/4 cup white wine

2 1/2 cups tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Heat oil in a large pot and add garlic and onions. Cook until onions become translucent and add ground lamb. Stir and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat if necessary. Add wine, tomato sauce, sugar and herbs. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Stir in bread crumbs and let cool. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated.)

Cream Sauce:

5 Tablespoons butter

5 Tablespoons flour

2 1/2 cups milk

1 bay leaf

1 cup Parmesan Cheese (reserve 1/2 for topping)

1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Melt Butter in a large frying pan and add in flour. Whisk until mixed and pour in milk. Continue to whisk until blended. Add the bay leaf and stir until thickened. Take off heat and add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and remove the bay leaf. Leave to cool until ready to assemble the Moussaka (can be made ahead and refrigerated)

1 pound of Eggplant (I used 2)

1 teaspoon salt

2 medium zucchini

2 medium potatoes boiled in their skin and cooled

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more)

Cut off top stem and the very bottom of the eggplants. With a peeler, slice some of the peel off the eggplants about every inch around in stripes. Cut into 1/3 inch round slices. Place eggplant slices in a colander in the sink and sprinkle both sides with salt. Leave for 20 minutes then rinse and place on paper towels until ready to cook. Cut off tops and bottoms of zucchini and cut into 1/3 inch slices. Cut potato into 1/3 inch slices and remove peel.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add in zucchini and cook until one side is lightly browned. Turn and brown the other side. Remove to a plate. Then add additional 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and put in potato pieces. Brown lightly on both sides and remove to a plate. Add remaining oil and panfry eggplant until lightly browned. You may need to add a little extra oil if you are frying in two batches as eggplants soak up a lot of oil. Then remove to a plate.

Butter a 9 x 12 " baking dish or two 8x8 glass baking dishes. Lay eggplant slices on the bottom of the pan - squish them until they fit together. Cover with 1/2 of the Meat Sauce. Lay out zucchini and potato alternately over the meat sauce below then cover with the rest of the meat sauce. Very carefully cover the meat sauce with the cream sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of reserved Parmesan Cheese. Sprinkle nutmeg lightly over the top.

Put into a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbling. Cool for 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with a wide spatula.

Five Element Analysis

Eggplant is such a lovely dark purple color with lots of little seeds inside so you know it has to be from the Water Element. Lamb is a Fire Food and so is the tomato sauce. The zucchini and potato add the Earth Element and the herbs and cream sauce and Parmesan Cheese with it's wonderful Umami flavor bring in the Metal Element. It looks like the Wood Element might be deficient but all that wonderful olive oil contributes that element. Moussaka ends up being a very balanced dish! Then the Chopped Greek Salad certainly added Earth from the cabbage and cucumbers, Fire from the tomatoes and peppers, Metal from the red onion and Wood from the olive oil and lemon juice. The only thing missing was the Water Element and the figs for dessert brought that element in. This turned out to be a doubly balanced Five Element meal!