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1/2 cup bottled zesty Italian salad dressing, or lemon vinaigrette (see tip below)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
250 g green beans, stems trimmed
6 small red potatoes, about 2-in. wide
1 small red onion
1 ripe tomato
1 red or green bell pepper
2 anchovy fillets, optional
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 tsp capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
4 cups mixed greens, optional
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
2 170-g cans solid white tuna, in water, drained
freshly ground black pepper
salt
In a small bowl, stir dressing with parsley, peel, basil and oregano. Set aside. Partially fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Then add beans and boil until bright green but still crisp, from 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, remove beans and immediately rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Using same saucepan and water, cook potatoes until almost fork-tender, from 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and slice in half.
Meanwhile, cut onion in half, then slice lengthwise into long strips. Slice tomato into quarters and pepper into 1/2-inch (1-cm) pieces. Finely mince anchovies, if using. Gently mix together in a large bowl along with beans, potatoes, olives, capers, basil and salad greens, if using. Toss with salad dressing. Quarter eggs and add to salad, along with tuna. Toss and add salt and pepper to taste. Arrange on a large platter or serve in individual salad bowls. Garnish with lemon peel, if you like.
Calories 487, Protein 27.1g, Carbohydrates 50.9g, Fat 20.8g, Fibre 6.8g, Sodium 1349mg.
This updated dish is a meal in itself and most of the ingredients can be prepared a day ahead. Our zesty lemon vinaigrette can be whipped up in minutes--or use a prepared bottled dressing to cut down on kitchen time.
Whisk 1/3 cup (75 mL) olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) crumbled dried rosemary, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) finely grated lemon peel, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped parsley and 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) each of dried basil and dried leaf oregano. Gently heat in microwave or on stove just until warm. While mixture cools, squeeze juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup/50 mL) into a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil mixture and add 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) each of salt, freshly ground black pepper and granulated sugar. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.