Salad Nicoise with grilled Fresh Tuna

Prepare all the vegetables before you begin cooking the potatoes and this salad will come together very easily. The classic garnish of tiny, briny piquant Nicoise olives is a hallmark of salade Nicoise. Can sub another small,  black, brined olive (no canned).

Ingredients:
 2 tuna steaks (8 0z. ea.) about 3/4" thick
2 T. olive oil

Vinaigrette

1/2 c. lemon juice from 2 or 3 lemons
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 med. shallot, minced (3 T.)
1 T. minced fresh thyme leaves
2 T. minced fresh basil leaves
2 tsp. minced fresh oregano leaves
1 T. Dijon mustard

Salad

4 large eggs
10 sm. new red potatoes (2 " diam) 1 1/4 # total each quartered
2 T. dry vermouth
2 med heads Bosto lettuce or Bibb, leaves washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces (about 8 c.)
3 sm. vine-ripened tomatoes (about 14 oz.) ea. cored and cut into eighths
1 sm. red onion (4 oz.) sliced very thin
8 oz. green beans, stem ends trimmed and ea. bean halved crosswise.
1/4 c. nicoise olives
2 T. capers

Kale and Broccoli Salad

1 C. kale ribs removed & chopped
4 cups broccoli florets
15 oz can drained and rinsed chickpeas
Half a red onion thinly sliced
1/4 c. thinly sliced basil
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts
1 minced garlic clove
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
1 T. grated lemon zest
1/4 c. lemon juice
6 T. extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Steam the broccoli florets until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Once cool, chop and combine with kale,     chickpeas, onions, basil and pine nuts.
2.  In a bowl, combine garlic, mustard, honey, lemon zest and juice. Slowly add oil, shaking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.
3.  Drizzle broccoli mixture with dressing. Adjust seasoning and enjoy.

Red Quinoa Salad

 Red Quinoa Salad: 1 1/4 cup red quinoa 2 1/2 cups water 2 pluots or red plums 1/4 cup green onions 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (hazelnuts work great) 3 T. flax ...

Banana Bread

1 3/4 all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 large v. ripe bananas (prefer 4-5 if large) 2.25 lbs. peeled N.B. one banana for decoration on top
8 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 oz.) lt. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. walnuts toasted and chopped coarsely

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350. Spray 8.5 x 4.5 " loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.
2.  Place 5 bananas in separate bowl (one for decoration), cover, and microwave until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 min. Transfer bananas to fine mesh strainer over med. bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, for 15 min. (you should have 1/2 to 3/4 c. liquid).
3.  Transfer liquid to med. saucepan and cook over med. high heat until reduced to 1/4 c., about 5 min.  Removed pan from heat, stir bananas into reduced liquid, and mash with potato masher until mostly smooth.  Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.
4.  Pour banana mixture into dry ingredients and stir until just combined, with some streaks of flour
remaining.  Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
5.  Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 min. Let loaf cool in pan for 10 min., then turn out onto wire rack and let cool for 1 hour before serving.