Vital Choice at Home: Grilled Tuna Salad Nicoise

Ingredients

• 2 packages Vital Choice albacore tuna loin medallions (6 ounces each)
• 6 tablespoons Vital Choice organic extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine or Champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, minced
• ½ pound red-skinned new potatoes
• ½ pound fresh green beans
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or sliced tomato)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered lengthwise
• ¼ cup pitted Nicoise olives (or other cured black olive)
• 1 small head butter lettuce (or other salad green of choice)

Instructions

1. Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard and minced shallot to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Prepare the new potatoes and green beans: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add new potatoes and simmer until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the boiling water, drain, cut in half and toss with a bit of vinaigrette. Set aside.
3. Add green beans to the same pot of boiling water and blanch just until still crisp, 2 to 4 minutes depending on thickness. Place green beans in an ice bath for about 5 minutes to stop the cooking process, drain and toss with a bit of vinaigrette. Set aside.
4. Preheat grill to medium temperature.
5. Compose salad plates: Toss the salad greens and halved cherry tomatoes in the remaining vinaigrette. Arrange salad ingredients around the plate in small, neat piles. Dressed butter lettuce; dressed, halved cherry tomatoes; dressed new potatoes; dressed green beans; quartered hard-boiled eggs and Nicoise olives.
6. Grill tuna: Once plates are assembled, lightly oil, salt and pepper tuna medallions. Sear quickly over medium heat, 1½ to 2 minutes per side or until preferred level of doneness. Be careful not to overcook! Do not walk away from the grill while cooking.
7. Slice each medallion in half and add to composed salad plates. Enjoy!