Chicken Nicoise Salad Platter

  
It was so lovely and sunny today that I decided to make us a salad for our supper.  I loosely based the flavours on a traditional Nicoise Salad (which uses Tuna), but used chicken instead and added some potatoes for my Carb Loving husband! 
 
My version was low carb, which meant no potatoes. Instead I had some leftover steamed asparagus that I used and some sliced cooked beetroot. In all truth I could not finish it, and it was delicious!
 
I have only recently discovered that you can roast frozen beans on a baking tray at the same time you roast other things like potatoes or meat.  They come out beautifully.  A bit caramelised on the edges, perfectly cooked, and the flavor is fantastic!
 
To be honest I have never been overly fond of frozen beans, but this way I love them.  We are funny in our family, we like tinned beans . . .  that's what we were brought up on.
 
I had some leftover Rotisserie Chicken from one we had bought at Costco.  This is the chicken I used. You could  could a couple of chicken breasts if you don't have any leftover. But the Rotisserie Chicken is lovely.
 
Roasted fingerling potatoes  . . .  just tossed with a bit of olive oil and seasoning and roasted along with the beans.  Perfect.
 
Ideally you should use Nicoise Olives, but I didn't have any. I did have a mix of Kalamata and Green with small cubes of feta cheese.  This is what I used. Yum!
 
Hard boiled eggs . . .  I always use free-range eggs.  Its the least I can do.  I refuse to support an industry that is inhumane, and if I can find them I use RS PCB approved.  Then I know for sure that they are really produced humanely.  Want to know my secret to perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs. Its a electric egg boiler just like this one.  They turn out perfectly no matter the degree of doneness you wish, every single time.
 
The dressing is a very simple one.  Just lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil,  seasonings and fresh herbs.  A simple vinaigrette.  The original used 1 tsp of granulated sugar, which if you are not bothered you can use.  I am bothered so I used a tsp of sugar substitute. Without it, the dressing would be very tart.
 
My low carb salad was every bit as visually appealing as Todd's full carb one, and just as delicious.  Its very easy to  leave out the carbs for on without affecting the other!
Yield: 2
Author: Marie RaynerPrint
With ImageWithout Image

Chicken Nicoise Salad Platter

I have two ways of doing this. One is full carb and one is low carb.  Both are delicious. Simple, easy and very pretty on a plate.prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

You will need:

• Leftover Roast chicken
• 2 hard boiled free range eggs
• 1/2 (4 serving size) bag of haricots verts (I used yellow wax)
• 5 or 6 fingerling salad potatoes, washed and halved or quartered lengthwise (use only half the potatoes or leave out altogether if you are doing low carb)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• olive oil to drizzle
• a mix of nicoise olives and feta cheese (or kalamata) (about 1/4 cup)
• about 6 cherry tomatoes, halved (I forgot these)

For the dressing:

• 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 3 TBS white wine vinegar
• 3 TBS finely chopped herbs (I used parsley and dill)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sweetener or granulated sugar
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• salt and black pepper to taste

instructions:

How to cook Chicken Nicoise Salad Platter

1. Preheat your oven to 230*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with foil. Place the frozen beans on one side of the baking tray and the potatoes on the other side. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with some salt and black pepper. Toss each to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are golden and the beans are beginning to caramelise just a bit. Remove and set aside.
2. Have ready two large dinner plates. Slice some roast chicken and put a portion on each plate. Peel and halve the eggs. Place two halves on each plate. Divide the potatoes between the two plates (Not if you are doing a low carb plate, then just put half the potatoes on one). Divide the beans between each plate also, as well as the olives, cheese and the tomatoes.
3. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. (You will have plenty. You can store any leftovers for a few days in the refrigerator for another time.) Drizzle some of the dressing over each and serve immediately.
4. If you are doing low carb, leave off the potatoes and replace with something else. Today I sliced myself up some cooked beetroot and had some leftover chilled asparagus. In all honesty I couldn't finish it all.

NOTES:

If you haven't got any leftover roast chicken (I used the breast meat of a Rotisserie Chicken), then you can always cook two chicken breasts to use in its place.Created using The Recipes Generator 
 
I hope you are enjoying these new recipes I am sharing. I would really love your feedback. I promise you there will be something deliciously sweet tomorrow. I am trying to stay away from those things as much as possible, but its not fair to punish Todd for my sinful ways.