Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad

Grilled tuna steaks put a new face on the classic French composed salad.

Recipe Ingredients:

Salad:
3/4 pound small red potatoes
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
4 tuna steaks (4 ounces each, about 3/4-inch thick)
Olive oil cooking spray
4 cups (2 ounces) baby spinach leaves
16 pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoon light olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 medium clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Cooking Directions:

1. Steam potatoes and green beans 6 minutes or just until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water, shaking off excess liquid.
2. While vegetables cook, combine vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar, secure with lid, and shake well to blend completely. Set aside 1/4 cup vinaigrette and brush remaining vinaigrette (1 tablespoon) over fish.
3. Coat a grill pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Grill tuna over high heat 3 minutes on each side or until medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. (Do not overcook or fish will be tough.)
4. Divide greens equally on four serving plates. Arrange potatoes, green beans, and olives over greens. Drizzle 1 tablespoon vinaigrette evenly over each salad and top with tuna.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe; 1 1/2 cups salad and 1 tuna steak): Calories: 345; Total Fat: 14g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 40mg; Total Carbs: 26g; Fiber: 5g; Protein: 29g; Sodium: 280mg.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of "The Heart-Smart Diabetes Kitchen: Fresh, Fast and Flavorful Recipes" from the American Diabetes Association.