Name: Cajun Nicoise
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 21 min
Cuisine: Cajun, French
Ingredients: 1.5 cups fresh crab meat; 10 - 12 okra fingers; 1/2 cup baby tomatoes; 1 ear fresh organic corn; 2 eggs, soft boiled for 6 mins; 3 cups lettuce of choice (romaine was used for this recipe); 2 tbs marinated onions; chopped chives, optional; dressing-; 2/3 cup good mayo; 1/2 cup ketchup; 2 tbs shallots, chopped; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 1 tbs fresh sqeezed lemon juice; 5 tbs extra virgin olive oli

NourishDinnerSaladsWhole 30Gluten Free

Apr 22

Written By Germaine Benoit

I'm always trying to come up with a fun, healthy play on the things I ate growing up in South Louisiana. Seafood boils are attached to some of my favorite memories of growing up. It seemed like every Friday night we'd get together with friends, family, neighbors, and whoever wanted to join and boil whatever was in season. Regardless of what we were boiling - crawfish, crab, or shrimp, we'd throw it all into salted, seasoned water and boil, having a vino, beer, or cocktail while we waited ... telling lots of old stories and jokes!

Potatoes, onions, corn, garlic, and any other veggie we thought sounded fun, were always in the boil ... always served with what we called "dip," the cajun version of Thousand Islands dressing with lots of garlic and spices. So when I was at the farmers market recently and trying to come up with something fun to do with all the fresh okra, corn, tomatoes, and onions, I decided on this. I'm calling it the "Cajun Niçiose."

You'll find almost everything we threw into the boil in this salad with the "dip" transformed into a cajun salad dressing!

I must add, because I'm a health coach and obsessed with making food delicious, fun, and incredibly healthy at the same time -

Shellfish is an excellent source of iodine, selenium, and zinc - great for inflammation, thyroid health, and your immune system. I used crab here, but you could swap it with shrimp, oysters, even chicken or salmon - whatever you like.

Okra is an excellent idea if you have gut issues. It's full of fiber but also, when cooked, has somewhat of a mucusy inside - which is excellent for your gut! It can soothe the intestines, helping with gastric ulcers, and can even decrease inflammation in the bowls.

As always, lots of garlic, onions, and herbs in this dish - all amazing immune boosters!

Cajun Nicoise

Yield: 2

Author: Germaine Benoit/ Nourished + Empowered

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 6 MinTotal time: 21 Min

A fun cajun play on a nicoise salad

Ingredients

1.5 cups fresh crab meat
10 - 12 okra fingers
1/2 cup baby tomatoes
1 ear fresh organic corn
2 eggs, soft boiled for 6 mins
3 cups lettuce of choice (romaine was used for this recipe)
2 tbs marinated onions
chopped chives, optional
dressing-
2/3 cup good mayo
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbs shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbs fresh sqeezed lemon juice
5 tbs extra virgin olive oli

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425*
Wash potatoes then place in a small pot. Cover with water, then bring to a boil - boil until ready - about 10 mins. Once done, slice in half, lenthwise, then place to the side
Once oven heats, place the whole okra, tossed in avocado oil and a little bit of salt, as well as the shucked corn, whole and still on the cobb, onto a parchment lined baking sheet and roast till done. Okra will take about 10 mins and the corn may take a few mins longer ... 12-15 in total. Turn a few times while they roast, so they cook evenly
Once potatoes are done, drain them and place to the side. Throw out that water then add new water and two eggs. Bring to a boil - once boiling, turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 6 mins, then remove - longer if you like a more cooked egg. Peel and then place to the side
When corn is ready, remove the kernals from the cobb and place to the side
While these cook, prepare your dressing
Mix the mayo, ketchup, chopped shallots, garlic, and lemon juice together. Once mixed slowely add the 5 tbs of olive oil and whisk untill fully incorporated
I used nocrumbsleft marinated onions, for this recipe - https://nocrumbsleft.net/?s=marinated+onions+
Chop lettuce then start to build your salad ... layer lettuce at the bottom of the plate then add the roasted okra, roasted corn, sliced egg, tomatoes, marinated onions, sliced potatoes and then the crab meat. Top it off with chopped chives, if you have them. Serve with the dressing and some sourdough bread