This week’s Heinen’s “4PM Panic” post has all the components of a delicious Nicoise salad tucked neatly into a perfectly portable sandwich. It makes an ideal picnic lunch or dinner in a pinch.
With picnic and Ravinia season around the corner and spring sports practices in full swing this is a great way to pack flavor into a portable package. The quality of the ingredients in this sandwich really make or break it so it’s nice that you can be sure Heinen’s will have the highest quality ingredients to choose from.
Today I made these sandwiches with tuna steaks that I pan seared in a drizzle of good olive oil. I usually like tuna prepared rare on the inside but, for my kids, I cooked it through. Because it is such high quality it was tender, moist and delicious. In a pinch you can also make this with high quality canned tuna. Canned or fresh, salad or sandwich, it pairs great with a chilled glass of rosé.
Start with the freshest ingredients!
Today we also made a batch of beet chips. Not a beet fan? Have you tried them? These little chips are delicious. Baked, not fried, tossed with a generous pinch of sea salt.
Tuna Nicoise Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 1 medium baguette split lengthwise
- 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon stone ground mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Helmans Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp anchovy paste or two anchovies chopped.
- 1 large handful arugula
- 1 pound good quality tuna
- 1/2 red onion sliced very thin
- 2 Tablespoons capers
- 24 pitted nicoise olives cut in half
- 16 oil packed sun dried tomatoes chopped.
- 16 basil leaves
- four 9 minute boiled eggs (add eggs to boiling water, cook 9 minutes then run under cold water to stop cooking. If eggs are room temperature before cooking reduce time to 6 minutes)
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method:
- In a small bowl mix the mayo, mustards and anchovy
- Spread the mustard mixture on each half of the baguette then layer in remaining ingredients, starting at the bottom with the arugula and finishing with the sliced eggs on top.
- Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Add top of baguette. Eat right away or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
When you’re packing up your picnic, don’t forget Heinen’s blueberry pie. It’s the best!
Beet Chips
These little crunchy snacks have all the salty satisfaction of a potato chip and none of the guilt. Cook times will vary depending on the thickness of your beets. Watch them carefully. Let them cool completely before serving.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 medium beets very well scrubbed
- Leaves from one sprig of fresh rosemary chopped.
- Kosher salt
- Your favorite hummus for serving
Method:
- Preheat oven 325°F Cover two baking sheets with parchment.
- Using a mandolin to slice the beets as thin as possible.
- In a bowl toss the beet slices with rosemary, olive oil and sea salt.
- Arrange the beets in a single layer on the parchment paper.
- Place baking sheets in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes then turn the sheets and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Let the chips cool on the baking sheets before eating. Eat plain or with your favorite hummus for dipping.
Photographer Sally Roeckell specializes in contemporary lifestyle portraiture with an emphasis on food photography. She regularly shops at Heinen’s for the family dishes she features via Table and Dish on Instagram and on her website at TableAndDish.com.
Have you heard about Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ program? Sign up for free to receive exclusive weekly specials via email and earn Heinen’s rewards. As a Tasteful Rewards™ membership benefit, Heinen’s will donate up to 1% of your qualified purchases made between September and April to a local school of your choice through their Teaming Up for Education Program. CLICK HERE to sign up for Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ and, trust me, this is one email that will always please your palate!
Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meatheads) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
