Neglectful Blogger: Tuna Nicoise Deviled Eggs

Dear faithful readers (I know there are still a few of you!), I have been so neglectful with the blog lately.   There was a time when I would post 5 recipes per week!  

I have been trying to do a Monday recipe post, but time gets away from me, and I am sorry.  I know some of you look forward to that Monday email with a new recipe.

Summer has been so busy with travel to Lisbon; a week at the Jersey shore; working on estates (selling antiques is how I make my living), and just life in general.

Here is a wonderful recipe that I made for 4th of July last week and brought to a friend's BBQ.   

They make a wonderful snack or lunch on their own, and there is no mayo!   Not that I don't love mayonnaise (and I do!!), but because you can leave them out longer in the heat without worrying about spoilage.      I will tell you how.

I used this lovely tinned tuna that I brought back from Portugal, but of course, you can use an Italian style can of tuna in oil.

Here are the ingredients:

eggs

diced tomatoes

chopped kalamata olives

good quality tuna in olive oil

minced red onion

capers

mustard

olive oil

lemon juice

parsley, chives or basil

I boil my eggs for 10 minutes then let them sit in WARM water (never cold water, it shrinks the shells and they stick!) for 5 minutes.  I peel them under running warm water and the shells always come off without a glitch.

Slice the eggs in half and remove the yolks to a bowl.  You are making a paste with a little mustard (I like French grainy mustard, but Dijon is good), a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil and fresh lemon juice.  

I eyeball it.  It will depend on how many eggs you are using to gauge how much of the LJ, OO and mustard to use, but just use a small amount until you achieve the texture you like.  It should be a moist spreadable paste.  Got it?

Instead of piping the filling back into the egg whites, I use a tiny spreader knife and just spread the filling smooth, then flake the tuna on top.

I top with some chopped tomatoes, parsley, chives, basil, chopped olives, red onion, capers.....anything that you would put in your nicoise salad (except the green beans and potatoes!!).   More like a pan bagnat.

Though this post is very wordy, these eggs are simple and make a lovely lunch.

We loved them!    A nice alternative to mayo filled deviled eggs.

xo