So I have this one member of my family who sometimes just wants to eat vegetables. But no, it's not our pet rabbit. And this person shall remain nameless for their own good (ahem, my mother). In an effort to try and get this person to actually read my blog posts, I thought a quick and easy lunch the ticket. So I stole one of her go-to dinners - egg salad - and discovered the ratio of dressing to eggs that gives you the best eggperience.
Eliminate mundane egg salad from your life
You may think the thought of egg salad may be BOOOORING! But eating a lovely egg salad with tangy, pickled vegetables can be delightful and healthful. With loads of protein, brain-boosting choline from the egg yolks and good fats, it is an incredibly nutritious dish that sticks to your ribs. Especially if you have an afternoon of work, wrangling kids, managing husbands and cooking dinner ahead of you.
The winning ratio
I've had many a bad egg salad in my day. The ratio of dressing and seasoning to chopped egg is important in my book. Too much mayonnaise equals not enough texture, too little seasoning takes us back to BOOOORING! . My favorite formula for a balanced egg salad is about one spoonful of dressing for every egg. I'm not suggesting you measure your dressing with an actual tablespoons, just scoop away with a good ol' piece of the flatware from the drawer.
As usual, ingredients matter
As for that mayonnaise, I am now to the point where you won't find vegetable oil in my pantry, my mayonnaise included. Nope. Just won't do it. Not edible times, and bad for your body. If I fry - which is rarely - I use avocado oil. For all other edible endeavors I use pastured butter, ghee, olive or coconut oil. Consuming moderate amounts coconut oil is not going to give you heart disease. Just look at all the people on a keto-style diet these days (my husband included). Coconut aminos is a new favorite in our kitchen, all the goodness and umami flavor of soy sauce, without the well, soy.
Quick sidebar on saturated fats
The latest science shows it's not saturated fat that is the sole culprit of diabetes and hypertension, according to the widely-respected Dr. Jason Fung. It's routinely eating processed fats in the presence of starchy, sugary carbohydrates. If you're looking to shed pounds or lower your blood pressure, check out his book, The Obesity Code. My husband did, lost 65 pounds and kicked his blood pressure pills to the curb.
Add big flavor with a little pickling
Pickled vegetables make any meal sassier. And they're quite simple AND keep for weeks in the fridge. We layer them on our egg salad for a mouth-watering crunch and zing. It's sort of a little sleeper of a chef's trick. A great way to add flavor and cut down on food cost by preserving ingredients. Another secret chef's trick? Shallots!
Often hiding low and inconspicious in the produce section, shallots are onion's sexier sister. Toss them in with your vegetables in line to pickle and you'll never pass them up again.
So versatile, it's almost silly
Over mixed greens. Sandwiches between whole grain bread. Scooped up with sea salt almond flour crackers. Options abound for a solid egg salad.
With a keto dad and an often GAPS diet big brother at our table, crafting lettuce cups makes our grain-free meals fun for the whole family. It also lets the little ones off the utensil hook. Our dinner table can sound like a broken record is playing a song called YOU HAVE A FORK FOR A REASON! Enter egg salad lettuce wraps. Ah, can you hear the silence?
Sit, stay, drool with Todd
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Brother Todd loitered around long enough to get told to get lost. It's okay, he's used to being the odd one out.
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Dijonnaise Egg Salad Dressing
Description
Coconut aminos and dijon mustard add a mysterious hint of delicious to a typical egg salad dressing. If you like it hot, dash in some Tabasco, too!
Ingredients
Dressing Base
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 spoonfuls of dijon mustard
- Few dashes of coconut aminos
- Hot sauce, a few drops (don't use if you don't like it hot!)
Spices, amounts to your liking
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Celery seed
- Chives, fresh or driedWhite pepper
- Salt + black pepper
Instructions
Dijonnaise dressing
- Combine all ingredients in spices and whisk to combine.
- Keeps in the fridge for one or two weeks.
To mix egg salad
- Fold chopped, boiled eggs and dressing together gently. Use a small spoonful of dressing for every egg.
- Keeps for several days in the fridge.
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