I have become a big fan of hard boiled eggs of late.  I was never much into them, aside from eating a few on Easter.  I have recently discovered they are wonderful as a little snack to get me through until my next meal.

This new found interest of mine started me thinking…how about egg salad??  Again, never much of a fan.  If you’ve read my other post on chicken salad you will know I do not like super gloppy mayo mixtures – and that’s unfortunately how they come at most delis.  Also, egg salad is usually a bit on the boring side, right?

So, I set out to create a non-boring one.  I originally was leaning towards using paprika as the main spice, but I switched to curry – much more interesting.  The curry goes perfectly with the toasted almonds, a delicious combination.  I list 1/8 tsp of curry powder in the recipe.  This amount provides a nice curry flavor but if you are not afraid of curry feel free to use 1/4 tsp.  I usually find myself adding another pinch or so after the 1/8 tsp.

Of course this mixture needed a fresh green herb, I chose chives to provide another hint of onion flavor along with the shallots, as well as a shot of color.

This egg salad makes a great sandwich.  I use organic whole grain bread, toasted.  I like the contrast of the toasty bread with the smooth, soft egg salad.  Then, throw down a layer of baby spinach leaves, pile the eggs salad high on top and finish off with another piece of bread.  Another option…slather some on a toasted bagel in the morning for breakfast.  Terrific, either way.

Here’s what you will need to make 2–3 medium sized sandwiches…

Recipe

5 eggs

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted and cooled, roughly chopped

4 tsp chives

3 tbsp mayo

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp coarse mustard

1/8 tsp curry powder

whole grain bread, toasted

spinach leaves (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

Method

First task – hard boil your eggs.  This is a very important step!  Place the eggs in a sauce pan and cover with water by one inch.  Set over medium heat and bring to a slow, soft boil.  Turn off heat, cover and let sit for exactly 12 minutes.  Set your timer!  After the 12 minutes, drain the hot water, then run the eggs under cold water a few times, finally leaving cold water in the pot and allowing the eggs to sit for roughly 10-15 minutes.  Peel eggs.  Cut in half lenthwise and seperate whites from yolks.

Put yolks in a bowl and mash with the back of a fork.  To the bowl add the mayo, both mustards, curry powder, shallots, chives and almonds.  Mix to combine well.

Take the whites from two of the eggs and chop them with a knife.  I cut them into a small dice.  Then, with the back of a fork, gently mash the remaining egg whites, adding them to the bowl.  Mix everything together, adding salt & pepper to taste.   Assemble your sandwich and get eating!