Best Egg Salad EVER!

  Do you love egg salad as much as I do?  Well, I have the recipe for you.  Hands-down THE best egg salad I've ever eaten or made.  The part I enjoy the most is that I'm not eating a load of mayonnaise because, wait for it,

no mayonnaise was used in the making of this egg salad.

  What's that you say?  No mayonnaise?  Yes, you read correctly.  Substitute low-fat ricotta and 2% Greek yogurt for a creamier, healthier, even better salad.  After all, you're really just eating it for all that choline, protein, and Vitamin B12.  Right?  

 Perfect Egg Salad (Adapted from the Power Foods cookbook, from the geniuses at Whole Living.)

  Ingredients

• 8 eggs, hard-boiled
• 3 Tablespoons of part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3 Tablespoons of 2% fat Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard or other mustard 
• 1 Tablespoon of snipped chives
• Freshly ground salt and pepper 
• Ideas for Additions: Chopped dill pickles; fresh dill in place of chives; diced celery; diced red onion...Have fun!  

  Preparation
First hard-boil the eggs.  Fresher eggs are more difficult to shell, so I don't recommend using farm fresh eggs for egg salad.  Grocery store eggs work fine.  Place eggs in a large pot and cover with water by about an inch.  Place over heat and bring to a rolling boil.  Once water is at a full boil, remove eggs from heat, cover, and let stand for 12 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare ice bath and after 12 minutes have passed drain eggs and plunge into ice bath to stop the cooking.  Shell the eggs once cool enough to handle.  Place yolks in a bowl and crumble.  Reserve whites, finely chop, and then add to yolks.

In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, yogurt, mustard, and chives.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the mixture to the egg and gently fold to incorporate.

  And since I couldn't leave you without dessert...

Ripe plum crostata with fresh whipped cream

  Make the most of ripe plums- Colorado has some mighty tasty ones right about now.  I just happened to have some heavy whipping cream languishing in the fridge, so I decided to whip some up, sweeten it with vanilla and a bit of sugar, and put a dollop on top of the crostata slices.
**Make sure when making fresh whipped cream that you use a small to medium-sized bowl with a tall, narrow opening.  Put the empty bowl in the fridge while the crostata bakes.  Your cream will whip up much faster and fluffier in a cold bowl.**

  This recipe comes from a recent edition of Food & Wine that features Colorado chef, Kelly Liken, and the recipes she makes during 3-day horseback excursions from Vail to Aspen.  Sounds heavenly, I know.  When I have an extra $1200 lying around I'll be sure to let you know how it is!  However, you can make the crostata at home with some very simple (and cheap) ingredients.  View the full recipe here.  Try the tart with a different stone fruit if plums aren't available, and don't be afraid to substitute lemon zest for the orange zest called for in the original recipe.  Either way, the zip of the citrus can't be missed so don't skip it!

Cactus flower in bloom

 Currently Reading: In the Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes
 Currently Listening to: Chimes of Freedom- The Songs of Bob Dylan

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the Middle Eastern recipes.  I've just been doing lots of sampling...   

Eggs!

A colorful variety

  The egg- sturdy orb of membrane and shell.  Until recently, my only real interest in eggs came when I needed some for a cake or when it was time to dye them around Easter.  My mom has a healthy obsession with bird eggs, and she has a wide variety tucked away in little baskets and pots throughout her house.  The eggs above are the product of a dying session using powdered Hungarian dyes.  They produce rich, beautiful colors but are pretty toxic and unsafe for little egg-dyers.  Dyed eggs make fun decorations for your house year-round.  These are displayed in a vintage gumball machine in our living room.
  Texture isn't always a deal-breaker for me when it comes to food, but when it comes to the egg our tenuous relationship is entirely founded on an unpredictability in sliminess.  At restaurants I tend to order my eggs scrambled, in hopes that there's no chance of messing them up at that point.  Lately, I've stopped ordering them altogether because I'm tired of being disappointed.
  But not so fast...I've given the egg another chance.  I fully recognize its potential to be a gut-filling, protein-packed boost of energy that can be made into something satisfying day or night.  See, the egg doesn't discriminate on time of day, and it's an equal opportunity mix-in.  My most favorite magazine, Whole Living, recently did an article with some amazing egg recipes.  I tested almost all of them besides the souffle, because well, I've just kind of given up on that sort of culinary adventure, what with the mile we are above sea level.

Hard-boiled egg with stone ground mustard and parsley

  For a quick snack that will also fill you up, try keeping some hard-boiled eggs at the ready in the fridge.  When you need an energy boost, halve and spread with stone ground mustard and fresh herbs, like tarragon or parsley.  Running the knife blade under cold water before each slice keeps the egg yolk from sticking.

Simple- Spinach, garlic, eggs

  Can't get much simpler and more delicious than fresh spinach, garlic, and eggs.  Of course, sauteing in extra virgin olive oil, adding fresh ground salt and pepper, and maybe a shred or two of Parmesan makes it extra special without the extra fuss.

Medium-boiled egg on toast with thyme and bacon

I've been experimenting with eggs and different cooking times.  The egg above is called a medium-boiled egg.  Cook for 3-4 minutes once water begins to boil.  The yolk is still runny, but the white is much firmer than a soft-boiled egg would be.  Breaking the egg over toast and sprinkling with fresh herbs is a fast, easy breakfast even when you're running late.  Which I always am!

Flatbreads with greens and eggs sunny side up

  These flatbreads are satisfying any time of day and SO versatile.  Just take whatever greens you have on hand, a bit of sliced red onion, flatbreads (can be found by the deli in the grocery store) or a pita or tortilla, and eggs.  Brush flatbread with oil, toss greens and onion in a bit of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  After mounding on greens, place flatbreads on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and into a preheated 425 degree oven.  Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and crack eggs over greens.  Bake until eggs are just set, but yolks are still runny.  For the full recipe, click here.  Not only is this delicious, but it's visually appealing as well!  

Baked eggs in roasted tomatoes

 This has become a new favorite recipe!  And really it's as simple as roasting tomatoes and then baking eggs in them.  It's great for dinner, but even better for breakfast with toast, home fries, and bacon.  Yum!

Smashed peas with mint and soft-boiled egg

  Flavors of mint and caramelized shallot combine to make this simple and special meal.  Perfect for Spring, and using up fresh mint.  Soft-boiled eggs can be eaten from the shell, though I found it difficult to do without one of those fancy egg cups.  Instead, I dumped the whole shebang on top of the peas and toast.  I don't know about you, but I like runny yolk all over everything!

Creamy polenta with artichoke hearts and poached egg

  I can't believe I never thought of this before: Luscious, creamy polenta with the warm, rich flavor of a poached egg mixed in.  This particular recipe uses marinated artichoke hearts as a topping, but sauteed greens would also be wonderful.  The key is to take the time to MAKE the polenta.  Resist the urge to buy that pre-made roll you've seen at the grocery store, buy a box of corn grits, and get stirring.  My advice: replace one cup of the water with milk, and once the polenta mixture is bubbling DO NOT, whatever you do, stop stirring.  If you stop, even for a second, you will see the mess your polenta quickly becomes.  It will stick to the pan (even if it's nonstick) and turn into a disgustingly gloppy glue-like substance that you will probably not want to eat.  So, the moral of this story?  STIR!

Bon appetit, and as always, I leave you with flowers:

Sante Fe Columbine

Currently Reading: Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
Listening To: Shoukichi Kina- Peppermint Tea House  

Will You Join Us?

Life is a recipe.

A long list of ingredients

put together in a certain way,

to later be chewed and eventually

-expelled.

Take 4 cups of heartache and

combine with 2 tablespoons of hope 

until heartache is absorbed completely.

  Slowly incorporate hope with

2 cups of hard work

and a dash of good fortune.

Bake.

Serve immediately, chew fully.

Top of the world in Utah

  Sometimes the recipe that is life needs a change.  Spice needs to be added.  A pinch of salt.  A dash here and there of savory sweetness.  The palate tires of being overloaded with the richness of the holiday season's offerings and it's almost a mandate to slow down and pay closer attention to indulgence vs. overdone.

  I'm not big on New Year's resolutions partially because I never stick with them, and also because I think any time of the year is a good time to make changes.  But, for whatever reason, January 2012 feels like a big, creamy piece of paper in a brand new journal and I want to etch it with the freshest and best ideas.  It goes to reason that a calm, peaceable mind must have a healthy body to inhabit.
  I know that I feel better when I eat fresh, whole foods.  I have more energy, sleep better and have less cravings for sugary sweets and carbohydrate-rich foods.  Knowing this, I proceeded to gorge myself on bottled Cokes, cheese dips, lots of bread and pasta, chocolate, and plenty of cookies during the holidays.  Now I'm experiencing the equivalent of a food hangover: Headache, bloating, dehydration.  Just as after an unexpected night of heavy drinking I have to ask myself: WHY???  Why do we do these things to ourselves?  

  Now, that's a big question with an even bigger answer.  Which is why I'm more interested in HOW I'm going to right my nutritional wrongs and heal myself, than in why I seem to have a genetic weakness for lasagna Napoletana and creamy French cheeses.

  Thank goodness that my favorite Martha Stewart publication has a solution!  Whole Living Magazine has a 2012 action plan that involves a 28-day cleanse.  It is the ultimate purge for the body, with changing weekly menus chock-full of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.  

  Things you have to live without during the cleanse:

• Processed foods and/or beverages
• Added sugar
• Dairy
• Gluten
• Caffeine
• Alcohol (Yes, gasp, I know!)

  We have decided to commit to an entire month of the action plan, and all I wanna know is:

Who's comin' with me?

  You can find out all of the details, as well as get the shopping lists and recipes by clicking here.
   Here's some inspiration:

Carrots+Apples+Ginger

= CarrotAppleGinger Juice!