If you made a bounty of colorful eggs for Easter and are still trying to eat your way through them, you’ve probably come to this realization by now: Eating plain, hard-boiled eggs gets boring rather quickly.
Solutions abound for ways to use hard-boiled eggs, from crumbling them over salads to making the party favorite of deviled eggs.
One of my favorite things to do with hard-boiled eggs is to transform them into egg salad, a delicious spread that can be used in sandwiches, wraps or served atop lettuce. Aside from being a snap to make, it is easily customizable.
Want some kick? Add a touch of cayenne powder. For a savory, earthy take, experiment with dried herbs like oregano or thyme. Once used, topping choices abound, from tomato and avocado to sprouts or even bacon bits. And you thought eggs and bacon were just for breakfast.
For this quick and easy version, I spruce up my chunky egg salad with cucumbers for crunch, paprika for color and taste, and a squeeze of lemon juice for extra tang. I add green onions for added visual appeal, but red or white onions can be substituted if that’s what you have on hand.
Oh, and if you’ve never hard-boiled an egg before, don’t worry: Your secret is safe with me. I’ll show you how to do that, too, and you’ll never have to buy those plastic Easter eggs again.
EGGSTRA TASTY EGG SALAD
(Makes about 4 servings)
- 6 large eggs
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 1 cup celery (about 2 stalks), rinsed well and chopped small
- 1/4cup green onions, rinsed well and chopped finely
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Procedure:
Step 1: If you’ve never hard-boiled an egg before, don’t sweat. Since you don’t “boil” them as you would pasta, it’s technically called hard-cooking an egg, and this is the easiest way I know to do it: Put the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Put the pot on the stove, turn the heat to high and wait until the water just starts to boil (big bubbles rolling up quickly). Kill the heat, remove from burner and cover the pot for about 12 minutes.
Step 2: While the eggs cook, chop and measure the other ingredients, and put everything in a large bowl.
Step 3: When the eggs are cooked, carefully remove them from the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon – they will be very hot – and place in a bowl of cold water to cool. When cooled, peel the eggs. (If you just want hard-boiled eggs, stop at this point and refrigerate them unpeeled for up to a week. If you already have cooked, multi-color Easter eggs to use, you’ve already reached this point.)
Step 4: Chop the eggs roughly and add to the bowl with the other ingredients, or if you have a potato masher, you can make quick work of the eggs with it. Mix everything together and give it a taste. Add any of the ingredients (i.e., salt, pepper, mayo, lemon juice, etc.) to customize it to your liking.
Congratulations: You’ve just transformed hard-boiled eggs into something eggsceptional (I promise that’s the last “egg” pun). Now all that’s left is to chill the spread and use it in sandwiches or over toasted bread, roll it in a wrap, serve over lettuce or simply eat the spread on its own. If you have leftovers, refrigerate promptly in a tightly sealed container up to three days.
Source: iwanttocook.com (defunct blog)
