Eggs hold a special place in my heart. It was eggs that started my family on our journey of vegan to omnivore, and it was eggs that started my family and I on the road to healing from being depleted. Yeah, eggs are a big deal for me. But, not any eggs. They have to be pastured and organic, so when I can’t get enough of them from our local farmer, I buy Vital Farms from Whole Foods.
We go through a lot of eggs right now… it’s as if I can’t get enough. To read about the many ways we consume pastured eggs, check out my egg post here. I’d have to say the most common method is with my beloved Sous Vide.
If you don’t the know the difference between pastured and regular or organic eggs, I recommend doing some research to see how much better pastured eggs are for you. And, I don’t mean “pasteurized” eggs – no, I’m talking about how the hens are raised… on “pasture” so they’re eating grasses, bugs and grubs (a natural diet) in addition to some organic supplemental feed: Pasture Raised Eggs. Some key differences are that the hens live a better life and the eggs produced are of much higher quality. A couple of the important nutrients I get from eggs are retinol (only available via animals) and choline.
So on to today’s great recipe… I love the chill and crisp of a fresh salad, but man, there’s something awesome about adding a couple of warm ingredients to the mix. It turns a regular salad into comfort food if you can imagine that. Enter: A New Kind of Egg Salad. Normally, when we think of egg salad, it’s basically hard boiled eggs smashed with mustard and mayo, etc. That’s not what I’m doing here. I’ve made an egg salad, but scrambled the eggs gently and tossed them in a simple romaine salad. This salad gets rave reviews from my family and it’s a fun way to get some greens and other veggies into the diet.
A New Kind of Egg Salad
Yield 2 servings
Salad ingredients:
- 2/3 head of romaine lettuce
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 4 pastured whole eggs (or more)
- 3 pastured egg yolks (or more)
Dressing ingredients:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup raw organic macadamia nut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or more)
- 1 teaspoon mustard
Salad directions:
- Wash and chop the romaine lettuce. Set in a large bowl. Add the red bell pepper.
- Cook the shredded carrots with a splash or two of water, covered, on low to medium heat until tender. Using a slotted spoon, strain the carrots out and add to the salad.
- While the carrots are cooking, work on the eggs. Whisk the four whole eggs with the three egg yolks with this must have whisk. (Trust me, this egg whisk / beater is awesome – it’s going to be in everyone’s stocking this Christmas.) Gently cook the eggs over low heat in the ghee, scrambling them, until they’re still glossy. You’re going for fluffy and moist. Add the scrambled eggs to the salad.
- Toss everything with the dressing (or any dressing you love). Add additional seasoning or salt if desired.
Dressing directions:
1. Whisk the dressing ingredients.
I’ve been asked what pots and pans I use for cooking. My kitchen is stocked with Le Creuset pots and pans. I love love love them. For starters, they’re heavy as heck and keep my arms and shoulders in shape just from lugging them between the stove and sink. Secondly, they’re made to last forever. And finally, they’re non toxic. Oh, and they’re pretty. I keep them out on my stove to add color to my girl cave (err kitchen). You can buy them on Amazon, which I’ve done, but I also buy them from my local Sur la Table store.