Elegant Egg Salad With Cashews And Curry

I grew up in Great Neck, Long Island, a suburb of New York City. When I lived there Great Neck was a small village with a dairy and a charming railroad station that looked like something from a toy train set. Many television personalities, including Perry Como, lived there because it was so close to the city.

Our house did not have air conditioning and sometimes the nights were unbearably hot. Yet I remember the steamy Long Island summers fondly. We often went to Jones Beach on the South shore. My mother would pack a lunch for us, sweetened ice tea with orange juice (she liked it better than lemon), some fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and egg salad sandwiches.

We always rented a large beach umbrella. After my brother and I had played in the water we would eat lunch in the shade of the canvas umbrella and wiggle our toes in the sand. Since then, egg salad sandwiches have symbolized summer and, if I close my eyes and think hard, I can almost taste them and smell the sea.

Where did egg salad come from?

Eggs are one of the oldest foods. Recipes for cooking eggs go back centuries. I have about 100 cook books and looked up egg salad in some of them. One book had a recipe for "Old Time Egg Salad," a true salad made with torn lettuce leaves, thin slices of red onion, sliced hard boiled eggs, tossed with a cider vinegar and oil dressing.

As the years passed home cooks added chopped pickles, black olives, green olives, green pepper, red pepper, anchovies and other ingredients to their egg salad. I have done the same. Sometimes I made "ordinary" egg salad, but I prefer Elegant Egg Salad with Cashews and Curry. Here is my recipe.

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs, hard boiled

1/2 cup celery, diced

2 green onions, white and green parts, diced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup salted cashew pieces

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

shredded lettuce

METHOD

Hard boil eggs and chill well. Peel eggs, cut in half, and mash with a fork. Add celery, green onions, parsley, and cashews. Combine mayonnaise, salt, lemon juice, and curry powder. Pour dressing over egg mixture and toss gently. Spread filling on whole wheat, five grain, or Italian bread and top with shredded lettuce. Makes 5-6 sandwiches.

Elegant Egg and Shrimp Salad: Omit two eggs. Add 1/2 cup cooked, chopped shrimp.

Elegant Egg and Bacon Salad: Omit one egg. Add 1/3 cup precooked bacon pieces.

Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson

Simple Elegant Pasta Primavera

I love a combination of spring veggies like leeks, baby peas, and asparagus with a bit of sun-dried and fresh tomatoes. What if you want to add broccoli or zucchini? You know my one rule, think outside the recipe and use whatever sounds good to you. You can only add more nutrition by adding more veggies so go for it.

I've used Gluten Free pasta here because I find the regular stuff makes me bloated.
I find no difference in the texture if cooked al dente and the flavor is the same also.

Serves 6

Ingredients

12 oz (dry) Gluten free or regular pasta

1 leek, white and pale green parts only ( 2cups sliced)

1 or 2 cloves of fresh garlic

2 cups petite peas frozen or sweet peas freshZ

3 cups of fresh asparagus, bias cut, 1" pieces

2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half

1 cup of thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes*

*you can use either the ones that come in oil or not

¼ ½ cup of good, flavorful olive oil

½ cup of vegetable or chicken stock

¼ cup of fresh basil chiffonade (thin slices)

½ cup of toasted pine nuts-optional

Method

1. None of these veggies need par cooking as the cuts are small and they will all cook very quickly.

2. Leeks: cut it in half lengthwise then into ¼" slices. Wash well in cold water, make sure you get rid of all the sand. Either spin it dry or dry on paper towels.

3. Put the pasta water on to boil, salt it til it tastes like the sea, and assemble all the other ingredients.

4. When the water boils, put the pasta in. This particular pasta takes 9 mins.

5. 5 minutes before the pasta is finished heat a large sauté pan and place 2 Tbls of your olive oil in the pan.

6. When the oil is fragrant add the garlic and swirl it for about 30 seconds.

7. Add the leek, asparagus and sundried tomatoes and peas if they are fresh. Saute for about two minutes then add the fresh tomatoes and peas if using frozen.

8. Pour in the stock to deglaze the pan and help cook the veggies.

9. Continue to sauté, season with salt and pepper, add the basil and toss.

10. Drain the pasta, pour the pasta into the sauté pan or pour the pasta back into the pot and add the veggies. Add basil, add the remaining oil, taste for seasoning.

11. Serve family style in a large shallow bowl or individually. Sprinkle with pine nuts and offer parmesan cheese.

Chef's note: I use a fruity extra virgin olive oil for the drizzle at the end.

A light fruity wine will work with the vegetables here. Why not try a Pinot Gris from Oregon or California's Coastal region.