Bagged Lunch Ideas: Egg Salad w/ Caramelized Shallots & Chives

Like a wacky sitcom neighbor who pops in unannounced, summer has been arriving in New York in tiny sporadic bursts these past few weeks. It's too soon, people cry, as they pull off the jackets and cardigans they cautiously grabbed before leaving the house that same morning. The train ride home each night is either a mass of huddled girls shivering in prematurely ambitious shorts or steaming commuters, fanning themselves with their coats bundled in a pile on their laps.

The excessively hot days--today it's already hit 90!--make me sleepy, and when I finally get in the door and drop my piles and bags and heels on the floor (yes, the floor), the last thing on my mind is standing in front of my stove for an hour. Instead, my cravings these days have turned toward the cool and salad-like. I made this herby tuna salad one day, and a similar version with showers of lemon zest another (my mercury levels are likely through the roof at this point). There were two nights of simply pan-fried chicken breasts served on a big mess of greens with this embarrassingly easy Caesar dressing.


Last night, I just wanted egg salad. That's egg salad my way, with diced caramelized shallots, finely chopped onion chives, and generous dashes of both cayenne and smoked Spanish paprika. The resulting salad is simultaneously smoky, creamy, and spicy, with tiny bits of sweet. If you *really* want to make it my way, let the shallots caramelize just a bit too long until they're a little crisp. Let them hit that cusp just before burned, for a little extra smoke that I find irresistible.

Eugene likes his egg salad on big slices of freshly baked olive bread from the farmer's market. I take it straight up, spoonful after spoonful right from the bowl I make it in. It's my favorite bagged lunch, and so I always make just enough so that I can bring a few scoops with me to work the next day. Occasionally, it's all I can do to not eat it for breakfast! ;)


Everyone has their own methods and tweaks for making an ideal egg salad, but below is my style. To get the eggs fluffy and evenly sized, I grate them on the larger side of a box grater. If I'm making a lot of egg salad (usually for a brunch party), I just toss them into my food processor with the largest grating wheel in place. As impatient as I am, I also find it's best to wait until the next day to have it. An evening in the fridge does wonders for the texture and flavors, which is why it's an ideal dish to prepare to bring to work the next day.

No matter how many eggs I start with, I always find myself wishing I'd made more. This recipe calls for 8 eggs and makes enough for dinner for two, plus one more lunch tomorrow (you guys can fight over it!). It can, of course, be easily doubled or halved.

A Tip: If you prefer it in sandwich form for lunch, just pack it in a container with the two slices of bread in a separate baggy or wrapped in paper, and assemble the sandwich at the office. This will keep the bread from getting soggy (and you can keep the bread room temperature while you refrigerate the eggs).



Now tell me, how do YOU like your egg salad?

Egg Salad with Caramelized Shallots & Chives
Makes about 3 cups.

Ingredients
8 large eggs
1 large shallot, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon smoked spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
1/4 cup onion chives, chopped


Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over high heat just until the water reaches a rapid boil. Turn off heat and let cool to room temperature (about 10 minutes). Shake pan gently to crack shells and place under cold running water for about 15 minutes (refilling with fresh cold water every so often).

While the eggs are cooking, heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and the shallots and saute until caramelized (about 7-10 minutes).

When the eggs are cool, peel and grate using the large side of a box grater. Combined in a large bowl with mayonnaise, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Fold in the caramelized onions and chopped chives.

Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge. Can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

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Pan-Fried Eggplant Salad with Garlic Yogurt Dressing

Eggplant dusted with flour and fried crisp in olive oil has always been one of my favorite appetizers. Served over mesclun greens and topped with a garlicky yogurt dressing it makes for a quick lunch or even a light dinner. I made this for lunch last Saturday after all the craziness with the interview and the photographer and it couldn't have been easier. Eugene also had the brilliant idea to add a dollop of hummus to the eggplant slices; a touch which I absolutely recommend.

When preparing eggplant in any kind of quick-cooking method such as frying, it's best to salt the fruit (yes, fruit!) to eliminate the natural bitter juices and excess moisture, which gives it a stronger and more firm texture after cooking. To salt an eggplant, slice it as directed in your recipe and sprinkle liberally with kosher or course salt. Let the salted slices sit until the liquid starts to bubble to the surface (I also like to like with paper towels above and below or leave the slices in a colander over a bowl). This typically takes about 20-30 minutes. Rinse the slices well (to remove the excess salt and bitter juices), and then pat dry with paper towels. You can then proceed with the recipe as directed.

For a longer explanation and tutorial on salting eggplants, read this post I wrote last year on the subject (it also features a recipe for a warm eggplant ricotta bake). It takes a little bit longer, but I think it results in a crisper and sweeter final dish.

Pan-Fried Eggplant Salad with Garlic Yogurt DressingThis will serve two to three as a lunch or light dinner. It can also work as a salad or appetizer course before an entree for 4-6.

Ingredients
For the eggplant:
1 globe eggplant (the conventional dark purple eggplant most often found in US grocery stores), sliced, salted, and rinsed (click here for more info on salting eggplants)
1.5 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive Oil for frying

For the dressing:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

5 cups loosely packed mesclun greens or baby spinach

To make

1. In a wide shallow dish, sift the flour, salt, and pepper until evenly combined

2. Gently goat each eggplant in the flour, using the eggplants natural moisture to adhere the flour. Set aside on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

3. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, pour olive oil to coat the bottom and come up the side about 1/4 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until hot and slightly glistening (the oil will look like it is trembling slightly)

4. Fry the eggplant slices in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until golden on each side, then remove and let drain on a paper towel-lined tray.

5. In a food processor or blender, combine the Greek yogurt, 3 garlic cloves, salt, and lemon juice. Blitz until well blended and the garlic is completely processed. Pour the dressing into a serving dish.

6. To serve, arrange the salad greens on a large platter and top with the slices of fried eggplant. Drizzle a bit of the dressing on top, plus more on the side.

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Smoky Deviled Egg Salad on Golden Rye Crisps

As much as I love to cook, there are some nights when I just don't have the energy to put much effort into it. It's on these nights that I pull out my "single girl" dinners--no, not Lean Cuisine--single girl dinners are those easy, go-to meals that you can fix in just a few minutes with minimal ingredients, but which somehow manage to satisfy each and every one of your deepest cravings. It's comfort food, tailored exactly to your very own (and often very peculiar) taste and preferences.

My single girl dinners tend to resemble an antipasti platter: hunks of cheese, roasted red peppers with bits of blackened skin still clinging, hard boiled eggs, olives, fat red grapes, and slices of salami or prosciutto eaten one-by-one, usually pulled straight from the plastic package. Basically anything tasty that I happen to find in the fridge. An ardent lover of mayonnaise, I'll often drop a dab on my little mini party platters for dipping or just licking off my fingers--something that I could never do in front of other people without fear of completely grossing them out.

I've realized that my single girl dinner habits came straight from my mom. On the nights when my dad was appearing at an event and my brother was out with friends, my mom would skip the preparation of a full meal and we'd instead sit down to a makeshift dinner of crackers, rolled up salami, hunks of cheese, and generous dollops of mayonnaise. We'd work our way through an entire package of cold cuts or crackers, making tiny sandwiches and talking about our days or anything else that was on our minds. I loved these dinners, and sometimes even preferred them to the full meals my mom made when my dad and brother were around. The men in my family have never really understood how my mother and I can be satisfied with a dinner of just a few crackers and cheese. "But that's not real food," my dad would say when he would come back to find empty salami packages and no leftovers. But to my mom and me, it's always been the most real.

While thinking up ideas for recipes to share, I keep finding myself coming back to these basic foods that I love. I'm learning that there is value in the things we eat when we're alone and perhaps in need of a bit of comfort. When cooking for yourself or for your loved ones, think back to thing things you instantly grab for when we're not trying to impress or worrying about the scale. It is from these ingredients that your most memorable meals will come.

Smoky Deviled Egg Salad on Golden Rye CrispsI love eggs and mayonnaise. If I were ever asked to pick a few desert island foods, these two would definitely be on the lists. This recipe starts out as one of the most basic of all comfort foods: the egg sandwich, and then elevates it to the next level. I’ve replaced the usual soft deli rye with a nutty Danish crisp bread to add a nice bit of crunch. I also use homemade mayonnaise (recipe at the end). The real key ingredient, however, is the smoked Spanish paprika (Pimenton de la Vera), which can usually be purchased at gourmet supermarkets or specialty stores. If you can’t find this spice near you, you can certainly replace it with the more commonly found Hungarian paprika, but note that you will lose out on the smoky heat of the Spanish version. I’ve included a link at the end for an online supplier for those of you who can’t find it elsewhere.
Ingredients3 medium eggs
2 slices of golden rye Danish crisp bread (suggested brands: Wasa, Kavli)
2 tablespoons of homemade mayonnaise (recipe below)
1 heaping teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika (also known as Pimenton de la Vera)
Fresh cracked pepper
Course sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly chopped dill


1. Place the eggs in a saucepan filled with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 7 to 8 minutes then remove from heat. Peel the eggs under cold running water to keep your fingers from burning and then coarsely chop and place in a bowl.

2. Add the mayonnaise and paprika to the chopped eggs and mix well. The paprika should turn the mix a lovely orange color. Season to taste with course sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

3. Arrange two slices of crispbread on a plate with nutty side up. Top each one with half of the egg salad mixture. Garnish with a sprinkle of dill before serving.

Homemade MayonnaiseThis recipe might read a bit complicated, but it’s really just about patience. An electric mixer or food processor makes it a snap!! Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with the use of different oils or the addition of herbs and spices—I’ve included a couple variations at the end. Perfect in the Smoky Deviled Egg Salad or as a dipping sauce for French Fries.

Ingredients2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon powdered mustard seed
Pinch of sugar
4 to 5 teaspoons of lemon juice (or white vinegar)
1 ½ cups olive, soy, or canola oil

1. Combine the egg yolks, mustard powder, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar/lemon juice in the base of an electric mixer and beat until the yolks double into a creamy, pale yellow.

2. Lower the mixer to medium speed and slowly drizzle in the first ¼ cup of oil.

3. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

4. Drizzle in another ¼ of olive oil, a few drops at a time, making sure that it is all combined before adding the next drops.

5. Follow with another teaspoon of lemon juice.

6. Add ½ cup of oil in a steady stream and then the remaining lemon juice.

7. Drizzle in the remaining oil. If it’s too thick for your taste, finish by thinning out with a tablespoon or two of hot water.

Cover and refrigerate. Will keep in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.

Variations:
Aioli: For every ½ cup of prepared mayonnaise, whisk in: 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped coriander and salt and pepper to taste.

Meyer Lemon Mayo: Use juice from fragrant Meyer lemons in original recipe. Finish with a teaspoon of Meyer lemon zest, and some fresh cracked pepper.

Chipotle Mayo: Prepare mayonnaise then blend in a processor with 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Remoulade: Blend 1 cup prepared mayo with 1 tablespoon each of: minced cornichons, capers, garlic clove, chopped parsley, chopped tarragon, and spicy Dijon mustard. Finish with a few drops of red pepper sauce.

Where to Buy
The Spice House, based out of Chicago, offers all kinds of hard-to-find herbs, spices, and spice mixtures. Click here for Smoked Spanish Paprika.

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