Colourful Egg Salad

I love colourful food and I am of the opinion that a meal should have a broad colour pallet: rich reds and oranges, bright greens, a dab of yellow or crisp white and even sometimes a pop of blue or purple (purple potatoes are delicious, in case you couldn't think of a purple food).  When I create a sandwich, like any designer, I consider the colours of the ingredients and how they will look together.  I like to build something with a range of colours  because it's aesthetically pleasing and hints at variety in taste and texture.  And let's face it, when something looks good, chances are it tastes good too. 

Such is the case for my latest sandwich creation.  The white and yellow mix of hard boiled eggs provided the basis for a lovely, multicoloured egg salad sandwich.  When mixed with some green celery, red pepper and rusty-tinged spices, the sunny yellow hue reminded me of springtime.  It's a cheerful-looking (and tasting!) sandwich to enjoy this slushy winter week.

This Colourful Egg Salad requires:

Red, green, white and yellow!

5 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 tsp diced fresh dill weed (estimated)
1 tbsp-ish of mayo
1/2 tbsp-ish of Fresh's Dijon with Chardonnay mustard
Paprika and Cayenne pepper flakes to taste
Spinach 
Bread or buns, split


Hard Boiled Eggs can be tricky, but luckily there's no shortage of tips online to try!  Some say to add vinegar or salt to the water to prevent the egg whites from oozing if the eggs are cracked and others don't; I recommend reading a few and trying whatever stands out to you.  I've used this method many times with consistent hard boiled results:

Just add water, boil, remove from heat and cover.

1. Place the eggs in a single layer and fill your pot with cold water that covers the eggs with an extra inch and a half.
2. Bring the water to a boil for 1 minute and remove the pot from heat.  I know the expression "a watched pot never boils" but it's important that you do watch it so they don't overcook.
3. Cover and let the eggs sit in the boiled water for about 12 minutes. 
4. Run the eggs under cold water and peel.  Fini!

Sandwich Creation:

1. After peeling the eggs, mash them in a bowl with a pastry cutter.
2. Add the diced celery, red pepper, dill weed and mix.
3. Mix in the mayo and mustard.  I don't like my egg or potato salads drowning in sauce, which is why my measurements were 'ish' amounts as I constantly taste as I mix.  Add more/less to suit your liking.
4. Sprinkle on the paprika and cayenne spices to taste.
5. Scoop egg salad on one bread slice/bun half and pile with spinach.
6. Enjoy! 

Chopping fresh herbs with this is so easy and they smell amazing!

Delightful!  The eggs were still warm and the spices and Dijon mustard added some zip. Since there was some leftover egg salad the next day and I was feeling inspired, I added some diced radishes, and fresh basil to the mix for even more colour and flavor!  Fresh basil smells and tastes lovely but in the leftover amount, it was a bit intense, so I recommend either using a smaller amount for the leftover batch or adding it the whole batch next time.  

For even more colour, I added some baby carrots on the side because for me, the more colours, the better the sandwich.  Enjoy!