Recipes: Chicken and egg salad with curried mayonnaise

CHICKEN AND EGG SALAD WITH CURRIED MAYONNAISE AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS

Serves 4.

A fresh egg salad with low-fat chicken and a fruity base can be enjoyed in a sandwich or on lettuces. From "The Good Egg" by Marie Simmons (Houghton Mifflin, 2006).

• 4 tsp. curry powder, preferably Madras-style

• 1 tsp. cumin, ground

•³/₄c. mayonnaise

•¹/₈tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

• 4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered

•¹/₂c. peeled, diced apple (a crisp variety)

•¹/₂c. diced sweet onion

• 2 tbsp. dried currants

•¹/₂c. hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped

Directions

Sprinkle the curry powder and cumin into a small dry skillet and heat over low heat until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl; add the mayonnaise and cayenne, if using, and stir until blended.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, eggs, apple, onion and currants. Gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the top of the salad and stir just once. Serve at room temperature or chilled on salad greens.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories680Fat55 gSodium354 mg

Protein34 gCholesterol290 mgDietary fiber4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 other carb, 5 lean meat, 8 fat.

SCARLET EGG AND BEET SALAD

Serves 4.

This beet and egg salad is delicately seasoned with tarragon and garnished with crescent-shaped slivers of onion. Serve as an appetizer on lettuce leaves or as a side salad. For those pressed for time, using canned beets sacrificed a small amount of flavor. From "The Good Egg" by Marie Simmons. Note that this recipes needs to chill at least 2 days before serving.

• 1 tarragon sprig

• 1 tbsp. tarragon, fresh minced

• 4 medium hard-cooked eggs

• 1 c. red wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp. sugar

•¹/₂c. sweet onion slivers, for garnish

• Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Simmer the beets in a saucepan of water to cover until tender when pierced with a skewer, about 20 minutes. Drain, saving about 1 cup of cooking liquid. Peel the beets and halve or quarter them if they are larger than eggs.

Place the tarragon sprig in a wide-mouth canning jar or other large jar. Add the eggs and beets alternately, packing them as tightly as possible.

Drain off the liquid. Halve or quarter the eggs. Arrange with the beets on a plate. Garnish with the onion, minced tarragon and a grinding of pepper.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories117Fat5 gSodium206 mg

Carbohydrates9 gSaturated fat2 gCalcium39 mg

Protein7 gCholesterol212 mgDietary fiber2 g