"Heavenly'' Egg Salad

Before my pescetarian days, I used to frequent the Green Chef Deli in Sewickley ...no longer in business :( and always loved their ''Heavenly'' Chicken Salad which had a yellow curry base with chicken and red grapes. Here is my spin using eggs instead of meat, vegan mayo and apples.

(Makes 6 servings)

What you'll need:

- 8 Eggs

- Celery Stalk

- 1/2 Vidalia or red Onion

- 1/2 Apple

- Yellow Curry paste

- Mayonnaise (I use Earth Balance which is Vegan)

- Black Pepper

Place eggs in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Peel off shell and cut into small cubes. Chop the apple, onion and celery finely. Place in bowl and mix with mayonnaise and a tablespoon or yellow curry (to taste), adding black pepper and salt as desired. 

Serve on top of salad or between toasted bread, adding spinach/ greens for an easy, flavorful lunch.

New Toy: Juicer

Organic Avenue, Juice Press, Liquiteria...juice bars have been continuously popping up all over New York City. I've become a huge fan of these places on mornings when I want an extra "kick" or to easily incorporate fruits, veggies and essential vitamins into my diet. With such common, natural, every day ingredients in the drinks, I decided to buy a personal juicer and give it a try.

First juice experiment: kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, pear, and lemon.  Essentially, I tried to recreate Organic Avenue's Green Love.

The result: A refreshing, healthy, delicious drink packed with vitamins and minerals! 

xx

Laura

Quick Vegetarian Pho & Fresh Spring Rolls

Dave and I always crave Pho and there are not many places near us that we can head to on a whim. Here is our at-home version.

Since making this we've found pho bases (just the seasoning) at a specialty grocery store compared to the pre-made base from Whole Foods which I prefer. You can add seafood, meat, additional vegetables and spice as needed to this delicious noodle dish.

What you'll need:

- Large pot, Saute pan, olive oil
- Soup base (powder or Pacific Vegetarian pho base found at Whole Foods) 
- Tofu, meat or seafood
- Vegetables and herbs (carrots, green onion, basil, cilantro, bean sprouts
- Rice noodles
- Sriracha hot sauce (great if you have a cold!)
- Rice paper (optional)

Bring water to a boil in saucepan and turn to low.

Add rice noodles and let soak to soften. Saute Tofu, Shrimp, Beef or Chicken, adding green onions and vegetables as desired.

In a large pot, heat the broth, then add sauteed ingredients and spice of choice. Cilantro, basil and bean sprouts are traditional toppings.

For a healthy appetizer or next-day snack, combine spring greens, extra tofu, carrots, basil and crushed peanuts. Soften rice sheets in water, wrap and chill. Dip in sauce of choice or wrap sauce in rice paper while rolling for convenience.

Christine