The BEST Egg Salad Sandwich Ever

This doesn't usually happen unless I'm sleeping. And by this, I mean drooling. I am literally salivating looking and thinking about this egg salad sandwich. I don't think it can get any better than this sandwich, really.

I love watching 'The Best Thing I Ever Ate' on the food network simply just to hear the interviewees gush and reminisce about some of the best things they've eaten all across this country. I love how they get so involved with the food and get so emotional and in depth about it all. Well, one place that they visited was Europane, a little cafe in Pasadena, California famous for their egg salad sandwiches. After visiting and consuming one of these famed sandwiches, I was set on a mission to make one immediately.

That I did, promptly the next afternoon. Now I am set on spreading this good news of eggy delight throughout the realms of the internet. Here is, unabashedly, thee best egg salad I have eaten and made and I think, will ever make in my entire life.

Soft-boiled Egg Salad Sandwiches

Yields: 4 servings

Inspired by Europane.

For the egg salad:

8 large eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup dijon mustard

2 tbsn. chopped chives, plus extra for topping

1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. pepper, or to taste

4 thick slices of crusty bread, toasted (I used La Brea Bakery bread)

sun-dried tomato pesto, store bought or made

mixed baby greens

1 small lemon

To soft-boil the eggs, heat a large pot of water (enough to cover the eggs) over high heat til a rolling boil. Drop the eggs slowly into the water using a slotted spoon, and cook on high heat (still a rolling boil) for exactly 5 1/2 minutes. Remove, drain and let cool. Once cool, peel the eggs carefully and place into a large bowl. From half of the eggs, remove the soft yolk (or else the salad will be too liquidy). Use a fork to break up the eggs (the yolks should still be slightly runny). Mix in the salt, pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, and chives. To assemble the sandwiches, take your toasted bread and spread some sun-dried tomato pesto on each slice. Top with some baby greens, then 1/8 of the egg mixture. Sprinkle the open-faced sandwich with some more pepper, chives and a squeeze of lemon juice. Repeat with the remaining slices and enjoy!

Rachel Ray's "The Only Pizza You Will Ever Want Again"

After a long day of school, a long tedious meal is the last thing on anyone's mind. Rachel Ray sure comes to the rescue when you're in need of a quick and satisfying meal, after all she has come to be known as the "Queen of Quick." This pizza was definitely a tummy pleaser and full of flavor and actually surprisingly nutritious and substantial. 

As a note, I recommend making a stop at your local Trader Joes for your ingredients. They have individual portions of pizza dough for only about $1.50 and in plain, whole wheat (which we used), and garlic & herb. You can find all of the other ingredients there also, which makes for an easy shopping trip. 

Recipe is as follows (tweaked for convenience):

For the crust:

1 (16 oz.) package of pizza dough 

2 tsn. olive oil

2 tbsp. grated Parmigiano Reggiano

For the toppings:

1/3 lb. broccoli, chopped and steamed

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 lb. chicken (pre-cooked), chopped

1 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese

10 sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

12 - 15 leaves of basil, chiffonaded

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. On a large baking sheet lined with foil, stretch out your pizza dough and form the crust. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmigiano Reggiano. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and minced garlic, mix well. Spread the mixture over the crust. Top with the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and broccoli. Next, sprinkle the pizza with the mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. Top with the basil and serve.

How to Chiffonade Basil:

Stack your basil leaves on top of each other, then roll the basil into a little cigarette. Take your knife and slice the "cigarette" very thinly. And there you have it!