The one thing I’ve learned in all my years as a low carber is that it’s not the fat you eat that gives you that satisfied feeling, it’s the proteins you consume.

Now eggs, for instance, are a great source of protein but also fairly high in cholesterol and fat (in their defense; they’re also packed with vitamins!). But if you look at this way: if eating an egg or two gives you a more satisfied feeling over a longer period of time, chances are you won’t be raiding the fridge or attacking the cookie jar shortly after, right? The mayonnaise is just there to balance things out a bit. So is the cheese! Honestly!

In that light, the egg drop we make for breakfast on lazy Sunday mornings, and the indecent copious amount of egg salad I’m about to spoon on top of my crunchy, white bun before I sink my teeth into it, is actually very responsible and healthy and I have nothing, absolutely nothing, to feel guilty about. I’m doing my thighs a favor.

Yeah, I know. I’m good at creative justification when it comes to eating fattening foods. If you don’t believe me, I’ll just come up with another story. No problem!

Ingredients:

1/2 tomato
2 tbsp yogurt
1 spring onion
4 hard boiled eggs
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
lettuce
chives
buns

Directions:

Everyone has their own way of boiling eggs. I first boil the water, plunge in the eggs and boil them for 8 minutes. Run cold water over them and let them cool off. It’s how my mom cooked them, as I’m sure it’s how my grandmother cooked them, my great grandmother and probably everyone in our family before them!

Finely mince a spring onion. Discard the dark green leaves.

Squeeze the seeds out and chop up half a tomato. I sometimes feel like a photo shooting/blogging billboard for vegetables, but come on, look at how great it looks! I add vegetables to everything, even a simple cheese sandwich can’t escape the veggie treatment here.

Which brings me to the chives. Use lots and lots of chives. They’re funky green, they’re crispy and they have a great flavor. It’s like a crossing between mild spring onions and garlic. Go on, stick your nose in there and just smell them!

Mix 3 tbsp mayonnaise with 2 tbsp low fat yogurt. This is the best combination ever. The yogurt adds a slight tang and freshness. It’s great.

Add a pinch of pepper, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, salt (start with 1/8 and add more later) and a heaping 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard. Blend everything together.

Also pour a little bit of lemon juice in. Just a tiny squeeze. I’d say use fresh lemon juice, but you’re gonna be using so little it would be a waste to cut a lemon in half for it.

Get the spring onions in the bowl.

Sprinkle a royal amount of chopped chives in there as well and give everything a good stir.

Peel the eggs and using a fork (or knife), coarsely mash them. I never turn them into a puree. Still want to be able to identify the eggs rather than see a muddy, yellow substance oozing out of my bun later on. Too graphic, huh? Sorry.

Add the chopped tomatoes and the mayonnaise mix. The dressing will be precisely enough to royally coat the eggs without drowning them.

Carefully blend everything together, don’t beat the heck out of it or you’ll still end up with previously mentioned muddiness. What I love about this egg salad is the absolute perfect balance between flavor, texture and color. There’s just enough of everything. Egg salads can quickly become boring, but not this one. Only a small handful of fresh ingredients, but combined they create magic.

Give it a good taste, add a little extra salt if it needs it and voila, you’re done.

Pick out a few pretty lettuce leaves. Wash and dry them.

Cheese. Egg salad needs a little cheese. Period. No, no debating or negotiating, it needs cheese.

Put the lettuce on top of a bun, throw a few cheese slices on top, add a royal amount of egg salad and garnish with a few chives. This egg salad, in all its simplicity, is absolutely divine. There’s really no other word for it.