Eggless Egg Salad

Egg salad as a topping on sliced baby potatoes with a sprinkle of paprika

Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.  What's the point of egg salad without eggs?  Well, those of us who strive to eat a plant-based diet are always looking for substitute recipes for some of our favorite foods. Who'd have ever thought that chickpeas (garbanzo beans, same thing) would be the perfect replacement for hard boiled eggs in texture and color? Not only does this recipe satisfy my hankering for egg salad, it's incredibly versatile and can be used in many different ways. And the best part?  Needing only four ingredients, I can whip up a batch of this eggless egg salad in less time than it will take me to write this blog. (If I start with dry chickpeas, that will take longer--soaking the night before and then 35 minutes to in my pressure cooker).  If you buy organic or low sodium canned chickpeas, it's as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4! Here you go!

Credit first! I saw a variation of this recipe in a Forks Over Knives email.  I wanted to try using fewer ingredients without forfeiting flavor and think I hit on the perfect combo. Whip up a batch and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1 can organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), *drained. (Approx. 1 3/4 cups of beans)
1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon black salt (this salt has a sulfur taste and is what gives your dish the taste of eggs. You can find in specialty stores or order online. Typically saltier tasting than regular table salt. More is not better.)

3-4 green onions, finely chopped, using as much of the dark green as possible

*I love saving the bean water (aquafaba) for use in soups, sauces, and making oil-less oil (yup, fodder for another bad joke but a great recipe for another time)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mash beans leaving a few beans whole.  Add mustard and salt and continue to mash and stir until well-blended.  Do a quick taste check. Usually, the 1/2 tsp. of salt is very salty to my taste buds.  If your egg salad is dry, add a little more mustard.  Finally, add and mix in the green onions.  Ta-Da! Your egg salad is now ready to eat!

Egg salad Romaine roll up with sliced tomatoes and favorite pickle relish

And my favorite way to enjoy this taste treat...

Egg salad with baby spinach in pan-fried corn tortillas

Dipped in salsa

Banana & Chocolate Bites

I've written about these delectable taste treats before.  Just never managed to get them posted where I can find and share the recipe easily.  Time to do it.

In trying to curb my habit of eating a dark chocolate bar daily, I've found that having these morsels on hand in the freezer help me skip the processed chocolate in exchange for a healthier version. 

Super simple, all you need is some ripe bananas (with nice brown spots on the peel but still firm and able to hold their shape when cut), a couple heaping teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, a dribble of vanilla extract, and a tablespoon or two of peanut butter (almond butter could work, too).

Cut two bananas into 1/4" slices.  Arrange on parchment paper or foil in a pan that will fit into your freezer. On top of each banana slice drop a tiny amount of peanut butter.

In a separate bowl, mash a 3rd ripe banana (the riper the better) until it's almost liquefied.  Add your two teaspoons of cocoa powder and splash of vanilla and mix until combined.  If your chocolate sauce is too thick, add a couple drops of water. But carefully, you want it thick enough that it won't be runny.

Start 'dolloping' a little of the chocolate sauce on top of each banana/peanut butter slice.

I topped these bites with a sprinkle of toasted buckwheat groats.  You can use toasted coconut or unsweetened cacao nibs.  But without a topping is just as tasty.

Pop your pan into the freezer and wait several hours (or longer).  When you have a craving for a little sweet nibble, your bites are ready for you to indulge in.

For more ways to use bananas, click here: http://krylivinggreen.blogspot.com/2015/09/orange-you-glad-i-wrote-about-bananas.html