All over the world, eggs are important as a food. Eggs are a naturally nutrient-dense food, which means they have a high proportion of nutrients to calories. One large egg has only 75 calories and provides 13 essential nutrients in varying amounts. Eggs are an excellent source of choline and a good source of the highest-quality protein and riboflavin. Many of the egg's incredible nutrients are found in the egg yolk, including choline, folate, lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin D. The yolk also includes healthy monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats and almost half of the high-quality protein found in eggs.
Because eggs are so easy to prepare, they're often the first food young people learn how to cook. This easy egg salad recipe is delicious and nutritious. When you cut it in half, one round pita bread makes two pockets. And, when you fill the pockets with egg salad, they make handy portable lunches. Make the salad the night before. In the morning, fill the pockets with the salad and some veggies. Then, wrap the pockets and pack them along with frozen juice boxes to keep them cool until mealtime.
Egg Salad Pockets
WHAT YOU NEED:
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh dill weed OR 1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
• 4 thin cucumber slices
• 4 thin tomato slices
• 2 whole wheat pita breads, cut in half
HOW TO MAKE IT (makes 4 servings):
1. Put the sour cream and dill weed into the bowl. Stir with the spatula until the ingredients are well blended and you can't see any clumps of dill weed any more. Add the eggs to the bowl and gently stir until they are evenly coated with the sour cream mixture.
2. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap or foil. Put the bowl into the refrigerator. Let it stay in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
3. When you're ready to pack the pocket sandwiches, put 1
cucumber slice and 1 tomato slice into each pita pocket. Carefully spoon 1/4 cup of the egg salad into each pita pocket.
Information courtesy of the American Egg Board. For more recipes, visit the web site at www.incredibleegg.org.
