Lighter Egg Salad

Megan officially moved out of her Wauwatosa apartment on Saturday. Her brother Kevin brought his truck. Sean brought his muscles and his suspicious gaze, which he directs at me like I'm a perpetual suspect. Kevin carried boxes while telling me about a foot chase he had last Tuesday. Sean carried the couch and didn't tell me anything because Sean communicates through silence and physical intimidation.

The apartment in Bay View is now fully occupied by two humans, approximately four hundred books, a smoker on the balcony, Megan's collection of teacher supplies (enough construction paper to wallpaper the building), and whatever combination of our lives fits in seven hundred square feet. It's tight. It's perfect. The first night with all her stuff here, we ordered Thai food and sat on the couch surrounded by boxes and she put her head on my shoulder and said, "Home." One word. Best word.

The kitchen situation is going to require diplomacy. Megan's cooking abilities are, by her own admission, limited to what she calls "survival food" — cereal, peanut butter sandwiches, microwave meals, and the occasional scrambled egg that is either perfect or rubber, no in-between. She is aware of this. She is not ashamed. She is, however, enthusiastic about eating whatever I cook, and enthusiasm is its own form of contribution.

We established the domestic rules: I cook, she cleans. I grocery shop, she puts things away (mostly correctly). The bathroom schedule is 6:00 AM her, 6:30 AM me. The TV remote defaults to whoever is awake first on weekends. Disputes are settled by rock-paper-scissors, which she wins seventy percent of the time because she always throws scissors and I always forget.

Made kielbasa and eggs for our first breakfast as official cohabitants. Simple. Pan-fried kielbasa sliced into coins, scrambled eggs, toast, coffee. We ate at the kitchen table — which we had to clear of boxes first — and it felt like the beginning of something permanent. Because it was.

That first breakfast — kielbasa coins, scrambled eggs, toast, coffee, and a table we had to excavate from the boxes — set the tone for everything that followed: simple food, made with intention, eaten together. Eggs became our kitchen common ground, the one ingredient that felt like ours. This lighter egg salad is what I threw together a few days later when the boxes were mostly unpacked and we needed something easy and real — it’s the kind of recipe that feels right when you’re still figuring out how two people’s groceries fit in one fridge.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish (optional)
Whole grain bread or lettuce leaves for serving

Instructions

Hard-boil the eggs. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by one inch. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 12 minutes.
Cool and peel. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 5 minutes. Peel eggs and pat dry.
Chop. Roughly chop 6 of the eggs. Slice the remaining 2 eggs for topping if desired.
Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and garlic powder until smooth.
Combine. Add the chopped eggs, celery, and green onions to the dressing. Fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chill and serve. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to let flavors meld. Serve on whole grain toast or in lettuce wraps, topped with reserved sliced egg and a dusting of paprika if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lighter Egg Salad — The Recipe That Came After Our First Breakfast Together