Roommate Egg Salad

Directions

1. 1
   Make your hard boiled eggs. Fill a pot with water, salt, and eggs. Set on stove and hard boil using your favorite method. I like to heat till the water is just starting to boil, slam a lid on top, turn off the stove, and let it sit undisturbed for ten minutes.
2. 2
   While you are waiting for your eggs, prep the vegetables. Take the purple cabbage (if you want to create the bunny look, reserve two--or more in case you're afraid of making a mistake--large, pretty leaves for the ears). Shred or mince the rest to make 1 cup or so for the salad. If I'm lazy, I sometimes just do this entire process in my food processor. Put your shredded or minced cabbage in a large mixing bowl.
3. 3
   Take your carrot and shred it. If you're using the food processor, toss it in and blitz it up. Add it to the large mixing bowl.
4. 4
   Finely dice your onion and add it to the large mixing bowl.
5. 5
   Cranberries can either be added whole, or you can give them an extra run through with your knife or whirl in your food processor if you like smaller pieces. I make it both ways depending on how I'm feeling. Add the cranberries to the large mixing bowl.
6. 6
   Chop up the green onions and cilantro (if you are making the bunny, reserve some for whiskers and garnish). Add your chopped greens to the large mixing bowl.
7. 7
   The eggs should be done cooking by the time you've prepped your vegetables. Plunge the eggs into icy cold water to halt the cooking process and make them easier to peel.
8. 8
   Peel eggs and dice using an egg slicer, your knife, or smash it with a fork. It doesn't have to be pretty. Put your egg pieces into the large mixing bowl.
9. 9
   Add mayonnaise, onion flakes, garlic salt, and black pepper. Mix and taste. Adjust seasonings to taste. (If I'm feeling feisty, I will sometimes add a curry powder in at this stage.)
10. 10
    If you are not making the bunny, you are done! It does taste better after sitting for a day to let all the flavors meld, but it's perfectly fine to eat right away as well. Enjoy your egg salad on crackers, in a sandwich, or in furtive spoonfuls sneaked out of the fridge.
11. 11
    If you've decided to make an adorable egg salad bunny, get a medium sized round mixing bowl and a smaller bowl (I think I used a plain old cereal bowl for my small bowl). Fill both bowls with egg salad and then invert onto a plate to create the body (from the bigger bowl) and the head (from the smaller bowl). It should look a bit like an unadorned snowman on a platter.
12. 12
    Take those two beautiful purple cabbage leaves (you chose the prettiest ones, right?) and slice them into long, triangular shapes for the ears. Poke the ends of the ears into the top of the head, so that they drape back across the body.
13. 13
    Place two cranberries on the head to create eyes.
14. 14
    Sprinkle the minced carrot into a triangle shape for the nose. Judicious nudging with a skewer or toothpick is helpful here.
15. 15
    Take your green onion tips and cut them on a bias, so that they're long and slightly angled at the ends. Insert two on each side of the nose to create whiskers.
16. 16
    Wash your brussel sprout and place it on the back of the body as a tail.
17. 17
    Use sprigs of cilantro and any leftover green onion to decorate the plate like Easter grass.
18. 18
    Hop to it and devour that egg salad on crackers, chips, crostini, or from the spoon!