Lightened-Up Egg Salad Sandwich

Every year, my adult siblings and I dye Easter eggs. Yes, I said adult siblings. We still enjoy doing this and have convinced our spouses to join in on the colorful creations as well.

Naturally, this tradition leaves us with lots and lots of hard-boiled eggs. The quintessential Easter leftover dish is an egg salad sandwich. But with the common ingredient of mayonnaise, I am sorry to say, such a sandwich makes for a calorie-laden lunch.

To health it up, I swapped Greek yogurt for the mayo. The result, the same great flavor but without the excess calories and fat.

Curry Chicken Salad with Watercress

I have been traveling quite a bit these past months. I spend my days working for a wellness company for older adults and I get the opportunity to travel the nation visiting our partners.

In doing so, I also have many food-related experiences. Some healthy and some not so much. My travel eats inspire ideas about how to make dishes healthier.

This dish was inspired by a trip in which I enjoyed lunch with the team at a senior living community. The menu was much like a restaurant menu and offered several common lunch-time fares, such as tuna and chicken salad.

Lightened-Up Cookie Dough Cheesecake

The hubs has a sweet tooth. This is an understatement! He has a mouth full of them! And his favorite treat is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake, to which, I make for him this time every year.

Lightened-Up Seafood Chowder

I've always enjoyed a bowl of chowder but the restaurant version is more indulgent than I want. Here is a healthier version that's rich in favor - not in fat.

Adapted from Fine Cooking, One-Pot Meals

Ingredients: *Serves 4
4 slices center cut bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 tbs. butter
1 large shallot, diced
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tbs. all-purpose flour
1 6oz. can chopped clams
2 8oz. bottles clam juice
1 c. non-fat milk
8 oz. red potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tbs. fresh parsley, finely chopped
3/4 lb. skinless cod fillets
8 oz. peeled and deveined cooked shrimp
S&P to taste

Directions:
Before cutting bacon, put in freezer for 3-5 minutes for easier cutting. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat for 8 minutes or until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate. Discard bacon grease. Reserve half of bacon for garnish.

Add oil, butter, shallot and jalapeno to pot. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, almost toasting contents of pan.

Using whisk, stir in clam juice - bottles and juice from can. Add milk, potatoes, bacon, thyme and parsley and bring to simmer. Continue to stir occasionally. Reduce heat to medium to maintain simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.

Season cod fillets with salt and pepper. Add to pot and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in clams and cooked shrimp, cooking for another 2 minutes.

Serve in warmed bowls, garnishing with fresh parsley and bacon. Enjoy!