Curried Egg Salad

For a quick appetizer or healthy snack, spread egg salad onto crackers and top with sliced cucumber.

Ingredients

• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 teaspoon plain 2-percent-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar, or to taste
• 1/3 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
• Kosher salt

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs.

 

Using a fork, chop or lightly mash the eggs. Add the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, sriracha, sherry vinegar and curry powder. Season with a pinch of kosher salt.

 

Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed.

 

Makes about 1 cup.                   

Natural Dye-Colored Easter Eggs

For hard-cooked eggs: Add water to a large saucepan to a depth of 1 inch; set a large vegetable steamer in pan. Add 8 to 12 eggs to steamer. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Steam eggs, covered, 16 minutes. Remove from heat. Place eggs in a large ice water–filled bowl for 3 minutes or until cooled.


For Blue Dye:
Roughly chop 1/2 head red cabbage. Combine cabbage with 4 cups cold water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain liquid into a bowl; discard solids. Cool dye to room temperature. For each 1 cup of dye, add 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar and 1 tablespoon Fruit Fresh Produce Protector. Add eggs (make sure the dye fully covers the eggs), and refrigerate. Turn eggs occasionally to dye evenly. Let eggs stand 1 hour or up to overnight depending on desired hue. Blot eggs dry with paper towel.

For Red Dye:
Roughly chop 3 washed medium beets. Combine beets and 4 cups cold water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain liquid into a bowl; reserve beets for another use. Cool dye to room temperature. For each 1 cup of dye, add 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar and 1 tablespoon Fruit Fresh Produce Protector. Add eggs (make sure the dye fully covers the eggs), and refrigerate. Turn eggs occasionally to dye evenly. Let eggs stand 1 hour or up to overnight depending on desired hue. Blot eggs dry with paper towel.

For Orange Dye:
Combine the skins of 5 to 6 medium onions and 4 cups cold water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain liquid into a bowl; discard skins. Cool dye to room temperature. For each 1 cup of dye, add 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar. Add eggs (make sure the dye fully covers the eggs), and refrigerate. Turn eggs occasionally to dye evenly. Let eggs stand 20 minutes or up to overnight depending on desired hue. Blot eggs dry with paper towel.

For Yellow Dye:
Combine 1/4 cup turmeric and 4 cups cold water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Cool dye to room temperature. For each 1 cup of dye, add 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar. Add eggs (make sure the dye fully covers the eggs), and refrigerate. Turn eggs occasionally to dye evenly. Let eggs stand 30 minutes or up to overnight depending on desired hue. Blot eggs dry with paper towel.

Crepes

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour (if you have time). This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds. Lay them out flat so they can cool.

Savory filling suggestions: cheese, spinach, mushrooms, shredded chicken, scrambled  eggs, chopped herbs

Sweet filling suggestions:  butter & honey, cinnamon & sugar, sliced banana & chocolate, jam, apple butter

Duck Egg Carbonara

Rich duck egg yolks make a delicious, silky sauce for pasta. You can always omit the anchovies, if you prefer. 

12 ounces spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
One 2-ounce can flat anchovies, drained and chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Duck egg yolks
Salt and freshly ground pepper


1.  In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

2.  In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil with the garlic and anchovies  and cook over moderately high heat until the anchovies have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper, zest, oregano and parsley, then add the pasta and toss to coat. Remove from the heat.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk the yolks with the reserved cooking water and add to the pasta. Cook over low heat, tossing until the pasta is coated in a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

4 Servings. 

**Adapted from Chris Consentino: Nose to Tail Eating, 2011

Scotch Eggs

4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb sausage meat
1 tbsp brown mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup cooking fat (lard, refined coconut oil)

1. Place the eggs in a pot, then cover by 1″ with water that’s been mixed with 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; as soon as it is boiling, cover the pot and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 6 minutes in the hot water, then carefully transfer to a bowl of ice water; allow to cool, about 5 minutes. Carefully peel the eggs.

2. Combine the sausage, mustard, parsley, and nutmeg, mixing together with your hands. Divide the sausage mixture into 6 portions, then spread each one out into an oval shape. Add an egg to the sausage, then gently form the sausage around the egg as evenly as possible.

3. Warm your cooking fat to 350F in a skillet, then add an egg or two. When first adding the eggs, be sure to gently roll them back and forth to allow the sausage to cook evenly and retain a round shape. Once the sausage starts to brown, you can let it sit on one side and rotate only every minute or so. Cook until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes per egg.

4. Preheat your oven to 170F. Transfer the cooked egg to a plate lined with a paper towel, then place in the oven to stay warm as you finish the other batches of eggs.

** These can definitely be baked instead of fried. To do so, place the sausage-covered eggs in large muffin tins and bake at 425 until golden and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Deviled Avocado Eggs

Just in time for the Superbowl, a delicious - and healthy - snack for a crowd.


12 large eggs
2 limes
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 shallot (or use red onion), finely minced
1 serrano pepper, deseeded and minced
2 ripe avocados, peeled and pit removed
Salt and pepper
Sweet Spanish smoked paprika

1. Add the eggs to a medium pot and fill with cold water until the eggs are just covered; place over moderately high heat. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid and set a timer for 10 minutes. At the 10 minute mark, transfer the eggs to a bowl with cold water and rinse until room temperature. Peel the eggs and slice them in half.

2. Carefully remove the egg yolks from each halved egg and place in a bowl. Zest one of the limes and add it to the egg yolks. Next, add the juice from the 2 limes and mix in the sour cream. Mash the mixture with a fork, and mix until smooth. Fold in the shallot and serrano pepper. On a cutting board mash the avocados and add them to the bowl. Mix and mash until mixture is completely smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spoon the mixture into the egg whites. If you’re including the smoked paprika, tap a few dashes of the stuff on top of each egg and serve.

How to Make Stock from Chicken Feet

Make delicious soup with the stock from chicken feet - the rich gelatin of the feet create a nutritious broth.

Makes approx. 2 quarts

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken feet
2 large carrots, cut in half
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 celery ribs, cut in half
1 bunch of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorn

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil.  Put the chicken feet into a large stockpot and cover with boiling water.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Use large metal spoon to skim and discard the scum that rises to surface.

Drain the feet completely, rinse with cold water.  Using a sharp knife, chop off tips of claws and discard.  They should cut easily if you cut them through the joint.  Cut away any rough patches of the claw pad. 

Place chicken feet in a large, clean stockpot.  Fill with cold water to cover the feet by an inch.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.  reduce temperature to low.  Partially cover and keep cooking at a bare simmer for 4 hours.  Occasionally skim the foam that may come to the surface.  Uncover, increase heat slightly to maintain a low simmer, uncovered.  Continue to cook for an hour to reduce the stock.   Strain through several layers of cheesecloth or a fine, mesh strainer.  Pour into quart-sized jars.  let cool for an hour before storing in the refrigerator.