By Staff
Easter holds special traditions for many people. Boiling and dying eggs is one of those traditions at my house.
I know that most people have gone to hiding plastic eggs filled with goodies instead of boiling and dying eggs for such an event. However, at my house we just have to boil and dye at least a dozen eggs. Even if we use the plastic kind for hiding and hunting, it just isn't Easter without purple, blue and yellow fingers on Sunday morning.
The price of eggs has risen somewhat over the past few months. From what I can understand it's because the cost of corn to feed those chickens that lay the eggs has also risen dramatically. Who would've thought that the price of corn had something to do with the price of eggs?
At any rate, if you feel like you have to boil and dye eggs for a proper Easter celebration, I'm handing out some recipes this week that will help you make the most of those boiled eggs.
For safety's sake, make sure you hide the plastic eggs and keep the boiled eggs refrigerated until you're ready to use them.
This first recipe is one that I can't say I've ever made, but it sounds logical enough and could be pretty tasty.
Creamed Boiled Eggs
8 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour; when thoroughly blended, slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. Stir in cheese. Pour sauce over chopped, boiled eggs.
I use a lot of eggs in my potato salad and that will probably use up most of my dyed eggs after Sunday. If you like potato salad but are looking for something a little different, this next recipe may be one you might want to try. Of course, if it sounds a little too exotic for you, you can't go wrong with a good basic potato salad on the table.
Barbecue Potato Salad
5 pounds unpeeled potatoes, cubed
1 small red onion, diced
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and finely diced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
Place cubed potatoes into a large kettle and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and spread the potatoes onto baking sheets in a single layer. Chill the potatoes in the refrigerator until cold, about 2 hours. Mix the cooled potatoes, red onion, egg, mayonnaise, barbeque sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle with paprika if desired.
I put a few recipes in for pickled eggs last year and got a lot of good comments about them. If you like pickled eggs, try one of these recipes and you'll be able to get rid of a dozen boiled eggs in a flash.
German Pickled Eggs
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
6 whole cloves
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool completely. Place onions and eggs in a large jar; add enough vinegar mixture to completely cover. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Use a clean spoon each time you remove eggs for serving. May be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
If you are more inclined to eat sweet pickles, this next recipe is one you'll probably enjoy. The recipe for pickling eggs calls for sugar and will give you an egg that may remind you of a bread and butter pickle.
Sweet Pickled Eggs
12 eggs
1 large onion, sliced into rings
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 cups water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pickling spice, wrapped in cheesecloth
Cover eggs with water in a large pot. Cover with lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil gently for 10 minutes. Drain. Run cold water over eggs until they are cold. Shell eggs. Prepare the brine in a saucepan by combining the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Layer the eggs (whole) and onion rings in a sterilized 2 quart jar to within 1 inch of the top. Add pickling spice to brine. Swirl bag around for 30 seconds. Remove bag. Pour brine over eggs to fill jar with 1/4 inch from top. Seal with a sterilized lid. Store in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks before serving. Serve chilled.
I hope you can use a couple of these recipes to use up those expensive boiled eggs after the hunt is completed.
If you have any recipes you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you. You can give me a call at 867-4876 or drop me a line by e-mail at lisa.tindell@brewtonstandard.com. I'll be sure to give you credit for anything I share in this space.
Until next week, may the Easter Bunny bring you more chocolate than you can possibly eat and may none of that chocolate contain any calories or fat.
Happy cooking and happy Easter!