Beside the honey-glazed ham and sweet breads Easter means hard-cooked eggs tinted with all the hues of the rainbow.
But along with the eggs every year, comes the question: What do you do with them on Monday? One can only eat so many egg salad sandwiches, after all.
One answer is to slice the orbs in half, mash the yolk, mix it with mayonnaise and/or mustard, spoon the mixture back into the empty egg white shells and then dust the top with paprika for some deviled eggs.
Classic deviled eggs might be one of the easiest recipes. But you can be so much more adventurous with the fillings, if you care to step out of the box.
DEVILED EGGS WITH PARSLEY, GREEN ONIONS AND JALAPENO
12 hard-cooked eggs
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons stone-ground or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1 small jalapeno, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
Pinch cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon paprika, or to taste
Slice each egg in half lengthwise. Scrape out yolks and place in bowl. Add mayonnaise, mustard and blend together with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the paprika, and use fork to blend until the mixture gets creamy. Spoon mixture into each egg half. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with a sprig of parsley.
Makes 24.
— “The Ultimate Paleo Cookbook” by Arsy Vartanian (Page Street Publishing)
BACON AND BALSAMIC DEVILED EGGS
12 hard-cooked eggs
5 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
cup mayonnaise
2½ tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out all the yolks. Put yolks in separate bowl and mash. Add bacon, mayonnaise, onion, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Spoon the mixture in the egg halves evenly.
Makes 24.
— “The Ultimate Paleo Cookbook” by Arsy Vartanian (Page Street Publishing)
SHRIMP DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon basil pesto
1 shallots, diced finely
6 green olives, chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons capers
1 cup small cooked shrimp, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
12 small cooked shrimp, for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish
Good quality paprika, for garnish
Peel and cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise and pesto to the yolks and mash with a potato masher. Add shallots, olives, parsley, capers and chopped shrimp. Stir to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Drop teaspoonfuls of the egg yolk mixture into the egg halves, then top with small shrimp. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until it’s time to serve.
Makes 12.
— Miasdomain.com
ROASTED PEPPER-THAI CHILI DEVILED EGGS
8 large hard-cooked eggs
cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
¼ cup diced roasted peppers
¼ to ½ teaspoon minced red Thai chili
Coarse salt, to taste
Thinly sliced chilies, for garnish
Peel and halve eggs lengthwise; remove yolks and transfer to a bowl. Mash with a fork; mix in mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar. Press through a sieve to make smooth. Pulse yolk mixture with roasted peppers, Thai chili and salt in a food processor.
Using a pastry bag fitted with desired tip (I used a plastic baggie), pipe yolk mixture into whites. Garnish with thinly sliced chilies. Serve immediately, or chill up to 2 hours.
Serves 16.