Easter Menu: "Angeled" Eggs - Girl and Her Kitchen

I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking Easter. As someone who loves to entertain, holidays are one of my favorite times to have guests. It’s also one of the most likely times for your schedule to fill up, leaving you little time to actually plan and execute a memorable holiday meal. That’s where I come in.

This Easter, I’m offering you an entire Easter menu, from starter to dessert. I will take all the worry out of your meal so you can spend time on the important things, like coloring eggs and hiding them for the big egg hunt. (And you may actually be able to spend time with your family and guests for a change.) This menu will be broken up into a week-long posting, so check back each day to see what’s next.

Today’s recipe is simple, but with a touch of class. It uses the one thing everyone has an abundance of at Easter time: Eggs! Lots and lots of eggs. If your kids are like mine, they eat one egg in the morning and that’s it for the rest of the day. (Maybe it’s all that candy!) Meanwhile, you’re stuck with piles of hard boiled eggs, from the egg coloring to the egg hunt and every egg in between. Here’s the answer to your eggs-aggerated abundance of “hen fruit.”

This recipe for deviled eggs is a classic. It’s the way my mom taught me and, though I have no idea where she got her recipe from, sentimentally, I’m kind of hoping it was from her mom. The truth is, mom’s hand-me-down recipes are always the best. They evoke memories of childhood and family and, best of all, mom’s love. And who would ever change one word of those precious memories? Not me. But while the basic deviled eggs recipe is tried and true, I’ve freshened it up and made it more angelic.

“Angeled” Eggs

1 dozen eggs, FRESH
2 Tbs. mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Small package of lox (smoked salmon), diced
1 Tbs. capers, chopped
4 pieces of crisp cooked bacon
2 Tbs. chives, chopped
Smoked paprika for sprinkling

The most important part of hard boiling eggs is starting with fresh eggs. That makes them easier to peel. Take your fresh eggs out and let them come to room temp before you begin. This ensures the cooking time will be more accurate. Place eggs in a pot in a single layer, cover with COLD water to about and inch above the tops of the eggs. Bring the water to a boil. As soon as the pot of water comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and cover it with a lid. Let the eggs sit in the boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain and fill pot with very cold water to stop cooking. Let cool.

Remove the shells from your eggs and rinse to ensure all the shell is gone. With a sharp knife, slice the eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Place the yokes in a large bowl, place the whites on a platter, hole side up, and ready to fill. Add the mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper to the yolks. I use a potato masher to get all the lumps out, then stir a few times with a spoon just to make sure all is well blended.

I use a pastry bag to fill my eggs, but if you don’t have one, just place all your yolk mixture in a large zip lock bag, twist the top, and cut off one corner. Making sure the twisted part of your bag is tight, squeeze some yolk mixture into each egg white till it’s a bit above the surface of the egg white.

Now comes the part where we turn deviled eggs to the bright side. The secret’s in the toppings. The right toppers take the evil out of the eggs and make them, well, heavenly!

I prefer preparing a variety of eggs. For some, I sprinkled on a bit of lox and chives, others bacon, or capers, or capers and lox … well you get the idea. Then I dusted them with a bit of smoked paprika for lovely color and some smokey flavor. Don’t be limited by my favorite toppings. Use your imagination. If you would like it on your egg, then try it. And, they look fantastic. Your guests will devour these and your kids will love them too. (My daughter ate 14 of them!) No more strangely colored eggs staring back at you every time you open the fridge for weeks after Easter. Who needs that guilt trip, right?