Deviled Eggs

Summer is just about here. We have had an incredibly warm several weeks in the Pacific Northwest. But the Rose Parade is fast approaching, so I am reasonably sure the heat and sunshine are about to end for awhile. No matter, we PNWers picnic in the liquid sunshine. We're hearty that way. And what picnic, or bar-b-que for that matter, would be complete without the time honored staple of deviled eggs. Everyone loves deviled eggs, don't they? I honestly haven't met anyone who didn't. Kids especially seem to enjoy them. One time we had a family get together...a bar-b-que with all the trimmings....including 3 dozen of my deviled eggs. Should be plenty, I thought. That was until one little 5 year old egg addict discovered the plate! That little thing downed 6 egg halves faster than you can say "Jack Robinson"! We knew from that point on we would need to have more on hand than expected if the little minx was coming. 

I have always made the standard deviled egg with little veering from the family recipe. Then, as I was going through my Farm Journal cookbooks, I found a couple of different recipes with many variations offered. The following is what I ended up with....and I have to say,"Wow!" Let me know if you agree.

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs

2 slices crisp bacon

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup plain yogurt

I like to use the food processor for making the deviled part of the eggs. Put the bacon into the bowl of the processor and pulse a few times until the bacon is in small bits. Slice the eggs in half, lengthwise, remove yolks, and add to the processor.

Add the remaining ingredients and blend until desired consistency. I like mine fairly fluffy. Heap into the bowls of the eggs. If you really want to be "uptown" you can pipe the filling in with a pastry bag. And I like to sprinkle with paprika as a final touch.

Notes:Oh My Gosh! These were heavenly! This may be the only way I make them ever again. The bacon added an unexpected crunch. And there were so many layers of flavor. Yum, yum, yum. Enjoy!

Which Came First? Red Pepper, Spinach Omelet

OK, I'm not one for breakfast foods. Cereal is at the bottom of the list...unless it's Captain Crunch right out of the box. But I haven't indulged in that little sin in years. Over the last couple of years I have found, what the experts are now espousing (yea! I was ahead of the curve), I need protein in the a.m. I now pretty much avoid carbs in the morning. As a result I eat many eggs, although occasionally I have been known to chow down on hot dogs or leftover meat from the night before, but that isn't very often. Brother! I would never make it as a vegetarian. So what I am going to share with you is my favorite way to cook my eggs.

Ingredients

EVOO

1/3 cup of chopped red peppers

2 cups of baby spinach

2 eggs beaten

1 slice American cheese torn in small pieces

a sprinkling of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

When I make this I use a non-stick 7-8 inch skillet. I found an Emeril one at Bed, Bath and Beyond that is great! Do a couple of rounds of EVOO. Heat skillet to a medium heat. Add the peppers and cook for a 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Slowly pour the egg/cheese/pepper flake mixture over the top of the veggies. Lower your heat to medium low.

Do NOT stir the eggs in the pan. As the eggs cook, gently lift the edges of the omelet and tilt the pan to let eggs in underneath. Continue to do this until all liquid has been distributed. Does this make any sense at all? The top of the omelet will still be soft and shiny. Let it slowly cook for a few minutes. Then fold the omelet over and let cook to a golden brown. Flip it and repeat. Then slide on to a plate. Now, I love heat so I drizzle some Frank's Red Hot sauce over the top. And that is breakfast! I do this many times a week. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of minced shallots or mushrooms. This little omelet keeps me from running to the fridge mid-morning. I promise it works! Enjoy!