PASTEL DEVILED EGGS

PASTEL DEVILED EGGS

This recipe is making the rounds these days and is absolutely perfect for the late Easter this year. These colored deviled eggs will make a beautiful addition to any Easter table! Also fun to do for baby or wedding showers as well.

EGGS
12 LARGE eggs

• Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
• Set pan over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil.
• Turn off heat, cover pan with a lid and let sit for 12 minutes.
• Drain and rinse eggs under cold water.

FILLING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons pickle juice
2 teaspoons QUALITY mustard
4 tablespoons FINELY chopped dill pickles
FRESH ground sea salt and pepper (to taste)

• Peel shells off of the eggs.
• Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out yolks into a bowl.
• Add mayonnaise, pickle juice, and mustard to bowl, then mash the yolks and stir until mixture is smooth.
• Stir in minced pickles and then season with salt and pepper.
• Place the mixture in a large ziplock bag.
• Cut the tip off of the ziplock bag and pipe the egg mixture back into the colored eggs.

DYE
6-8 ounces water in a cup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
GEL Food coloring

• Stir desired color of food coloring into cups of water.
• Add the vinegar to the colored water.
• Gently place boiled and peeled eggs into the cups.
• Let the eggs soak in the colored water for at least 10 minutes until desired shade is achieved.
• While the eggs are soaking in food colored water prepare the deviled eggs from the recipe above.
• Gently remove the colored eggs with a large slotted spoon and place them on a stack of paper towels to dry.
• Pat dry with additional paper towels.
• Fill with prepared egg mixture.

BARNYARD PIE

This is a wonderful hearty, savory yet tangy breakfast pie.

BARNYARD PIE
1 pie dough – homemade or store bought
4-5 leftover buttermilk biscuits, broken into pieces
1 LARGE bunch green onions, chopped
1/3 cup SMALL chopped red onion
12 ounces bacon, diced and cooked crumbly
6 LARGE eggs, beaten
1 cup half and half
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup FINELY grate pepper jack cheese
3 tablespoons tart cherry or pepper jelly

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Roll pie dough into a large 12-13 inch round.
• Place pie dough into a 10 inch pie plate, trim and crimp edges.
• Prick bottom with a fork once or twice.
• Parbake pie shell 8-10 minutes.
• Scatter broken biscuit pieces into the bottom of the pie shell.
• Sprinkle green onions over biscuits followed by the bacon pieces.
• In a medium mixing bowl cream the cream cheese.
• Whisk together the eggs, half and half, FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper and red pepper flakes.
• Pour into cream cheese and mix together well.
• Pour into the pie shell making sure NOT to fill over the bottom of the crimped edge of the pie.
• Sprinkle with the pepper jack cheese.
• Microwave the jelly for 30 seconds.
• Quickly spread the jelly over top, using a spatula to spread evenly.
• Bake 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 375°.
• Turn pie pan 180 degrees.
• Bake another 10-15 minutes until the top is golden and egg mixture is set firm.
• Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

SAVORY RUSTIC COUNTRY HAM & CHEESE QUICHE

SAVORY RUSTIC COUNTRY HAM & CHEESE QUICHE
CRUST
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
COLD 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon FRESH chopped thyme leaves
+/- 1/2 cup chilled water
2+ ounces chilled Vodka (see notes)

• In a large bowl whisk together the flour and salt.
• Add the COLD butter cubes and using your fingers (my preference) or a pastry cutter work the butter and flour together until you have pea sized pieces.
• Add the egg yolk and thyme leaves, mixing until combined.
• Add the water and vodka JUST enough to mix until the dough comes together. If it’s too crumbly add more vodka or cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until dough comes together smoothly.
• Work dough into an 8 inch disc.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.

QUICHE
1-2 tablespoons Frank’s original hot sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, minced
1/2 cup small diced red/orange peppers
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 LARGE eggs
1 cup half & half
1/2 teaspoon FRESH grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated SHARP white cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped country ham

• Roll out dough to an 11 inch round.
• Carefully arrange crust in 9 inch pie dish.
• Brush the bottom of the crust with Frank’s original hot sauce.
• Chill crust while preparing the filling.
• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Place a raised wire rack on your baking sheet.
• Add butter to skillet over medium high heat.
• When butter is melted add green onions and peppers, season with FRESH ground sea salt and pepper, stirring to saute’ 2-3 minutes until softened and golden.
• Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Place the prepared crust on the wire rack on the baking sheet.
• Toss together the ham, onions and peppers.
• Arrange half of the ham mixture evenly in the crust.
• Sprinkle with half of the cheeses.
• Arrange remaining ham mixture over cheese layer.
• Top with remaining cheese.
• Whisk the egg mixture one last time and evenly pour over into the crust.
• Bake 30 minutes and then turn tray.
• Bake another 20 minutes, until egg mixture is completely set and crust is golden brown.
• Cool at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

NOTES:

• We were out of vodka so I substituted REAL SPICE MOONSHINE and it worked REALLY well! The idea of using the alcohol versus using all water is that the alcohol evaporates during baking leaving you with a flakier, lighter crust.
• The old recipe I used had you brushing the crust with Dijon mustard, but I only do this if I won’t be eating it due to my being deathly allergic to it, so I brushed the crust with Frank’s original Hot sauce instead and we like it even better!

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

 

Our family has been making some version of this casserole, each their OWN way, and each called Overnight Breakfast Casserole, for as long as I can remember. Each and every one of those casseroles was excellent on their own merit, but the real plus is that it’s a MAKE AHEAD (anywhere from 3 hours to overnight) casserole and take the stress off of the holiday morning. Just pop it in the oven while you’re watching the kids open their stockings and gifts or if you have guests you don’t have to spend time in the kitchen and away from your togetherness time. Be sure and take the casserole out of the refrigerator at least a half an hour before you put it in the oven so it can come to room temperature.

The other beauty of this recipe is that the innards are up to you - either what you prefer or what you have on hand. It is just a basic strata with eggs, bread chunks and add ins of a protein, veggies and cheese. It is also a GREAT way to use up stale bread. You can use whatever bread you prefer, but we love sourdough ourselves. Some people also prefer to cut the crust off, but we are definitely crust on people.

We also tend to always use the same add-ins where as my niece changes it up EVERY time she makes it, but they always have a protein, veggies and cheese(s). Seasonings are another area that can change this up, but we tend to stay pretty traditional with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper. Occasionally I’ll use tri-color pepper for a hint more heat.

My normal proteins are diced ham and crumbled bacon, but I have been known to use rotisserie chicken also. My traditional veggies are diced red peppers, sliced green onions and thinly sliced mushrooms. Sharp cheddar is our cheese of choice, but we also like shredded Gruyere and/or pepper Jack.

Oh and did I mention that it makes a wonderful leftover dish for a quick lunch over a holiday weekend.

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE serves 10-12
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
BAKE TIME: 50-60 minutes

12 slices sandwich size bread, flavor of choice, cubed
3/4 cup diced ham steak
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 green onions, THINLY sliced
1/2 red pepper, FINELY diced
4 cups grated cheese, flavor of choice
6 LARGE eggs
3 cups WHOLE milk
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Coleman’s mustard (optional)

• Preheat the oven to 300°.
• Cube bread and place on a baking sheet.
• Add baking sheet to oven for 15 minutes, just long enough to dry out the bread cubes, but not toast them.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk and seasonings.
• Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
• Layer the bread cubes evenly into the bottom.
• Even top the bread cubes with half of the proteins, veggies and cheese.
• Layer again ending with cheese.
• Pour the egg mixture over top.
• Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.

NEXT MORNING:

• Remove baking dish from refrigerator to bring to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Remove plastic wrap and cover with foil.
• Bake 50-60 minutes or until center is set when you test with a knife and it comes out clean. If you’re using a deep baking dish or baking multiple pans, you will need to increase the baking time by another 15 minutes.
• Return to oven for 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

CORNED BEEF HASH

What do you do with left over corned beef? Make HASH of course!
 
CORNED BEEF HASH
We like ours crisp so I use more of small dice/shredded mixture.   Cut yours according to your tastes.
left over corned beef (about a pound), diced and shredded
2 tablespoons organic butter
1/2 pound cooked potatoes, diced
1 large bunch green onions, sliced
fresh ground pink Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add onions, cooking a minute or two until translucent.
• Add corned beef and potatoes.
• Add seasoning and Worcestershire sauce, stirring and scraping bottom as necessary.
• Serve with poached or fried eggs.

THE PERFECT "OVER MEDIUM" EGG

Do you love eggs?  I do and there is nothing better than a perfect over medium egg for me.  I like my whites done and my yolks runny so I can sop them up with my toast. So many times the yolks break trying to flip the eggs, but I have finally figured it out and it is soooooooooooooo simple!

THE PERFECT "OVER MEDIUM" EGG

per egg:

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon water

salt and pepper to taste

• Melt the butter in your pan over a medium high heat.
• Crack eggs into the butter.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• When whites begin to solidify add the water and cover.
• The rest of this is a matter of watching closely.  When the whites are done they will no longer jiggle.  Turn off the heat immediately and your yolks will be perfect.
• Serve with your favorite toast.