duminică, 2 februarie 2014

Easter Eggs

My family loves deviled eggs.

So much so, that I can make 3 dozen eggs, which makes 72 deviled eggs for a party--and they're ALL GONE by the end of the party!

That's a LOT of eggs!


For Easter, we make them festive.

We color them, like Easter eggs!


I remember the first time my mother made deviled eggs colored like Easter eggs.



I thought they were the prettiest eggs I'd seen!



They're lots of fun to make, too!

Ingredients:

10 hard boiled eggs
About 1/2 cup mayonnaise


Put the eggs in a pot and cover with water.



Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.



After 15 minutes, cool the eggs with running cold water.


Peel the eggs.



Then cut them in half.


It's okay if some of them tear a little, the filling will camouflage that.

Or just eat that one.



Put the yolks in a separate bowl.

It doesn't matter if the yolks turn a little darker around the outside--that happens when the eggs aren't cooled thoroughly right after cooking.


Next, you'll need some food coloring.


Make the colors just as you would easter egg dye.

A teaspoonful of cider vinegar in each glass helps.

I used about 3 drops of food coloring in each glass.


Take the eggs out when they're a pretty pastel color.


Drain them on a paper towel.


Mash the yolks with a fork.




When they're uniformly crumbly, add about a 1/2 cup mayonnaise.

Scoop from your measurement and add half at a time.

Make it as creamy as you like.



When it's nice and creamy, you can add any extras--mustard, minced chives, freshly ground pepper, bacon bits, etc.

We like it plain.

You don't need to add salt, the yolk is salty itself.


Time to fill the eggs!


I've had this Super*Shooter forever, it seems, but it still works well.


If you don't have one, you can fill the eggs by hand with a teaspoon.



Put a little bit of the yolk mixture in each egg, so you don't run out, then go back and add a little more on top.




Aren't they pretty!



Garnish with a little bit of paprika.



Pour a small amount into the palm of your hand, then add a pinch to the top of each egg.



There's a psychedelic tie-dyed one--the blue one in the middle.

That happens when you add more food coloring to the glass with the eggs already in the water.

That's kind of fun. 

You can be creative in your egg coloring!



My brother says if you get to the party and you see the eggs, you'd better get one right away--because when you turn around to get one later, they might be all gone!

They're the perfect deviled eggs for Easter!


Itadakimasu!



***



I got my 'thank you' for my donation for Japan Tsunami Relief!


My sister-in-law, who is from Japan, is helping her friend raise money for Japan Tsunami Relief Fund through the Red Cross.

Yuko Nakatani is an artist. She and a group of her artist friends are drawing nigaoe (caricatures) as a thank you for a minimum $25 donation to Red Cross Japan Tsunami Relief Fund.

Some of you that follow along may remember the end of this post.










sâmbătă, 1 februarie 2014

Chicken Yakisoba


Ingredients
  1. ½ head green cabbage
  2. 1 medium yellow onion
  3. 2 medium carrots
  4. 1 small crown broccoli
  5. 2 inches fresh ginger
  6. 1 large chicken breast
  7. 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  8. 2 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodles
  9. seasoning packets discarded
  10. 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
  11. ¼ cup soy sauce
  12. ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
  13. 2 Tbsp ketchup
  14. (up to) 1 Tbsp sriracha hot sauce
  15. 1 Tbsp sugar

Crispy Baked Peanut Sweet Chili Chicken Wings



Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 50 minutesServings4
Crispy baked chicken wings in a peanut sweet chili sauce that are finger licking good!

ingredients
  • 2 pounds chicken wings
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice (~1 lime) or 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili sauce (such as sriracha) or to taste
directions
  1. Toss the wings in the oil, place them on a rack, on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400F oven on the upper shelf until golden brown and crispy, about 45-50 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat until the peanut butter as melted and set aside.
  3. Toss the wings in the sauce and enjoy!
Nutrition FactsCalories 589Fat 43g (Saturated 11gTrans 0.3g),Cholesterol 174mgSodium 1711mgCarbs 3g (Fiber 0.5gSugars 1g),Protein 44g








Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea)





Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Yield: About 2 quarts

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts (8 cups) water
  • 1.5 cups dried hibiscus flowers
  • 2/3 cup sugar (add more/less to taste)
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange, lemon or lime juice (optional)

Method

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat, then add hibiscus flours and stir to combine. Let steep for about 20 minutes, the remove the hibiscus flowers with a strainer. Stir in citrus juice if desired, then refrigerate. Serve over ice.
*You can also make this as sun tea, and let the water and hibiscus sit out in the sunlight all day.
**Also, this may go without saying, but be careful not to spill the drink on your clothing when making/straining. Those pink hibiscus leaves can stain clothes very easily!


Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Chopped Salad



Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

    Salad Ingredients:
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 8 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and diced
  • 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
  • 2 avocados, pitted and diced
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 cup garlic vinaigrette (see recipe below)
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • Garlic Herb Vinaigrette Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
  • pinch of salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasonings
  • 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Method

To Make The Salad:
Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. (Cooking time wil vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.) Remove chicken and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Dice chicken into small pieces.
Add the diced chicken, lettuce, bacon, blue cheese, avocados and tomatoes to a large bowl, and toss until combined. Drizzle or toss with garlic vinaigrette and serve immediately.
To Make The Vinaigrette:
Whisk all ingredients together until combined.


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