Hello Again! The Incredible, Edible egg!

                                                     Hello Again! A Season of Change!

I'm sure many of you thought I fell off the face of the earth, I have neglected my blog badly this year.

Well, I am about to remedy that with some changes. First, I have been active posting recipes on the sister page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaCooking  So do check that out. It has PA recipes besides a bit of everything else that strikes my fancy at any given time.

Second, while I still will focus on PA Dutch, game and other good stuff from around here for meal focus, I am also opening it up a bit to include more on gardening, herbs, and supply foods like chickens. Hence, the picture of my little sex link/red cross rooster above, Einstein. Having your own organic brown eggs is a blessing for cooking and baking and eating. So this post will share some eggy recipes! And really, chickens and hatching eggs is always a great sign of both fertility, spring and new life!

                                              THE INCREDIBLE, EDIBLE EGG!

The first I will mention is RED BEET EGGS. Now, how good these are somewhat depends on whether you used your own home canned red beets, which we do. My Dad and Mike's Mom both make excellent red beets. We always save the juice, and just add boiled eggs and let them sit a week or so. Don't even bother using the canned beets from the store unless you jazz them up a lot. Now, if you are making them without the benefit of the home canned red beets (I'm sorry you are missing out), there is still a way to make a nice batch of good red beet eggs.

RED BEET EGGS the long way

2 qts boiled red beets
2 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c cider vinegar
2 doz hard boiled eggs

Bring  sliced beets, water, sugar and vinegar to a boil about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Add 2 doz peeled hard boiled eggs and put in the fridge. Some people eat them after only an over night, but if you want the pickling and color to really go through, several days to a week is bets and they do last a while. We often eat the eggs with a bit of Mayo on the side.

Then, there are DEVILED EGGS. There are as many ways to make them as the stars in the sky. For Easter, I made Easter colored deviled eggs and they were cute besides being yummy.

I usually do a dozen eggs for a deviled egg plate. While fillings vary as I said, my favorite that I make here most is the hard boiled egg yolks, very spicy brown mustard and Hellman's Mayo. I also will some times add horseradish for kick. The ratio (I don't ever measure this stuff) is 2 parts mayo to 1 part mustard. I like adding relish sometimes too, but Mike isn't that fond of it so pass sometimes. I then pipe it into the hollowed hard boiled eggs and sprinkle with paprika and parsley flakes. If you want flavor variations, you can use almost any spice combo mix or salad seasoning mix, from Mexican like taco seasoning to tomato and spinach and herb. BTW--I make my egg salad in a similar fashion for taste. I HATE bland deviled eggs.

For a more refined egg recipe, the standby of QUICHE LORRAINE is always delicious.

QUICHE LORRAINE

1 cup shredded Swiss Gruyère cheese (4 ounces)

8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1 9-inch pie crust, baked

6 eggs

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle cheese and bacon evenly in bottom of pie shell.

In medium bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper and nutmeg until blended. Carefully pour over filling in pie shell.

Bake in center of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. It should jiggle slightly when dish is gently shaken, and a knife inserted near center should come out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

You can add a lot of variations to this, I usually add a cup of chopped spinach or some other leafy veggie, and also alter your seasonings. It's fun to play with and always satisfying.

If you want something quick and hearty, here is EGG BREAD. A lot of Amish folks have this, or a baked breakfast casserole.

EGG BREAD

3 - egg, beaten

2 - cups milk

1/8 - teaspoon salt

8 - thick sliced bread

2 - Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 - Tablespoons butter, softened

1/8 - teaspoon powdered sugar

1/4 - cup jelly

In a bowl, mix the eggs, milk, and add the salt.  Remove the crusts from the bread and dip into the egg mixture.

In a skillet at moderate heat, add vegetable oil and quickly fry until delicate brown.

Turn and brown on other side.  Spread butter, sprinkle sugar, and place a teaspoon of jelly on each piece.

Then there is BREAKFAST CASSEROLE. There are a million ways to make it, but here's the simple version, and it's handy when feeding a bunch for breakfast and nice for company staying over. Little work on your part and everyone is happy.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

6 lg        eggs

1 sm      onion finely chopped

2 c         milk

1 tsp      salt

1 tsp      dry mustard

2 slc      white bread, in 1" cubes

1 lb        sausage, browned

1 c         sharp cheddar cheese, grated

  

 Beat eggs, add milk, salt and mustard, mixing well.

Grease bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish.

 Place in layer of bread cubes, the sausage, then cheese.

 Pour egg mixture over the top.

 Refrigerate overnight.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

 Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting.

 NOTE: For 8 people use 3 slices of bread and 8 eggs.  If you have a big party, you can double this and do it in a roaster as well. We've done that for church breakfasts.

And what would egg recipes be without EGGS BENEDICT? I like mine lemony and Mike thinks it's pretty fair - he loves Eggs Benedict.

BTW-- I use fresh squeezed lemons. And, if you want a good PA Polish spin, use a fine slice of kielbasa instead of the Canadian Bacon. For real. Yummy. (I bet no one else doing Eggs Benedict ever told you THAT!)

EGGS BENEDICT

4 egg yolks

 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

 1 pinch ground white pepper

 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

 1 tablespoon water

 1 cup butter, melted

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 8 eggs

 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

 8 strips Canadian-style bacon

 4 English muffins, split

 2 tablespoons butter, softened

To Make Hollandaise: Fill the bottom of a double boiler part-way with water. Make sure that water does not touch the top pan. Bring water to a gentle simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon water.

Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time while whisking yolks constantly. If hollandaise begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on pan to keep sauce warm.

Preheat oven on broiler setting. To Poach Eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of water. Bring water to a gentle simmer, then add vinegar. Carefully break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Yolks should still be soft in center. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate

While eggs are poaching, brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast the English muffins on a baking sheet under the broiler.

Spread toasted muffins with softened butter, and top each one with a slice of bacon, followed by one poached egg. Place 2 muffins on each plate and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.

I'll save my crepes for the strawberry postings to come, I LOVE crepes, and another good use for eggs, along with datch. I've posted my Apple Datch recipe in older posts. 

Happy Eating!