Eggs A Great Bargain Any Way You Use Them

Eggs are such a good buy around Easter that it seems a shame not to take advantage of the sales. Use these bargains to create a bountiful supply of decorated eggs and a variety of egg dishes.

There’s no better time to create such egg-based dishes as angel food cakes, puff pancakes, souffles, custards, quiches or omelets. Even people who must limit their cholesterol intake can benefit; it’s easier to discard the yolks and use just the whites when the cost is only pennies each.

Whatever the savings, safety is even more important. Easter eggs are handled more and exposed to more bacteria than the ordinary egg. Plan to throw away any that don’t meet the following American Egg Board safe-handling recommendations:

Wash hands thoroughly before handling eggs at every step, including cooking, cooling, dyeing and hiding.

If you won’t be coloring your eggs right after cooking them, store them in their cartons in the refrigerator.

Don’t color, hide or eat cracked eggs.

When coloring eggs, use food coloring or specially made food-grade egg dyes. Use water warmer than the eggs and refrigerate them in their cartons right after coloring.

When hiding eggs, avoid areas that expose the eggs to animal, bird, insect, or lawn chemical contamination.

Refrigerate eggs again after they’ve been hidden and found, or keep a few refrigerated for eating and discard those that have been hidden.

Don’t eat eggs that have been out of the refrigerator for more than two hours, including eggs used for centerpieces and other decorations.

Rainbow Easter Eggs

From the Washington Egg Commission.

Eggs

Water

6-inch square of thin cotton cloth or cheesecloth for each egg

Twist ties, string, rubber bands, etc.

Food coloring

Drop cloth, paper towels or newspaper

Egg cartons

To hard-cook eggs, put a single layer of eggs in saucepan. Add enough tap water to cover eggs by at least 1 inch. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Turn off heat. If necessary, remove from burner to stop the boiling.

Cover and let eggs stand in the hot water 15 minutes for large eggs. (Adjust time up or down by about 3 minutes for each size larger or smaller.) Immediately run cold water over eggs or put them in ice water until completely cooled. Drain and color immediately, or place in carton and refrigerate. When ready to color, spread out drop cloth, paper towels, or newspaper on working surface. Wet a square of fabric for each egg. Wring out until slightly damp and wrap cloth around the egg. Either twist loosely and fasten at both ends, or bundle the edges together and fasten at the top. Using food coloring directly from the container, place drops of coloring on the cloth-wrapped egg in circles, stripes or as desired. Repeat with other colors as you like. Twist the cloth more tightly around the egg so the colors run together to produce a rainbow swirl.

Unwrap and set the finished eggs back in the carton to dry. Refrigerate.

If safely handled and refrigerated, extra hard-cooked eggs are ready for use as ingredients in a variety of dishes. Here are a few ideas:

Angeled Eggs

This reduced-fat variation of deviled eggs substitutes chutney and skim milk for mayonnaise.

6 hard-cooked eggs

3-ounce can chunk chicken packed in water, undrained

3 tablespoons bottled chutney

2 teaspoons skim milk

To remove shells, crackle each egg shell by tapping gently all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell, then peel, starting at large end. Hold egg under running cold water or dip in bowl of water to help ease off shell.

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and set egg halves aside.

Mash yolks with fork. Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Refill whites, using about 1 tablespoon yolk mixture for each egg half. Chill to blend flavors.

Yield: 6 appetizer servings.

Nutrition information per serving (2 halves): 119 calories, 6 grams fat (45 percent fat calories), 220 milligrams cholesterol, 128 milligrams sodium.

Note: Eggs that have been refrigerated for a week to 10 days are more likely to peel easily after hard cooking than very fresh eggs. , Elegant Egg Salad Sandwiches

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1 teaspoon diced onion

1 teaspoon mild curry powder

4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1/2 cup chopped mangoes or cantaloupe

8 slices raisin bread

Lettuce or spinach leaves

In medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, onions and curry until thoroughly blended. Stir in eggs and fruit. For each sandwich, top one slice of bread with lettuce leaf and spread with 1/4 cup of the egg salad. Top with another slice of bread.

Yield: 4 sandwiches.

Variation: Add a little mango chutney. Stir chutney into the egg filling or use it as a spread on the bread.

Nutrition information per sandwich: 264 calories, 11 grams fat (38 percent fat calories), 10 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrate, 219 milligrams cholesterol, 326 milligrams sodium.

Orange Spice Pickled Eggs

1-1/2 cups white vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup (4 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate

1 cinnamon stick, broken

8 whole cloves

8 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

Combine all ingredients except eggs in a medium saucepan or a 1-quart microwave-safe liquid measure. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. (To microwave, bring to boiling at High setting, 8 to 10 minutes; continue cooking on High for 5 minutes.)

Arrange eggs in a 1-quart jar with tight-fitting lid. Pour hot mixture over eggs. Cover tightly. Store in cool place or allow to cool at room temperature 1 hour and refrigerate to blend flavors.

Let marinate in refrigerator at least several hours or up to several weeks. After opening, refrigerate and use within 1 week.

Yield: 8 appetizer servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 82 calories, 5 grams fat (55 percent fat calories), 2 grams carbohydrate, 213 milligrams cholesterol, 62 milligrams sodium.

Anytime Pasta Salad

3/4 cup tarragon wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil or other vegetable oil

1 teaspoon basil leaves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

2-1/4 cups cooked spiral pasta or elbow macaroni

4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1 cup cooked, drained green beans or asparagus

1 cup sliced zucchini or cucumber

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

In medium bowl, stir together vinegar, oil, basil and garlic salt until well blended. Add pasta, eggs, beans, zucchini and pepper. Toss lightly until ingredients are evenly coated with dressing. Cover and chill to blend flavors.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 341 calories, 13 grams fat (34 percent fat calories), 43 grams carbohydrates, 213 milligrams cholesterol, 182 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

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