Just another hard boiled egg.

I bet you think an egg is something you casually order for breakfast when you can't think of anything else. Well, so did I once, but that was before the egg and I. 

Claudette Colbert 

At our home we love eggs. We really do. I make sure Sara eats one every day. To become a "strong girl with lots of neurons in her brain". Most days it could be just a simple sunny side up or a creamy scrambled egg with chives that she likes to sprinkle on top. For special treats for her sweet tooth it could be a french toast with orange marmalade. For us it has to be the egg and ham or whatever else I can lay my hands on. We love our sun dried tomato,spinach and egg baked pie and when in a mood to spoil myself silly, my favorite Eggs Benedict. 

And then are the cakes and the pies and the cookies that all have the egg. Can't live without these babies.

Deviled Eggs are also a big favorite at our casa. And when we have friends over its always on the menu. Its so easy to put together, can be prepared hours in advance, a big hit with the crowd and really its my idea of  bite sized heaven. Did I mention how it also satisfies the creative bug in you because you can keep varying the recipe?

Sara is always in the kitchen with me. Standing on her little step stool to "help" her mum cook (Lately she has been choosing baking books over her favorite Giraffes can't Dance for her bedtime reading:)). She helps me peel the eggs with her tiny hands and combine the yolks with whatever else we may decide to add to them that particular day. She also likes to "dress" them up with capers and parsley. Cooking with Sara is fun and I hope you have fun "cooking" these with your "Sara".

Deviled Eggs

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

12 peeled hard-boiled eggs

1 tsp freshly chopped parsley

1 tsp chopped capers

1/2 can of oil packed tuna flakes

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

Some chopped capers & chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

1.Cut eggs lengthwise and remove yolks.

2.Combine egg yolks, chopped parsley, chopped capers,tuna flakes,salt and paprika in a medium sized bowl. Whisk till smooth.

3.Fill the egg white boats with the above mixture either with the spoon or if you prefer something more fancy with a pastry bag.

4.Garnish with some chopped parsley and capers and serve cold.Dust with paprika if you like.

You could replace the oil packed tuna with a mayo-tuna combination.I prefer the former.Also if you boil the eggs a day before and let them rest in the fridge it makes peeling much easier.

Know more : "The deviled egg originated in ancient Rome according to the show The Secret Life Of.... It is still popular across the continent of Europe. In France it is called œuf mimosa; in Hungary, töltött tojás orkaszinó tojás; in Romania, ouă umplute; in the Netherlands gevuld ei ("stuffed egg"); in Sweden fyllda ägg ("stuffed eggs"). In Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany sometimes a variation is served known as "Russian eggs", where the eggs are filled with caviar and served in rémoulade sauce. The title "Russian eggs" comes from the presence of the caviar. In Sweden it is a traditional dish on the Easter Smörgåsbord, where the yolk is mixed with caviar, cream or sour cream, optionally chopped red onion, and decorated with chopped chives or dill, perhaps with a piece of anchovy or pickled herring." via Wikipedia

Image: Personal Album

Recipe: Personal
While you enjoy reading this post with visuals.Please do not use them without asking. 
They belong to Orange Kitchens unless otherwise stated.

Baked eggs with ham and sundried tomatoes

The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. 

The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.
Martina Navratilova

And I am not sure amongst the several things that I love to do (and fortunately for me my interests = work = happy me = sometimes disappearing from the blog, oops...sorry) which ones to get merely involved with and which ones I should commit to, with my heart and soul. I love them all, what to do.

Ditto for food. When I can have both eggs and ham why should I choose one? Right?:)

This one is my all time favorite feel good breakfast. Trust me, it takes all of a minute to put it all together and the result is simply divine. Perfect for those Sunday brunches. A ramekin for each guest. Or make one big casserole that everyone can share.

Baked eggs with ham and sundried tomatoes

Feeds two hungry people

Ingredients

2 eggs at room temperature

2 big mushrooms, sliced

2 spring onions

2 slices of chicken ham

2 tbsp of Parmesan, grated

Olive oil

Oil to grease the ramekins

4-6 sundried tomatoes

2 tbsp thick cream (quite often I do away with the cream and use milk)

½ tsp dry chives

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

1.Saute the mushroom slices and slice the spring onions. Slice the stems vertically into thin strands. Chop the sundried tomatoes into halves

2.To assemble, grease the ramekins with oil and line them with ham. Add the mushroom slices and spring onions. 

3.Add the parmesan and the salt & pepper to the cream and add to that the ramekin as well.

4.Pop in the sun dried tomatoes.

5.Break an egg in each of the ramekins and top it up with the sliced onion strands. Sprinkle dry chives over it.

6. Bake for 20 minutes.

And really make as many permutations and combinations you feel like...spinach, sausages, potato slices, bacon, peas, corn...replace the chives and spring onion with some fresh coriander and garam masala for an Indian flavor or add some paprika for some heat. 

I like to eat these with latkes (potato pancakes and apricot date chutney).

Image : Personal Album
Recipe: Personal
While you enjoy reading this post with visuals.Please do not use them without asking. They belong to Orange Kitchens unless otherwise stated.