For all my regular readers who may be wondering why this post-Easter post is coming out so late… well, this year I was able to spend Easter week with my Mom in sunny South Carolina (which happened to be serendipitous, since Rochester NY had cold, snow, and wind all week) and getting back into the groove was a slower process than expected, so as Mom would always say, “better late than never.”
Spending the holiday with Mom reminded me of Easters growing up in Brockport. In our house, it seems we always made more colored Easter eggs than we ever needed. There were five of us little Lista’s and we all had to make at least one egg in every color. I remember that while Mom was hard boiling two or three dozen eggs, we kids would cover the kitchen table with newspapers and get out some coffee cups and tablespoons. We filled each cup with warm water, a tablespoon of white vinegar, and several drops of McCormick food coloring — stirring up red, yellow, blue and green — and then mixing colors to make orange (red and yellow) and lavender (red and blue). Of course, it seems, one of us boys would always try mixing all the colors in hopes of getting black… unfortunately it would only produce a disappointing murky greenish-brown.
Soon after we made a huge mess all over the kitchen table, counters and floor — we were the proud artists that created a giant basketful of pastel colored Easter eggs ready for hiding, hunting, and eventually eating.
In those days, we were a frugal lot and wanted to use up all those eggs before they spoiled, so in the days following Easter Sunday, my Mom would use those extra Easter eggs to whip up a few simple egg dishes. First, there was the familiar Egg & Olive Salad sandwiches (Dad would use sliced pimiento stuffed Spanish olives), next there were the more stylish Devilled Eggs (Mom only used Nance’s Sharp & Creamy mustard which gave these afternoon snacks a little tangy bite that I really love), and finally it would be the informal Creamed Eggs on Toast, a traditional dish that used to be very popular as a breakfast or brunch item but in my family was served for dinner — not my personal favorite, but my brother Bill loved it!
Dad’s Egg & Olive Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: None if using leftover eggs
Makes: 2-4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
6 leftover Hard Boiled Eggs – peeled & chopped
24 Pimiento Stuffed Spanish Olives – sliced
4 TBSP Real Mayonnaise (like Hellman’s)
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste (optional)
Toasted Bread for making sandwiches
Directions:
1. In a suitable bowl mix the chopped eggs, sliced olives, mayo and black pepper using a dinner fork — making sure to mash the eggs and olives well. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
2. Spread egg salad on toasted bread (I prefer a good whole grain bread) – cut in half diagonally and serve.
Mom’s Devilled Eggs
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: None if using leftover eggs
Makes: 12 devilled eggs
Ingredients:
6 leftover Hard Boiled Eggs – peeled & cut in half lengthwise
2 TBSP Real Mayonnaise (like Hellman’s)
2 tsp Sharp & Creamy Mustard (like Nance’s or similar type)
Paprika for garnishing
Directions:
1. Carefully remove the yolks from the egg halves. Set whites on a serving plate and put yolks in a small bowl.
2. Using a fork, mash the egg yolks and add mayo and Nance’s mustard – continue to mash with fork until a smooth paste forms (add a little more mayo if too thick).
3. Using a teaspoon fill the egg whites with the yolk filling and sprinkle with a little paprika as a garnish. Serve.
Mom’s Creamed Eggs on Toast
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
6 leftover Hard Boiled Eggs – peeled & sliced into 1/2″ rounds
4 TBSP Butter
4 TBSP All Purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp White Pepper
Sliced Bread for toasting
Butter for toast (optional)
Paprika or Cayenne Pepper for garnish (optional)
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Continue to cook and stir until bubbly.
2. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, until it’s all incorporated. Season with salt and white pepper.
3. Continue to cook and whisk until sauce is thick and creamy.
4. Remove from heat and add sliced eggs, stir to coat.
5. Toast bread slices and butter if desired. Cut toast diagonally.
6. To serve, lay 2-4 toast triangles on individual plates and spoon creamed eggs over toast. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika or cayenne pepper if desired.
There you have it, three simple ways the Lista family would use up those Extra Easter Eggs. Maybe not haute cuisine, but certainly worthy of a humble blog post. I hope you try at least one when you find you have a few hard boiled eggs in your fridge.
Until next time remember, “The Sauce Makes the Difference!”
74 Main Street 