Deviled Eggs

When Tink was 5 she picked up a deviled egg and it squirted right out of her little paw.  She just stared at it laying on the ground and then said, "so that's why they call them deviled eggs!"  I think about that moment every time we have deviled eggs. :)  These are pretty easy to make, but I thought I would post the recipe anyway in case any of you had never thought to try making them before. 

You will need:

eggs  (I used 7)
mayonnaise

mustard
salt 
pepper (optional)
paprika
smallish pot

The trickiest part of making deviled eggs is boiling the egg properly. (Use eggs that are at least 3 days old. The fresher the egg, the harder it is to peel.) Seven fit perfectly in my pot.  You want your eggs to be close together and not have a lot of room to move around and bash against each other--that will help prevent the shells from cracking while cooking.  Leave the eggs in the pot with no heat for about 20 minutes to help take off the chill and bring them close to room temperature.  Cold eggs crack in boiling water.

Fill the pot with just enough water to cover the eggs by one inch.  DO NOT ADD SALT to the water.  Adding salt makes the whites rubbery.  Trust me on this one. :)

Turn your burner on high and bring the eggs to a boil.  You definitely want lots of bubble action going on.  Then put the top on your pot and turn off the burner.  Set a timer for 15 minutes and leave the eggs alone.  Do not remove the pot from the burner.

When the timer goes off, remove the top and immediately start running cold water over the eggs to stop them from cooking.  I empty the pot of water and then add a bunch of ice, a little water, and then leave them alone for 20 minutes.

When they have cooled down you can start to peel them.  Tap them on the countertop.  Start with the ends.  The flatter end has a bubble of air in it--tap that one first, then the other end, and then around the sides.  Roll the egg in your had to loosen the shell.

After you get the little buggers peeled, rinse and pat them dry.

Slice each egg in half and add the yolks to a bowl.  Break them up with a fork and then add two heaping spoonfuls of mayo and two small spoonfuls of mustard.  (In the South, Miracle Whip is referred to as mayo. It just is, I don't know why. Use your favorite brand of mayo!)  Sprinkle with salt.

The mixture should be very creamy, but not wet.  You'll have to taste it and see if you have enough salt and to decided whether you need more mayo or mustard.  I usually add more mustard because I like a stronger mustard flavor in my deviled eggs.

Then fill your eggs and sprinkle with paprika.  I put the paprika in my hand and use my fingers to sprinkle.  When I try to shake the paprika from the jar over the eggs I get it everywhere!

You can get pretty fancy with deviled eggs!  Try using a Dijon mustard or putting the yolk mixture in a pastry bag with a fancy tip.  But for just eating at home I don't bother with fancy.  They don't last long!  Tink would eat them all by herself if I let her. :)

Enjoy!!

(My recipe card site is having security issues this morning.  As soon as they are resolved I'll put up the recipe card!)

Mustard Chicken

This recipe is a new addition to my repertoire. In fact, I've only made it once but it was a big hit. (Except with Tink, who doesn't eat chicken anymore because of her pet chickens. She says they can smell it on her when she eats chicken and it hurts their feelings.) I had 6 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and needed to make something quick, but was tired of the same old chicken I always make. (And I was out of lemons so lemon chicken was out. I never get tired of that recipe.) Plus I have a ton of mustard because I'm kind of a mustard junkie. This recipe is the result.

You will need:

paprika
pepper
salt
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into thirds)
1/2 cup dry cooking wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk (any type)
2 T flour
2 T mustard (any flavor)
a bit of oil



Pour a little bit of oil into the bottom of a frying pan (I used electric) and crank the heat to medium high. Place the chicken in the pan and sprinkle with paprika, pepper, and salt to taste.



Cook for 4 minutes and then turn over. Sprinkle with more paprika, pepper, and salt. Cook for 4 more minutes.




While the chicken is cooking, add the flour and milk to a small bowl.



Mix until no lumps remain.



When chicken is finished cooking the second 4 minutes, remove from pan and set onto a plate.

Add cooking wine to the pan and use a spatula to scrape up all the tasty bits.



Then add the flour mixture to the pan and cook until thickened. About 2 minutes.



When thickened add the chicken broth and mustard. I used Dijon, but you can use regular, horseradish, honey mustard. Honey mustard would be excellent.



Mix thoroughly and then add chicken back to pan. Turn the heat down to medium and cover the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes or until all traces of pink are gone.



When finished cooking, use a spoon to pour the sauce over the top of the chicken and serve. It would be great over rice or in a salad!



Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Pork and Pears

This recipe is simple, delicious, and easy on the budget.



I took about a 1/3 cup of honey mustard and added 1T of oil. (Any spicy mustard with 1T of honey can substitute.)



I spread the mustard mixture over a pork loin (less than $10) and baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.



While it was baking I chopped up two pears. I left the skin on, but made sure to wash them with soap and hot water. So important to wash your fruit! Even bananas and cantaloupe. After 25 minutes I removed the pork from the oven, added the pears, and continued cooking for 20 minutes. (The pork should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.)



I sliced the pork and drizzled it with the drippings from the pan. Since I am going the way of the diet, I chopped up my pork and pears and put them over a bed of lettuce. I used a lowfat honey mustard vinaigrette on top.