Tag Archives: asparagus

A dozen ways to use up leftover hard boiled eggs

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The Easter bunny’s long gone, the last of (or at least, you hope the last of) the plastic Easter grass has been vacuumed up, and you’ve got a bunch of hard boiled eggs in the fridge, taunting you. “What are you gonna do with us, huh? Deviled eggs? How original!”

Here’s a dozen ways to use up those little bum nuts (as the Aussies call them). And yeah, we’ll start with the common deviled egg, but things get creative — and maybe just a little weird — as we progress through the list.

Cookies made with hard boiled eggs, anyone?

(The first one on the list is a 2015 update…)

Bacon Deviled Eggs – with sriracha and avocado!

Bacon fat in the yolk mixture? Pure paleo genius!

I first made these for my husband, because he hates traditional deviled eggs (the mustard, mostly) and LOVES bacon. I subbed 2 teaspoons of sriracha for the Frank’s. Once I tasted them, I made another batch for me with far less hot sauce (I’m a spice wimp), but a little bit of mustard. Either way, this will get made again in our house!
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If you’re going to start with deviled eggs, you might as well start with a classic: here are Martha Stewart’s creamy deviled eggs.

I do love deviled eggs, and I don’t usually like to mess with the classic recipe. This variation is tempting me, though: deviled eggs with cream cheese and green onions, from Life’s Ambrosia.

Salad is another great use for leftover hard boiled eggs. Of course you can add them to caesar salad, potato salad, or tuna salad. Here are a few more variations.

Spinach salad with ham and egg, from Martha Stewart

My very own bacon and egg salad with creamy balsamic dressing.

Simple salad Nicoise lettuce cups, also from Real Simple.

Pioneer Woman shares her recipe for avocado egg salad.

How about a sliced egg sandwich with herbed mayo? Via RealSimple.

The Low Carb Diner took Grandma’s potato salad and remade it into cauliflower salad.

How about asparagus (another spring classic) with Greek yogurt, from A Couple Cooks.

These look intriguing: Chinese tea eggs, from Asian Supper.

And as promised: chocolate chip cookies made with hard boiled eggs, from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Chocolate chip cookies not your thing? How about these Norwegian sugar cookies, via Rachel Ruff of the Denver Cooking Examiner. Yep, they’re made with hard boiled eggs, too!

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Roasted vegetables

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The first time I had roasted vegetables was in one of our favorite restaurants on The Plaza in Kansas City. I was blown away by the flavor! This was nothing like any boiled, steamed, pan-fried or grilled vegetable I had ever had. The carrots, onions and peppers tasted like they’d been drenched in a just-sweet-enough sauce. The potatoes were perfectly salted and savory. I asked the waiter what they did to make the vegetables so sweet. “They’re just roasted with a little olive oil, salt and pepper,” he replied.

“There’s no sugar?” I asked, incredulous. He assured me there was not.

When we returned home, I hunted down some recipes for roasted vegetables. None of them called for sugar. I tried one. And just as the waiter had sworn, roasting them brought out their hidden sweetness.

After a few experiments, this is the recipe we’ve settled on. It’s become a standard on the Thanksgiving table, and a family favorite. In fact, my daughter’s request for dinner tonight, before she heads back to the land of dorm food, was chicken with mushroom sauce and roasted vegetables.

Roasted vegetables
Ready in about 1.25 hours    Servings: 3

2 T. olive oil, divided
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, cut into generous chunks, to taste
1 red bell pepper
1/4 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (or left whole, if you like)
rosemary or thyme to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Note: to double the recipe, use two pans. Vegetables should not be crowded in the pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Place the carrots and potatoes onto the pan, and toss to coat with oil. Give them plenty of room. If the pan is too crowded, the veggies will steam, not roast, and you won’t get that lovely caramelization.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn each piece over. Don’t be afraid if the carrots are looking really dark, even almost black. Just taste one!

Then add the onion and bell pepper, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil; toss all to coat; bake for 10 more minutes. (We were short on onion tonight, so there will be more of them in your pan. Assuming you plan ahead better than I do.)

To remove the woody end of the asparagus, just bend the stalk gently until it snaps in two. It will naturally break where the woody part becomes tender.

After the onion and bell pepper have had their 10 minutes, add the asparagus. Sprinkle all with herbs, if using. Continue baking until all of the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more. Once tender, remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 10 – 15 minutes in the pan.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm. Learn how to deal with your new popularity.

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