OVEN POACHED EGGS !!

A dear friend of mine, posted a video (from Foodstyle.com)about
poaching eggs in the oven and I was quite intrigued. Not only can poaching eggs, in the traditional method, be a disaster be challenging but you can only make 2-3 at a time!!

Here is what I found:

The video said to put about a tablespoon of water in each cup of a regular muffin pan, then crack an egg over the water and bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes.........well, that ALMOST worked.

I DID use the scant tablespoon of water, and I DID preheat my electric oven to 350°, but when I tried it using a standard cupcake (muffin) pan, the egg + water filled it to overflowing and took a full 20 minutes to cook, not 8 to 10.

On my second attempt, I had excellent luck using a jumbo size muffin pan (I think they call them Texas size?) and I gave it a light mist of vegetable spray, then put in the scant tablespoon of water and a large egg. I baked them at 350° for exactly 12 minutes (not 8 to 10)
and they lifted right out of the pan with a spoon.....YUM!!!

  A PERFECTLY POACHED EGG !!

Whether you are making one or 30, this method (with my tweaks) really does work and it couldn't be easier!!

The difference in cooking time (between my oven and the Foodstyle video) COULD be that their oven simply runs hotter than mine or maybe they were using smaller eggs (?)With so many variables, I suggest you do a "test egg" to see how long it takes in your oven before you make a whole pan of these.

One other note: When your eggs are done to your liking, take them OUT OF THE PAN right away or they will continue to cook.

Don't you just want to

dunk your toast in this one?

ENJOY !!!



DYE EASTER EGGS WITH KOOL AID!!

I found this fantastic idea on Pinterest and it works extremely well. Not only does it produce a pretty colored Easter egg, but  it doesn't smell up the whole kitchen like a vinegar based dye does, PLUS it is very economical!!

 

This could not be simpler: 

Mix one small packet of UNSWEETENED Kool-Aid powder into 2/3 cup warm water and mix.

A coffee mug works well for this; a different color Kool-Aid in each mug. Place a hard boiled egg in the liquid for about a minute then set the colored egg on paper towels.  That's it!! I TOLD you it was easy!!

The lemonade (yellow)isn't very bright, but if you add a little orange to it, it will give you a great color. Pink lemonade is a beautiful color; try them all and have fun!!

Happy Easter !!

Note: Use the small packets of Kool-Aid. Most of them are about .15 ounce, (it isn't critical).

BACON & CHEESE DEVILED EGGS FOR EASTER BRUNCH

If you are looking for a deviled egg recipe that is just a little different, this is a good one. The filling has crisp bacon and cheddar cheese in it and it is a great change. The filling is done in the food processor which produces a very creamy texture. I forgot to take a better photo of these before they went on the party table, but I quick snapped this one to give you an idea of how I decorated them.
12 hard boiled eggs
½ cup favorite salad dressing (I use mayonnaise)
4 strips of crisp fried bacon
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used medium)
1 level tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons pickle juice (favorite flavor)
extra bacon for decoration (optional)
Cut the boiled eggs in half and put the yolks, salad dressing, bacon, cheese and mustard into a food processor. Process until it starts to get smooth, then...while running, pour in the pickle juice and process for another 20 seconds. This extra processing time will chop the bacon and cheese small enough AND it gives the filling a wonderful feel on the tongue.
Fill the egg white halves and top with a small piece of crisp bacon.

Baked Eggs - A Sunday Morning Treat

This is such an easy method for making eggs, that you can not even call it a recipe. It would be great for any breakfast buffet...even for a crowd. It is delicious and requires only a couple ingredients. I hope you try it.

Put an un-greased cupcake or muffin pan into a pre-heated 400F oven (to let it get good and hot). When the pan is very hot, increase your oven temperature to 450F and remove the pan. Working quickly, spray the pan with a little vegetable spray and line each muffin cup with a slice of thin sliced deli ham (see note). Crack an egg into each ham lined cup and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Bake in the 450F oven for about 10 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Remove from oven and use a spoon to help you lift the eggs and ham out of the pan (they come out easy). I left my eggs in the oven for 10 minutes, then shut off the oven and let them sit in there for another two minutes; it gave me a soft set egg like this:

My kids used to call eggs cooked to this degree "dipping eggs" because they were just right for dipping toast. If you like your eggs cooked more, just leave them in the oven for another minute. The eggs pick up the flavor of the ham and they are delicious and kind of "cute", don't you think?

NOTE: If you have ham sliced at the deli, the slices should be big enough for this recipe. If you use pre-packaged sandwich ham, the slices might be a little small, so just use two of them to make sure the ham is taller than the muffin cup edge.