Saturday, March 30, 2024

Easter Egg Recipes

For some, it's all about eggs for Easter this Sunday and I have a basketful of recipes for leftover ovum. So read on for using up eggs that are hard-boiled, because there is no way youngsters can put away that many.


In these pandemic days, the Easter Egg Hunt will be kept all in the family or on computer video. Well, you can still have a hardboiled eggy good time.

And be sure to set aside a few raw eggs for some of my recipes listed below (click on any recipe name to see the original blog post.)


I got my eggs from a local Dollar Tree last year, but this year they are a no-show. I bet they come back as prices slowly reduce this year? 


The easiest leftover use of eggs is a simply delish Egg Salad. It's the quickest and easiest way to use up leftover boiled eggs.


Half a dozen cooked and peeled Easter eggs mixed with a little mayo and some chopped celery will yield a bowlful of creamy deliciousness that can go between 2 toasted slices of bread, as a topping for your favorite salad, or served spread on your favorite crackers as appetizers.

Egg Salad Recipe - Video
Play it here. The video runs for 1 minute and 45 seconds. 

Ingredients (about 3 sandwiches)
  • 6 eggs - I used small eggs. Boiled, peeled, and chopped. about 2 cups total after chopping.
  • 1/4 cup mayo - I used light mayo. Okay to add more. Add a teaspoon at a time to reach desired creaminess. Extra-Large eggs will need more mayo.
  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped - including leaves on the stalk -- if it comes with them. About 1/2 cup total after chopping.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Water to boil eggs.
*Many recipes call for mustard, but I like it without. But you can add it - try a teaspoon of Dijon or regular mustard. You can also use 1/2 teaspoon of dried mustard powder.


Directions
In a pot add eggs and cover with an inch of water. Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Just when eggs start to boil, turn off the heat completely and cover the pot with a lid (or plate). Let sit for 15 minutes. Eggs will continue to cook in the hot water. (Okay to use any favorite boiled egg recipe you may already have).


Meanwhile chop one stalk of celery, including leaves. Chop finely.


After 15 minutes, remove the eggs and rinse them off in cold water, so you can peel them without burning your fingers. You can also let them sit in a bowl of cool water with some ice cubes for about 5 minutes.


Now time to bring it all together. Peel, discard shells, and chop the eggs. You can add them as you chop to a large bowl. I usually chop the eggs in half, then place them yolk side down on the chopping board and finish slicing.


Add all the chopped eggs to a bowl. Mix in the chopped celery. Finally, scoop in 1/4 cup of mayo. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Try out a small spoonful of Egg Salad. At this point you can add more mayo if you like, a teaspoon at a time to reach desired creaminess.


I find less mayo and mustard (optional) the better, as they easily overpower the mild egg flavor.


A scoop of Egg Salad goes well with your favorite vegetable salad. Egg Salad is a tasty party dip on your favorite chips or crunchy veggie slices. Also, try a spoonful on an avocado half. But I like an Egg Salad Sandwich the best.


This recipe is easy to double using a dozen eggs -- just add another 1/4 cup of mayo and another rib of chopped celery. Keep the finished Egg Salad covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Okay, let's take an ovum break -- for kids, there is a lot of chocolate on the scene like this.


Another early recipe of mine is a silly Devilish Deviled Eggs I made one Halloween. Fun and tasty. Of course, leave out the spicy chili peppers for kid-friendly bites. And you can find all the yummy recipe details from my food blog by clicking on any recipe name.


For extra eggs, you haven't boiled yet, there are a lot of my cheap$kate recipes to choose from, like a filling Pasta alla Carbonara with egg yolk and crumbled browned bacon over spaghetti, or a baked omelet-like Frittata with pasilla chili, chorizo, potato, and cheese.


Scrambled eggs come in many variations. Jewish delis have a couple of good ones that I've adapted. I get corned beef on sale during St. Patrick's Day, so it's only natural to have some of it sauteed with eggs (even better is pastrami made from corned beef - my Pastrami with Eggs recipe is here.


Small packages of Cream Cheese and Salmon come cheaply and I like to add it to my Jewish Breakfast Scramble. And add a dollop of cream cheese and you have a lighter substitution for Lox and Cream Cheese Bagel. Try it sometime, I know you will like it, too.


On my last visit to New York City I visited a local bagel shop and came away inspired by all the Spreads they had including Cream Cheese with Boiled Eggs


Nothing to the recipe, really. Just allow Cream Cheese to soften at room temperature then mix in a chopped Boiled Egg. I like this on a toasted Bagel, but it's okay to use any favorite toasted bread or roll. Check out my yummy recipe video below.


Booze and eggs go together, especially if you're making my Homemade Eggnog. This video recipe is one of my holiday favorites. You won't believe your eyes when you see my intoxicated antics after imbibing on one Eggnog too many. Be sure to watch this recipe video all the way to the end!



One of my earliest published recipes is also one of the quickest and easiest to make: Scrambled Eggs and Sundried Tomatoes. I like to keep a jar of pungent dried tomatoes in herbs and oil in the refrigerator, right next to my carton of eggs. For a non-oil, lighter version, use plain dried tomatoes in a plastic pouch, too (this is what my wife uses.)


My Mom has an outrageous Breakfast Tacos with Scrambled Eggs and Curly Fries that will blow your mind and stoke your taste buds -- seeing is believing...below.


Eggs make a great binder for my sister Denise's Veggie Eggplant Burgers. (You should make sure to check out the video we made that features a wacky shopping spree in my local 99c only Store.) And you want to add a scrambled egg or two when you make my cheap$kate version of Chinese Fried Rice.


Ever make Crepes Suzette?
There's not much to it really, just eggs, flour, milk and to quote Julia Child's nephew: "lots of butter." And who's the famed chef's nephew anyway?

Well, just watch the video to see this outrageous character shopping in the Hollywood Farmer's Market -- then moving on to the kitchen to show you how to make a tender and delicate pancake-like dessert.



 Do you have a package of frozen veggies in the freezer accumulating frost, and a crisper drawer full of veggies that are close to being thrown out? Well, just rinse off the frozen veggies and slice off the brown spots from the bell pepper and onion to make my colorful Veggie Frittata. For this photo story recipe, I ran out of eggs, but my neighbor Nuno was kind enough to lend me a few. (How's that for a cheap$kate move, free eggs!)

Also, if you have a small patio garden then I have a couple of nutritious recipes to use the freshly picked bounty. An easy veggie to grow is bright green Swiss Chard. Just saute it for a couple of minutes and add it to your favorite omelet recipe, my recipe is here.


Every time I change out the dirt from my teeny garden, seeds sprout willy-nilly. Often it's some kind of squash, that never bears fruit. Oh well, that's okay because the flowers make a great Squash Blossom Omelet.


I grew up in the South and was raised on Mexican food for a while. Almost everyone in Texas has tried Migas, which are tortilla pieces scrambled in eggs. And, you can't get simpler than having Refried Beans and Eggs. I didn't think I would like this meal at first, but learned that scrambled eggs elevate any humble ingredient!

Refried Pinto Beans & Scrambled Eggs

I get all types of Mexican chorizo at my local 99c only Store, including beef, pork, and soy (vegetarian). Mexican chorizo is different than Spanish chorizo, mainly in its texture. Spanish chorizo is hard like salami and Mexican chorizo is soft like ground meat. It's a pungent and flavorful protein that mixes well for Chorizo and Scrambled Eggs. And use it to stuff a Breakfast Taco or Breakfast Burrito.


Huevos Rancheros are the Eggs Benedict of Mexican cuisine. A corn tortilla with refried beans and a fried egg that's topped with crumbled queso fresco (cheese,) and your favorite salsa, is a decadent and filling way to start the day. Make a batch of this with your family sometime, it's quite easy to do when you follow this cheap$kate's recipe.


You can top any of my Mexican breakfast entrees with a favorite jarred salsa or go here to see my list of Homemade Salsa Recipes, with links, that include:  Roasted Salsa Verde (tomatillo), Red Chili (2 dried types - but the same recipe), Pico de Gallo and Mango.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Looking to impress an overnight guest, then serve them my recipe for Eggs Florentine for breakfast. This creamy spinach and egg dish will keep any afterglow going. And if that doesn't work then I have a sensuous Fried Egg on Breadcrumbs with Asparagus.


I like a challenge. A favorite breakfast fast food is the classic Egg McMuffin. It's not as cheap as it used to be, so I figured out how to make my own cheaper version. And I share it with you in this homemade video recipe.


And for an extra hardy breakfast be sure to add my Old School Hash Browns to the menu.


If you are flush with cash and your ship has come in, then make like a bonus bloated Wall Street con artist and serve up my Billionaire's Crab Omelet. (I even give you a cheap$kate shortcut, just in case the stock market crashes, your government bailout  is rejected, and all your chips have been cashed in.)


And for my latest egg recipe video, I made a classic French-style Cheese Omelette. What's the difference between it and the ones you get at a typical American diner? Well, it is all about technique, mainly you just soft scramble the eggs in butter, add the cheese and gently roll the egg to close up the omelette. Most American-style omelets are cooked dry, while a French omelette is slightly moist in the middle. It's a different way to cook an omelette, but I've grown to like it.



Eggs for dinner? Heck yeah, especially when pizza is on the menu. Break an egg on your favorite homemade or store-bought pizza during the last 10 minutes of oven-baking. A mix of the creamy yolk is a sumptuous topping, so be sure to try my Pizza with Egg recipe.


And finally, if you're looking for a bit of levity, well, I have an early morning fried egg comedy video to brighten your day, here.



Whew, that's a lot of ovum riffing, I'm exhausted. You've just scrolled through over 10 years of recipes from my food blog.

And if you want even more egg pictorial poetics then click here to view a fun video.

Cooking with eggs is cheap. While not as inexpensive as they used to be, it's still affordable, especially when you use any of my creative and tasty recipes listed above.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Coffee & Easter - Video

Eggs, picnic baskets, and bunnies are the fun parts of Easter. Of course, I always start my Easter day with a cup of joe...won't you join me? 

Uh oh, I'm down to my last cup but don't worry I have a way to squeeze every drop of java out of coffee grounds. Just watch my video below to see how the cheapest cup of coffee is brewed! And Happy Easter to all.

                          Play it here, the video runs 1 minute, 36 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.


Sunday, March 24, 2024

National Cocktail Day - Video Recipes

Belly up to the bar and raise a glass to National Cocktail Day!

This Cheap$kate Mixologist enjoys a Happy Hour at home these days after a long YouTube video-making and blogging day. I haven't made many Cocktails published on the internet but I have a few so read on and click on any intoxicant name to get all the boozy details from my original blog post.

y! ! 🍸🥂🍷🍹 While a fifth or pint of booze is expensive, most of my Cocktail Recipes can be made with a cheap single-serving airline bottle of liquor. I used to get them for a buck, but now they are a little more, but still much cheaper than drinking at a bar.

While bottles of liquor do not show up at 99c only Stores or the Dollar Tree, they carry happy hour garnishes like pickled green olives and small cocktail onions.

Click on any photo to see larger.

After a hectic workweek, if you need a Bloody Mary weekend morning, dollar stores have all the ingredients...except vodka (crunchy celery is easy enough to find cheaply at your local grocer.)

I like to cook with alcohol and my first Cocktail, a Loaded Egg Nog, uses a lot of eggs. And the Egg Nog can be finished with an airline bottle of Brandy, Rum, Scotch, or Whiskey. 

I still can get milk or milk substitutes for a Loaded Egg Nog for around a buck a piece...not bad. Eggs for a buck have disappeared, but I hear prices are dropping?

This was originally a Christmas holiday drink recipe, plus at the end of the video is a Tree Trimming that goes off the rails...oh, boy, you are in for a wild ride so watch it below.


My next Cocktail is a classic called an Old Fashioned. It's typically made with Rye Whiskey, a couple shakes of Bitters, sugar, a splash of water, a bit of orange zest, and sometimes garnished with a cocktail cherry. I've had them that way and they are in my Cocktail Top Ten. 

I came up with a meaty spin, an Old Fashioned with a sweet and savory Candied Maple Bacon garnish. 

I guess you could say my version is on the trendy side of specialty garnishes and something you would not serve every day.


I went out on a limb and served my tweaked classic hootch to my friends whom I invited over for an evening of Film Noir that shows on regular TV in Los Angeles. (If you have an antenna you can get it, too, so look it up in your local TV guide - the channel is also on local cable.) 


The channel is called Movies! and it's on channel 13.3 in the home of  Film Noir, Los Angeles. Click here for their broadcast schedule, and "arrow forward or backward" to Thursday and Sunday night to see what they are showing. My version of an Old Fashion was a hit and everyone had seconds and thirds, whew! 


Film Noir is still big in Los Angeles and every year there is a movie festival that celebrates these crime thrillers from the 1940s and 1950s called Noir City. Check out my slide show below to see the scene on opening night.

I made my own Maple Bacon, so my recipe video is worth the price of admission.


Check out my Old Fashioned with a Maple Bacon Garnish video below, it's best served on a cold and stormy night to your roguish friends and favorite femme fatale.

Along with garnishes, Cocktail mixes like fruit juices and bubbly water show up at dollar stores. 


Even if you're "on the wagon" just pour this beverage over ice with a Maraschino cherry for a non-alcoholic Shirley Temple.

Have you had a Mojito? It's a refreshing tropical drink made with rum, club soda, sugar cane juice, and garnished with mint leaves. This concoction comes all the way from Cuba. 


Hey, can we end this embargo of Cuba already? Geeze, you may not agree with my politics, but do join me and hoist a glass in solidarity to my Homemade Mojito!


Keep checking back every year for new CheapSkate Cocktails. 

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