Seasoned Deep Fried Deviled Eggs

It's that time of year again!

Last year's recipe was pre-camera, so I've improved the recipe and included instructional photos. If you haven't tried these yet, I encourage you to have them on your holiday table this year. It's always a pleasure to watch people attempt to figure out what they are, finally have to ask, and, once they find out, watch their eyes grow wide and start shoving people out of the way to engorge. They're incredible.

The recipe is simple, but time consuming, so plan accordingly. I always make the deviled eggs the night before and refrigerate, then wake up early (ugh) to batter and fry them. You can use virgin coconut oil or organic peanut oil, whichever is on hand. This makes the outside crispy, but not oily at all. These always disappear quickly, even in a room full of people who normally are not deviled egg fans. You'll also have some filling left over, which makes a great sandwich for the chef - a great back-up in case you happen to run out of deep fried deviled eggs and want to sneak another taste.

Seasoned Deep Fried Deviled Eggs

Printable Recipe

12 eggs*

1 large celery stalk, minced

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp organic dill relish

2 tsp curry

kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 tbsp paprika, divided

2 tsp kosher salt, divided

2 tsp fresh black pepper, divided

virgin coconut oil or organic peanut oil

Several hours before preparing the eggs, place the egg carton on the counter and turn the eggs on their sides. This will center the yolk and allow the eggs to reach room temperature.

Using a large pot, fill 3/4 full of cool water and set on the stove. Gently add half the eggs and turn the burner on high and cover with a lid. After about 6 min, the water should begin to boil. Remove the pot carefully from the burner, add a healthy pinch of salt to the water, and allow to sit covered for 14 min. Repeat with the remaining eggs using fresh cool water.

While the first batch is boiling, prepare an ice bath. In a large bowl or kitchen sink, fill 1/2 full of cold water and a few handfuls of ice cubes. Once the eggs have finished cooking, use tongs to carefully place the eggs in the ice bath. Allow all the eggs to sit in the ice bath for 30 min total.

Once cooled, begin carefully cracking and peeling the eggs. (Thankfully, the frying process will cover any divots in the egg whites, but still be careful so the whites do not contain any holes.) Cut each egg in half and remove the yolk.

In a medium bowl, mash together the yolks, celery, mayo, mustard, dill relish, curry, and salt & pepper. Use a spoon to fill the egg whites flat and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the eggs from the fridge while preparing for the frying process to allow them to come to room temperature. In three separate bowls: add the all-purpose flour, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp fresh black pepper; mix the eggs together; and lastly place the breadcrumbs, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp fresh black pepper in their own bowl. Have a large plate lined with paper towels ready to hold the eggs pre- and post-cooking.

Right before dipping the eggs, add virgin coconut oil or organic peanut oil to a pot that will cover the eggs slightly (about 2 inches deep). Turn the burner to medium-high. Dip an egg into the flour mixture, then coat well with egg, and lastly roll well in breadcrumbs. Using a spider, add four eggs at a time to the spider and carefully add to the oil. The eggs should brown after only 15 seconds. Remove the eggs with the spider and repeat until all are cooked. Sprinkle the eggs with kosher salt and allow to cool slightly before serving.

~Yields 24 deep fried deviled eggs.

~Original by Brie.

*Boiling at least 2 additional eggs will allow room for any that crack or do not peel well - or for snacking!

Tofu Gobi

Now that I'm back to cooking again, I wanted to enjoy a well seasoned dish. Indian food usually has a plethora of spices that meld into beautiful flavors, so I pulled out a simple dish to cook and enjoy.

Aloo gobi is an Indian dish that translates to curried potatoes and cauliflower, but I replaced the potatoes with tofu since that's what was in stock in my kitchen. This dish has me craving a local Indian restaurant that has an amazing lunch buffet. The trick is to go easy on the rice so you can fill up on all the delicious dishes they cook from scratch; and their naan bread is so soft, plus they add different herbs sometimes to make it pair with the dishes they serve that day.

The spices in this dish are paired together wonderfully, with a hint of smokiness. The tomatoes and tumeric added such a lovely flavor and color in the dish. I think this would taste even better if paneer was added or replaced the tofu.

Tofu Gobi

Printable Recipe

14 oz extra firm tofu, drained

2 tbsp ghee

1 small yellow onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1" fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp brown mustard seeds

2 tsp curry

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp cumin

2 cups cauliflower

1/4 cup filtered water

2 tsp kosher salt

15 oz can organic diced tomatoes

1/4 cup plain cultured yogurt

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Slice the tofu in half width-wise and dry between two layers of tea towels. In a large pan over medium-high heat, add the ghee and sauté the ingredients of onion through cumin for approximately 10 min until translucent.

Next add the remaining ingredients and allow to steam until the liquid has evaporated, approximately 10 min. Serve over coconut rice and top each portion with 1 tbsp yogurt and cilantro.

~Yields 4 servings.

~Adapted from Cooking Light.

Juicing - Day 3

Hooray! I made it all three days without feeling hungry, and I feel fantastic. I had fun today picking out new recipes to cook the rest of this week. I'm excited about a deliciously simple Indian dish to share tomorrow.

The juices today were the best yet. Breakfast was like a chilled, spiced carrot soup and lunch was like a thin salsa. Plus I had the Chocolate Nut Milk again for dinner because it was so enjoyable last night.

It's been fun discussing what juices people enjoy, so keep the conversation going!

Oxygenator

Printable Recipe

10 thin carrots (end cut off and washed well)

2 small beets (ends cut off and washed well)

1" fresh ginger (washed well)

cayenne pepper, pinch

Cut all vegetables into pieces that will fit through a juicer. Juice all ingredients together and enjoy.

V-Great
Printable Recipe

2 cups spinach (washed well and blanched)
1 large tomato (ends cut off and washed well) 
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 medium cucumber (end cut off and washed well)
1/2 avocado
1/4 yellow onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt, black pepper, and cilantro, to taste

Cut all vegetables into pieces that will fit into a blender. Liquefy all ingredients together for 45 - 60 seconds and enjoy.