What about all those EGGS?

Byline: Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard

Good news for those who worry about cholesterol while heaps of lovely colored eggs take up space in the refrigerator.

Now that scientists and nutritionists have restored the reputation of eggs as healthful and nutritious for most people, the destination of all those leftover Easter orbs could well be on the table instead of in the compost bin.

Rather than getting sick from eating too many post-holiday eggs, the greater problem now may be getting sick of them for lack of serving ideas.

Hard-cooked eggs, egg salad and deviled eggs may be tasty occasionally, but the idea of devouring enough of them to keep up with the artistic flair of kids intent on dyeing an egg to match every hue in the spectrum can be daunting.

There is a solution. A survey of cookbooks - and of course a bit of searching on the Internet - turns up an abundance of recipes for using hard-cooked eggs, beyond the usual standbys.

Curried eggs served over broccoli, asparagus with dressing and a "mimosa" of egg, parsley and chives or an avocado-and-egg pate, for example, offer some relief from the usual approach of camouflaging hard-cooked eggs with mayonnaise and mustard.

OK, so there's also one recipe for "stuffed" eggs, but this one's a gourmet delight from Italian kitchens, using healthful olive oil instead of mayo, and adding capers, tarragon and tuna.

For years, people shied away from eating more than an egg or two a week, in any form. Back in the early 1970s, the knowledge that egg yolks contain cholesterol - 215 milligrams per egg, or 71 percent of the recommended daily allotment - led many to the conclusion that including them in the average daily diet would increase the risk of heart disease.

For nearly three decades, physicians and diet gurus guided everyone away from eating eggs.

But, like the parallel swing about the same time from butter to margarine - and now back to favoring butter again - eggs also have returned to the "credit" side of the dietary ledger.

A long-term study completed by the Harvard School of Public Health six years ago followed the eating habits of nearly 120,000 people and found no indication that healthy people who ate an average of one egg per day increased their risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke.

However, that finding didn't hold for people with diabetes. In their case, the study found, daily egg consumption did raise the risk of heart disease.

The change in attitude comes from greater understanding of the different types of cholesterol: blood cholesterol, produced by the body at the rate of about 1,000 milligrams per day; and dietary cholesterol, eaten in the form of animal products such as meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products and egg yolks.

The body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to form cell membranes and help in the production of hormones, but most people's bodies generate plenty without adding more through food, so the American Heart Association recommends limiting additional dietary cholesterol to an average of 300 milligrams per day.

Even so, the research now indicates that it's primarily eating foods high in saturated fat - not necessarily dietary cholesterol - that contributes most to unhealthy levels of cholesterol in the blood.

That should be reassuring to those who like eggs because they're an inexpensive source of protein, vitamins and minerals - and to those simply trying to whittle down the annual surplus of colorful holiday eggs.

Marjon's Curried Eggs

1 package (10 ounces) chopped broccoli

6 hard-cooked eggs

2 cups plain yogurt

3 tablespoons flour

3/4 teaspoon curry powder 

1/4 cup sliced green onions

2 tablespoons chutney (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper (optional)

Cook and drain broccoli; set aside. Peel eggs; cut one slice from centers of four eggs and set aside. Chop the rest of the eggs fine.

In medium saucepan, blend yogurt, flour and curry powder. Stir chopped eggs, onions, chutney (if desired), salt and pepper into yogurt mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly.

Arrange cooked broccoli in four ramekins or small bowls. Spoon hot egg mixture over broccoli. Garnish with reserved egg slices. Serve hot.

Source: Marjon Bed and Breakfast, Leaburg.

Avocado and Egg Pate

1 large bunch parsley

1 small bunch spring (green) onions, also called scallions

4 ripe avocados

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 hard-cooked eggs, shelled and halved

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 rounded tablespoon mayonnaise

Chop the parsley and onions fine, either by hand or using a food processor or blender.

Peel and remove the pits from the avocados and cut into cubes. Add avocados to the parsley-onion mixture, add lemon juice and blend well.

Add the eggs, salt and pepper and process until the eggs are finely chopped. Place in a mixing bowl and add enough of the mayonnaise to bind the mixture into a paste. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Chill in a shallow bowl until needed. Serve with crackers or thinly sliced bread.

Yield: 8 appetizers or serves up to 12 as a dip.

Source: "The New Complete International Jewish Cookbook" by Evelyn Rose (Robson Book, Ltd.).

Asparagus Mimosa

3 pounds asparagus, trimmed and stem ends peeled

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped very fine or passed through a sieve

6 sprigs of parsley, chopped fine

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped fine

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons white vinegar

3/4 cup vegetable or olive oil

Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

Place asparagus in a large, flat saucepan; cover with boiling water and simmer until tender-crisp. Flush with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well and refrigerate.

Mix the eggs, parsley and chives; set aside.

Mix mustard and vinegar in a small mixing bowl, beating with a wire whip until smooth. Continue to beat while gradually adding oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Coat asparagus with dressing mixture. Sprinkle the egg mixture over the asparagus. Pass any remaining dressing at the table. Serves 6 to 8.

Source: "Asparagus: All Ways ... Always" from the Stockton Asparagus Festival Cooking.

Stuffed Eggs With Tarragon

6 hard-cooked eggs

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon capers in wine vinegar, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons canned tuna fish in olive oil, drained well

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Peel the eggs; cut in half lengthwise and remove the yolks to a mixing bowl. Set the whites aside.

To the egg yolks, add tarragon, olive oil, capers and tuna; mash together with a fork to form a smooth mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the yolk mixture equally into the egg white halves. Arrange on a serving plate. Makes 12 stuffed eggs.

Source: "Tuscany, the Beautiful Cookbook" by Lorenza De' Medici (Collins Publishers San Francisco).

Hard-Boiled Egg and

Hot Pepper Vinegar Dressing

For the hot pepper vinegar:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

6 tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, preferably cayenne

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 jalapeno peppers, quartered

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine water, vinegar and seasonings. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the jalapenos and remove from heat. Cover and refrigerate; strain before using.

Note: Allow vinegar to steep for several hours or overnight before combining with the egg mixture.

For the dressing:

4 hard-boiled eggs

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

1/2 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/2 cups hot pepper vinegar

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except the vinegar. Process until eggs are broken up. Add the vinegar and continue processing until all ingredients are finely minced, about 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use. Use this dressing on green salads, avocado, chilled fish or chicken, or in potato salad.

Yield: About 3 cups.

Source: "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" by Paul Prudhomme.

Tuna Salad

With Grapes and Eggs

1 can (6 1/2 ounces) water-packed tuna, well-drained

3 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup seedless green grapes, halved

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoons sour cream

8 decorative lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

4 radishes, thinly sliced, for garnish

Combine the tuna, eggs, grapes, red onion, lemon zest and pepper in a bowl. Toss gently with a fork. Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream together; toss with the tuna salad. Serve on lettuce leaves, garnished with the radishes. Serves 4.

Source: "The New Basics Cookbook" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.

CAPTION(S):

One way to turn hard-cooked eggs into a delectable dish is to make an Italian recipe for Stuffed Eggs With Tarragon.