Recipes for Shabbat

Eggs

By Eileen Goltz

It's hard to believe that summer is just around the corner. Soaring temperatures usually find me frantically searching for those recipes that will let me feed my family with style but keep my kitchen time and heat to a minimum.

My easy as it gets choice of for summer food is the egg. Eggs have gotten a bad reputation in the past several decades. While eggs were once considered a forbidden food because of their cholesterol content that concern has proven to be untrue. Today, thanks to years of research, it's been proven that people on a low-fat diet can eat one or two eggs a day without any measurable changes in their blood cholesterol levels. It's also  clear that there's no need to avoid eggs on a heart-health diet. Even cholesterol-lowering diets allow moderate amounts of whole eggs. There is no limit on the amount of egg whites anyone can use since they're cholesterol and fat-free.

People often lose sight of the fact that eggs can be a great source of nutrients. Not only do eggs contain the highest quality source of protein available but they also contain ALMOST every essential vitamin and mineral needed by humans (Sorry, no vitamin C in eggs. Chickens, unlike humans, can produce their own vitamin C). In fact, egg protein is of such high quality  that it is used as the standard by which other proteins are compared. One of my favorite "minimum time/heat in the kitchen kind of foods is the hard cooked egg. Notice I didn't say hard boiled egg. Hard Boiling an egg tend to make it hard and rubbery so hard cooking it is the way to go. The following recipes are all perfect for everyday use as well as Shabbat as they can be made up ahead of time and served with a minimum amount of fuss.

Believe it or not, there is an art to cooking eggs in their shell.
1. Place eggs in single layer in saucepan.
2. Cover with at least one inch of water over tops of shells.
3. Cover pot with lid and bring it to a boil.
4. As soon as it begins to boil, remove the eggs from the heat and then let
them stand.
Large soft-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 1 to 4 minutes, depending on
your tastes.
Large hard-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 15 to 17 minutes.
5. When cooked to desired level, drain off the hot water.
6. Immediately cover with cold water and add a few ice cubes.
7. For soft-cooked eggs: let the eggs stand in cold water until they are cool
enough to handle. Serve.
8. Hard-cooked eggs: let them stand in cold water until they are completely
cooled. Peel the eggs just before you need to use them

Tips:
1. Never boil eggs. It makes them rubbery.
2. Use older eggs. Fresh ones won't peel properly.
3. To keep eggs from cracking while cooking, pierce large end with a needle,
which will also make them easier to peel.

SMOKED SALMON, CREAM CHEESE, AND DILL STUFFED EGGS (dairy)

Cut a paper-thin slice off both ends of eggs and then halve eggs crosswise.  In a small bowl or food processor blend the yolks, salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Add the minced dill and mix until mixture is just combined. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large leaf or other decorative tip. Pipe the filling into  white shells and garnish with the dill sprigs. In the event you don't have, or want to use a pastry bay you can spoon the filling into the white shells. Serves 6. This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

EGG DRESSING WITH TARRAGON AND GERKINS (pareve)

In a bowl combine the whole egg and yolk, mustard, and the vinegar. Mix to
combine. Add the oil in a stream, whisking while adding until the dressing is
combined. Add the gherkins, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste and mix
well. The dressing can be kept covered and chilled, for several days. Serve
the dressing with cold meat, poultry, or vegetables. Makes about 3/4 cup.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

SALAMI AND HORSERADISH EGG SALAD (meat)

Place the cooked eggs in a large bowl and chop them into medium size pieces.

Add the celery, green onions and salami. Mix gently just to combine. Add the mayonnaise, horseradish, caraway seeds and the salt and pepper. Mix to combine. You can make this salad up to 6 hours in advance. To serve place the egg salad in a serving bowl and sprinkle the top of the salad with the chopped parsley and paprika. This can also be served as a sandwich filling. Makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups.

TEX MEX EGG TACOS (dairy)

In a bowl combine the eggs, cheddar cheese and green onions. Add the  mayonnaise, salsa, sour cream, and pepper. Mix gently and set aside. Line the taco shells with the lettuce leaves and spoon the egg mixture evenly between the 6 shells. Garnish the top of each taco with the chopped tomato and avocado. Serve with the extra salsa. Serves 6.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.