Egg-ceptional Eggs

 

April 2023 Issue

by Lindsay Gifford
Recipes, Photography and Information
Provided by Eggland’s Best

Springtime is the perfect time to refresh and rejuvenate. The urge hits to tackle outdoor spaces, dig into the garden, maybe even clean your home from top to bottom... so why not give your recipes a refresh, too?

One of the best places to start is with an ever-present staple in your refrigerator—eggs. Sometimes you may consider them humble, but eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. From a delicious, simple, fried egg to your favorite pound cake, eggs, especially GOOD eggs, are the difference!

That’s why I’m a tried-and-true Eggland’s Best fan. Their company’s commitment to exceptional quality and better tasting farm fresh eggs is evident. When baking recently, I opened up some cartons comparing “regular” large eggs with an Eggland’s Best egg and the size difference and color of the yolk was remarkable. Plus, Eggland’s Best eggs are fresher and stay fresh longer than ordinary eggs, not to mention their large eggs are only 60 calories each!

All of Eggland’s Best eggs are produced by hens fed a unique, all-vegetarian diet of healthy grains, canola oil and all-natural supplements. Their feed contains no animal fat, no animal by-products and no recycled or processed food. In addition, Eggland’s Best never uses added hormones, steroids, or antibiotics of any kind. They are constantly testing egg nutritional content, working to improve and refine their premium hen feed and production processes. This ensures that Eggland’s Best eggs have superior nutrition, taste, and freshness.

Why do they have a better taste? Eggland’s Best farm fresh eggs are produced locally throughout the U.S. and are typically delivered directly to supermarkets within two days of laying. The fresher the eggs, the better they taste! They also offer better nutrition, with less saturated fat and higher levels of vitamins and Omega-3, than ordinary eggs. The Eggland’s Best stamp on every shell means their nutritional eggs passed the most rigorous quality assurance testing.

It’s time to spring into action. Grab a dozen or more of America’s No. 1 egg, and hit your recipe refresh button. The talented team at Eggland’s Best has curated an an egg-cellent selection of recipes at www.egglandsbest.com, many with listed nutritional values, so we hopped online to find some egg-ceptional recipes to get you started!

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Blueberry Lemon Easter Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps Baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Sugar
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsps lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp
2 Eggland’s Best eggs, large, at room temp
1/2 cup Kefir or buttermilk, at room temp
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz Cream cheese, softened to room temp
1/3 cup Unsalted butter, softened to room temp
2 cups Confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp pure Vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients, and set aside. Cream the sugar and room temperature butter by beating those on high speed for 2 minutes, add room temperature eggs, beat 2 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the dry mix and beat on low speed just until combined and smooth. Fold in the blueberries and pour into cupcake liners. Fill only 2/3 to avoid spilling on the sides. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the cream cheese frosting, by beating the room temperature butter and cream cheese with the rest of the frosting ingredients, until the mixture expands in size, is creamy and smooth, for about 4 minutes. Pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.

Use coconut flakes, sanding sugar, dark chocolate pieces to decorate the Easter Bunny cupcakes. Use shredded chocolate, mini chocolate Easter eggs to decorate the Bird’s Nest cupcakes. After decorating, let it set in the fridge for around 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes: The cupcakes can be made with or without frosting any time of the year and decorate accordingly. It’s good to keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

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Baklava Cheesecake Cups
Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 40 mins | Servings: 12

Baklava Cup:
1 pkg Phyllo sheets
½ cup Butter, melted
1 tsps Cinnamon
1 cup Almonds, walnuts, or pistachios ground

Cheesecake Filling:
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
2 Tbsps Sour cream
1 Eggland’s Best egg, large
½ cup Sugar
1 Eggland’s Best egg, large, yolk only
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Almond extract

Syrup:
½ tsp zest of Orange
½ cup Water
1 Tbsp Orange juice
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Sugar
¼ tsp ground Cinnamon

Cheesecake Filling: In a bowl or blender, mix everything for the cheesecake filling until you have a smooth consistency. Set aside until ready to use.

Syrup: Combine everything for the syrup in a small saucepan. Stir together and bring to a boil. Remove from heat as soon as the sugar is dissolved.

Baklava Cups: Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the ground nuts in a small bowl along with the ground cinnamon and add 2 Tbsp of the syrup. Mix everything together, you will have a wet sand-like texture. Layer each phyllo pastry sheet with melted butter and sprinkle some of the nut filling on top. Divide the filling equally (1-2 tablespoons per layer) between the 5 layers. The final (6th) layer will not have any nut filling on top. Repeat this process with the remaining phyllo sheets layering them on top of each other. Cut the phyllo layers into 12 equal squares.

Place each square into the muffin tin to form phyllo cups. Press the center down. Brush each phyllo cup with any remaining melted butter. Bake in the center rack of the oven until golden. 10 minutes. After 10 mins, reduce the oven temperature to 325 °F. Place 2 tablespoons of the cheesecake filling in the center of each cup. Bake until the filling is set, and the phyllo is golden. About 25 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven pour the syrup evenly over the cups. Allow the baklava cheesecakes to sit in the muffin tin for 15-20 minutes to cool and to absorb the syrup.

Recipe Notes: Refrigerate until chilled and serve topped with your favorite garnish like fresh berries. These can be made 1 day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator .until ready to serve. Enjoy!

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Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie
Prep Time: 40 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins  |  Servings: 10

Strawberry Filling:
1½ cups Sugar
4 Tbsps Cornstarch
1 cup Water
1 pkg Strawberry gelatin
24 oz fresh Strawberries, sliced

Lemon Pudding:
2/3 cup Sugar
3 Tbsps Cornstarch
2 cups whole Milk
3 Eggland’s Best eggs (large), yolks only
Pinch Kosher salt
2 Tbsps Lemon zest, plus more for garnish
½ cup fresh Lemon juice
2 cups Whipped cream
1 Premade pie crust
7 large fresh Strawberries
6 Lemon slices, cut in half

Place the pre-made pie crust in a deep-dish pie tin. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork, then bake according to package directions.

Strawberry Filling: In a medium saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch, and water; whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat until boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer several minutes, until thickened. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in strawberry gelatin powder. Cool slightly, then add the sliced strawberries, stirring to coat them completely. Pour the strawberry-gelatin mixture into the baked pie crust. Chill 2-4 hours, until set.

Lemon Pudding: In a clean medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and the cornstarch. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat and add the egg yolks, salt, and zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Allow to cool to room temperature. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the pudding (to prevent a “skin” from forming) and chill for 1-2 hours until set. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding until well combined.

Pour over the set strawberries and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Chill the pie in the refrigerator overnight or freeze for 2-3 hours until set. Garnish with halved strawberries, lemon slices, and lemon zest, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

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Easy Deviled Eggs with Homemade Chipotle Mayo
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Servings: 12

3 Tbsps Chipotle mayo
1/4 tsp ground Mustard
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Garlic cloves (or 1/2 tsp minced garlic)
2 tsps Lime juice
6 hard-cooked Eggs (Eggland’s Best Organic Hard-Cooked Eggs) (see notes)
Sea salt/kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Cilantro, chopped
Extra optional toppings: sea salt flakes, paprika, red pepper chili pepper seasoning, jalapeño, olive oil

Slice your peeled (and cooled) hard-cooked eggs vertically. Scoop out the yolk and place it in a mixing bowl. Mix in chipotle mayo, ground mustard, garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a splash of lime juice. Mix with a fork or spoon until the egg mixture is smooth. Season with salt/pepper to taste and mix again. Taste and see if it’s salty enough, if not, add a dash more salt and pepper. Scoop 1/2 - 1 Tbsp of deviled egg yolk mix into your egg white halves. You may also use a piping bag for a cleaner look.

Garnish each egg with chopped cilantro and sprinkle each egg with paprika or chili flakes. If you are making a dozen (12) eggs, just double the recipe, but add in the salt 1/4 tsp at a time, tasting in between.

Notes: To make your own hard boiled eggs or chipotle mayo, see the recipe www. egglandsbest.com. Feel free to top with extra spices or peppers. Ex: Jalapeño, pico de gallo, etc.

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Chorizo Breakfast Casserole with Chipotle-Lime Hollandaise
Prep Time: 40 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins | Servings: 10

1 Tbsp cooking Oil
1 cup Milk
8 oz Mexican chorizo
1 tsp Sea salt
1 large Lime
1 cup Butter
28 oz pkg frozen Hashbrowns with onions & peppers
1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese
12 Eggland’s Best eggs, large + 3 egg yolks
4 tsps Chipotle peppers, chopped in adobo sauce

For the Casserole: Preheat the oven to 350°F if you’re baking this immediately. Put the oil in a medium skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Add the chorizo to the skillet by squeezing it out of its casings. Break the chorizo into pieces with a spatula and stir it around occasionally as it cooks. Cook until all of the liquid has evaporated and the chorizo begins to form some dark, crusty edges.

Place the frozen hashbrowns in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Spread the cooked chorizo and shredded cheese over the potatoes evenly. Whisk together 12 of the eggs, milk, salt, 3 teaspoons of diced chipotle peppers, and the juice from half of the lime. Whisk well to make sure all of the eggs are broken up. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole and use a fork to stir it around a bit and incorporate the egg mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake immediately for 50-60 minutes until the center of the casserole is cooked through and no longer jiggly.

If you are cooking this the next day, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, cook, covered for 45 minutes, and then uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until everything is cooked thoroughly.

For the Hollandaise: Put 3 egg yolks, juice from the other half of the lime, 1 teaspoon chipotle peppers, and a pinch of salt into a blender. Blend and make sure that the mixture is moving. If there’s not enough liquid, then add another egg yolk. Melt the butter in a saucepan over the stove. While the butter is still hot, turn the blender on low and very slowly drizzle the butter into the blender (through the hole in the lid so it doesn’t splatter). About half way through adding the butter the mixture should start to thicken. The finished hollandaise should have the consistency of loose, homemade mayonnaise. You may make the hollandaise the day before and reheat it the next morning by microwaving for 15-second intervals until warm. Serve the hollandaise sauce over the breakfast casserole.
   

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Chicken Cutlet Toad N’ Hole Waffle Sandwich
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Servings: 1

1 tsp Hot sauce
3½ cups Waffle mix
2 boneless skinless Chicken breasts
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Oil
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
½ cup Flour
¼ tsp Salt
2 Eggland’s Best large eggs
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
¼ tsp Pepper

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound out into a thin cutlet with a meat mallet or the bottom of a large cast iron skillet. Remove from plastic wrap and season with a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne. Put 2 beaten Eggland’s Best eggs into a shallow bowl, and add the flour into another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken cutlet into the egg and then into the flour. Toss and thoroughly coat the chicken entirely in flour. Using a biscuit cutter or top of a wine glass cut out a hole in the center of the chicken cutlet. Heat an air fryer to 400° and place chicken for 15 minutes. At the 7 minute mark, flip the chicken and spray the tops with more olive oil spray. Remove the cooked chicken and set aside on a plate, and repeat the process for the remaining pieces. Add chicken to a pan and place an Eggland’s Best egg in the cut out center. Cook for 3 minutes.

Make waffles according to package directions. Stir together maple syrup and hot sauce in a microwave safe vessel and microwave for 1 minute till hot. Place fried chicken toad in a hole in between the two waffles with arugula, and sliced tomato, then top with the spicy maple syrup and serve.

 

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Mini Easter Cakes

1 cup Water
½ cup Vegetable oil
¼ cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 box (16.25 oz) White cake mix
3 Eggland’s Best large eggs
1 cup Heavy whipping cream
Pink, yellow and green food coloring
Easter egg candies, Easter sprinkles

To make cakes: Grease a large sheet pan (13”x18”) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake according to package directions. Divide batter into three separate bowls and color each bowl a different color, pink, yellow and green. Spread each color into one third of the prepared sheet pan. Tap to even batter out. Bake for 15 minutes or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

To make whipping cream: Add heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat well until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Place into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Use a cookie cutter to cut each color of cake into a round, you should get 8 rounds of each color. Place one round on a serving platter or plate and pipe 3 stars of cream onto the top. Place a second color round cake on the top and repeat the process, adding 3 dollops of whipping cream in the center. Top with Easter candy eggs and sprinkles. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

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Buttermilk Berry Chantilly Cake
Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 45 mins | Servings: 16 (2 - 8”cakes)

Buttermilk Berry Chantilly Cake:
3 Eggland’s Best Eggs, large
½ tsp Salt
3 cups Cake flour
2 cups Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1/3 cup Canola oil
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Butter, room temp
1¼ cup Buttermilk

Mascarpone Chantilly:
1 cup Whipping cream
1 cup mascarpone
½ cup Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
¾ cup Powdered sugar
½ cup Raspberry jam
1 pint Raspberries
1 pint Blackberries
1 pint Blueberries
1 pint Strawberries

Preheat oven to 335°F. Line 2 8” round cake pans with parchment paper, and spray with non-stick baking spray. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, oil, and sugar together until smooth. Add in eggs and vanilla, then alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk until fully combined. Scrape down sides as needed. Divide batter evenly among both cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, then invert out of the cake pans and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill cakes in the refrigerator for 2+ hours.

To make chantilly cream: Place cream into a stand mixer and whip until you reach stiff peaks. Transfer whipped cream to another bowl and place butter, mascarpone, and powdered sugar into the bowl of the stand mixer. Add a paddle attachment and mix until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to fold in whipped cream. Add in vanilla and fold until smooth. Cut strawberries into quarters and place them in a large bowl with the rest of the berries. To assemble the cake, cut each cooled cake in half. Start by stacking a layer of cake. Place a dollop of raspberry jam on the cake and smooth it around the base of the cake with an offset spatula. Next, place a large dollop of Chantilly cream and spread it around with an offset spatula. Top the Chantilly cream with a layer of fresh berries. Repeat the process with the remaining layers of cake, until fully assembled. Chill cake until ready to serve.

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Scrambled Egg Roll Stir Fry with Spicy Lime Aioli
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Servings: 4

1 lb. ground Pork
1/4 cup Soy sauce
1/3 cup Water
4 Eggland’s Best eggs, large
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 Lime, divided
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Hot chili sauce
1 Tbsp Thai seasoning spice blend
1/2 tsp freshly ground Black pepper, divided
3 Tbsps vegetable oil, divided
1 (16 oz) pkg Coleslaw mix (shredded mixture of green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots), roughly chopped
2/3 cup yellow Onion, diced
2 tsps Garlic, freshly minced
2 Tbsps Rice wine vinegar
2 scallions, thinly slice green & white parts, divided
1/4 cup dry-roasted Cashews, coarsely chopped

Season the Pork: In a medium bowl, mix together the ground pork, Thai seasoning, soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until combined.

Cook the Stir Fry: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork mixture and cook, stirring to break up the pork, 5-6 minutes. Add the coleslaw mix, onion, garlic, vinegar, and water to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes or until the pork is cooked through, coleslaw mixture is crisp-tender, and the water cooks off.

Cook the Eggland’s Best Eggs: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack the Eggland’s Best eggs into a small bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, and half of the sliced scallions; whisk to combine and add to the hot pan. Cook, gently stirring, until the Eggland’s Best eggs are cooked through but still moist and no visible liquid egg remains about 3-4 minutes. Cover to keep warm until ready to plate dish.

Make the Aioli: In a small bowl add the juice and zest from half of the lime. Add the mayonnaise and chili sauce and stir to combine. Quarter the remaining lime half and set aside for garnish. To plate: divide the stir fry mixture among 4 shallow bowls and top each with equal portions of the scrambled Eggland’s Best eggs. Drizzle each serving with aioli and garnish with the cashews, remaining scallions, and a lime slice. lemon zest, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.