Recipe of the Week: As Easter approaches, an eggs-traordinary food takes center stage

Eggs are great; they are an egg-cellent food.

In recent months their price was outrageously high (inflation made them an eggs-travagance), but I confess that I bought the same amount as usual despite the cost. Eggs are, after all, a basic in cooking and baking. I found other ways to cut costs.

Americans love eggs; according to the website statista.com, we ate an estimated 277.5 per person in 2022, despite escalating prices.

This time of year, when Easter is just 10 days away, eggs are very important. The candy versions come in chocolate, peanut butter and coconut cream, while the original version is used in holiday breakfasts and brunches, and take center stage when they are hard-boiled and decorated by eager children.

That makes this a good time to be reminded of the rules when dyeing and decorating eggs.

According to the American Egg Board, dyeing cooked eggs is fine as long as you wash your hands between each step of cooking, cooling, dyeing and decorating. Also check that all of your decorating materials are food-safe.

Make sure you keep the eggs refrigerated as much as possible by returning them to the refrigerator when no one is working with them. And if you hide them, don’t put them where they will come into contact with animals, birds or lawn chemicals.

After all the hidden eggs have been found, throw out any that are cracked or have been out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Don’t forget that you don’t want to hard-boil really fresh eggs as they are more difficult to peel. Eggs you buy now should be perfect just before Easter.

And remember that eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition in a small package. One large egg has 78 calories and 6 grams of protein. It has vitamins A, D and B12 and 63 milligrams of potassium.

Eggs are versatile and good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Years ago I interviewed a foreign-born chef who said that Americans don’t appreciate eggs and think they are just good for breakfast. But we know they work well for more than that. This easy recipe from incredibleegg.org is for a sheet pan dinner meant to satisfy just about everyone.

Tex-Mex Sheet Pan Dinner

1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons Tex-Mex seasoning

¼ chorizo sausage, sliced

4 eggs

½ cup chopped tomatoes

½ avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

¼ cup chopped green onion

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Parboil potatoes for 10 to 12 minutes or until almost tender; drain well.

3. Toss together potatoes, olive oil and Tex-Mex seasoning.

4. Arrange potatoes and chorizo in even layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden and sausage is cooked.

5. Crack eggs over potato mixture. Return to oven; bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until eggs are set. Sprinkle with tomatoes, avocado, green onion and cilantro.

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