AVOCADO DEVILED EGGS
Makes 24 deviled eggs
- 1 dozen hard-boiled eggs, sliced in half and egg yolks removed
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ to ½ cup good quality mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped chives, for garnish
In a bowl, add the egg yolks, avocado, and lemon juice. Mix to combine. Then add the mayonnaise, cumin, and coriander and mix until the egg and avocado are smooth. You can do this in a food processor if you like.
Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. (You can make the mixture up to this point and refrigerate both the egg white halves and the filling if needed. Then when you’re ready, fill the egghalves and serve.)
Using either a pastry bag or Ziploc bag, fill with the egg and avocado mixture. If using a Ziploc bag, cut a small piece off the corner of the bag.
Place the egg white halves on a platter and then pipe the egg and avocado mixture into each egg half. Garnish with fresh chives and serve.
STRAWBERRY CHICKEN SALAD WITH MICROGREENS TEA SANDWICH
Makes 5 to 6 cups salad
- 4 cups diced cooked chicken
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped or chiffonade
- ⅓ to ½ cup good quality mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pint strawberries, chopped
- 1 to 2 loaves sliced bread
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup microgreens
In a large bowl, mix together the diced chicken, shallots, walnuts, and basil. Fold in the mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Gently fold in the chopped strawberries. Chill the strawberry chicken salad for about 30 minutes.
Cut the crust off the bread slices. Spread the chicken salad on half the bread slices, and then spread a little butter on the other half of the bread slices. Place a tablespoon of microgreens on top of the chicken salad and then top with a buttered slice of bread. Cut in half diagonally and place on a platter. Continue making sandwiches until all the strawberry chicken salad has been used.
EARL GREY TEA CAKES
Makes 20 to 24 tea cakes
- 1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 4 Earl Grey teabags
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- ½ to ¾ cup powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small pan, heat the milk over low heat. When the milk is hot, but not boiling, take it off the heat and add the tea bags, letting them steep in the milk for about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze the tea bags and remove them from the milk. Reserve the milk until needed.
In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until light and fluffy.
With the mixer on low, slowly add 1 cup of the tea-infused milk until it’s combined. Then add the flour one cup at a time until the batter is smooth.
Using a tea cake (mini bundt) pan or cupcake pan, grease with oil or butter and fill each well ⅔ full. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until they are golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before removing the cakes from the pan.
Whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of tea-infused milk with ½ cup powdered sugar. If you’d like a thicker glaze add in the additional ¼ cup. Drizzle the glaze on cooled tea cakes and dust with more powdered sugar.
Keep them in a covered container at room temperature for about 3 days. Recipes and Photographs by Karista Bennett.