It’s hard to imagine an Easter without lots of colorful eggs. The decoration of eggs dates back to the 13th century, and the egg-laying Easter bunny was reported to have been introduced to America by German immigrants. The egg in Christian and pagan traditions is considered a symbol of new life. From a Christian perspective, it represent Jesus’s emergence from the tomb and resurrection. In medieval times, eggs were a forbidden food during the Lenten season, and they were painted and decorated to signify the end of the period of penance and fasting. Then, the eggs were eaten during Easter in celebration. In a timeless American tradition, children participate in an annual race—the White House Easter Egg Roll – where they roll decorated eggs across the lawn. It’s symbolic of rolling the stone away that blocked Jesus’s tomb when he emerged through resurrection.

CURRY EGG SALAD

This egg-cellent recipe can quickly transform into a sandwich or a sub, or can be enjoyed in tortillas or lettuce wraps.

Ingredients:

5 hard-boiled eggs (shelled and diced)

½ small red or yellow onion (minced)

2 celery stalks (diced)

Green onions (chopped)

1½ teaspoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon red or white wine vinegar

2½ teaspoons curry powder

¾ teaspoon turmeric, ground or freshly grated

Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (for fans of the spicy)

Parsley sprig(s) to garnish

Hot sauce (optional)

Instructions:

De-shell the eggs, dice them and place in a mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix together. Taste test to determine if the mixture needs more of anything, and adapt to your liking. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer, then serve over a bed of lettuce, tortillas, or between bread slices.

COLORFUL, NATURAL EASTER EGG DYES

Try DIY-ing (Do It Yourself-ing) your own natural dyes to beautify your eggs this Easter and enjoy a diverse spectrum of natural colors. Whether your hard-boiled eggs are white or brown, you can make them a colorful hue that will make your Easter basket or bowl colorfully festive.

Ingredients:

Hard-boiled eggs (white or brown or both)

White vinegar

Plant-based oil (e.g., olive oil or grapeseed oil)

Colors:

To color white eggs blue or purple, or to color brown eggs green, use 1 cup purple cabbage (chopped) per cup of water.

To color white eggs lavender or red, use 1 cup red onion skins (chopped) per cup of water.

To color white eggs orange or to color brown eggs rusty red, use 1 cup yellow onion skins (chopped) per cup of water.

To color white eggs pink or to color brown eggs maroon, use 1 cup beets (shredded) per cup of water.

To color white eggs yellow, use 2 Tablespoons turmeric (ground or freshly grated) per cup of water.

To color white eggs pink, red or lavender, use 2 Tablespoons hibiscus tea (steeped in hot water for several minutes until bright red) per cup of water.

Instructions: 

Add water to a saucepan and boil ingredients separately for each color until the color is rich and bright. Make sure the dye is a few shades more pronounced than you want your eggs. When the color is dark enough, let the mixture cool about 20 minutes, then strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. Add one Tablespoon white vinegar to each dye mixture and stir. Transfer each dye into a separate bowl and submerge each egg into the colorful liquid. Dry the eggs completely, then lightly massage a thin coat of oil onto each one, polish with a paper towel, and place in the fridge.

(Recipe adapted from thekitchn.com/how-to-make-vibrant-naturally-dyed-easter-eggs-holiday-projects-from-the-kitchn-112957)

Remember, hard-boiled isn’t the only option for your eggs! Enjoy them soft-boiled, sunny-side up, fried, poached, baked in a quiche, or in lots of egg-cellent recipes. However you use your eggs, they are a healthy choice and an egg-cellent source of protein that will keep you feeling fuller longer. Let eggs be a permanent part of your Easter tradition, and have an egg-stra special Easter, everyone!