Equinox Eggs

The September equinox occurs at 09:04 (9:04am) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) TODAY (9/23/2011.) It is also called the autumnal or fall equinox in the northern hemisphere, as well as the spring or vernal equinox in the southern hemisphere.

• (The following info was found at www.timeanddate.com) “What happens during the September equinox? The sun crosses the celestial equator and moves southward in the northern hemisphere during the September equinox …  At that time, the earth’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the earth and the sun. This is the time when many people believe that the earth experiences 12 hours of day and night. However, this is not exactly the case…During the equinox, the length of night and day across the world is nearly, but not entirely, equal. This is because the day is slightly longer in places that are further away from the equator, and because the sun takes longer to rise and set in these locations. Furthermore, the sun takes longer to rise and set farther from the equator because it does not set straight down – it moves in a horizontal direction...
  The September equinox:
• has been linked to many myths and superstitions in history. According to myth, it is believed that the September equinox is a time of balance when “day and night are equal” and that by some mystical force one can balance eggs on their end on these days. Some believe that one can only balance an egg within a few hours before or after the exact time of the equinox
•  is a sign of autumn in the northern hemisphere. In Greek mythology autumn begins as the goddess Persephone returns to the underworld to live with her husband Hades.” (once again, thanks to www.timeanddate.com for that info.)

So todays Fun Food Friday is a DEVILED EGG recipe! (Hades and Deviled eggs I just couldn’t resist!)

This recipe & info was found at EatingWell-Healthy Cooking Blogs site. “Popular as these two-bite appetizers are, they’re not typically healthy. Classic deviled-egg recipes are loaded with fat and calories. Our healthier version of deviled eggs has about two-thirds of the calories of a classic recipe, half the total fat and about 25% less cholesterol and sodium.

Although making deviled eggs is pretty straightforward, it is definitely possible to mess them up. Even though I’m the food editor of EatingWell Magazine, there are times I’ve added too much salt by accident. Other mistakes: way too much mustard or no mustard at all or (gag) broken eggshell in the filling. When done right, they’re smooth and creamy and the filling has the perfect balance of tangy and salty flavors. But if you follow these rules for making perfect deviled eggs it’s not hard to make them delicious and healthier too. How? Here are my 6 simple secrets for perfect, velvety deviled eggs.

• Don’t go for the freshest eggs you can find. I know that sounds odd, and for most applications the fresher the better. But in this case, you don’t want to use eggs straight from the farm, as they’re harder to peel and you’ll end up losing half the whites in the process.
• Don’t overcook the eggs. My mom always said put them in water and boil for 12 minutes at a hard boil. Now I know gentler is better so that the yolks get just set, but not overcooked. Place the eggs in a saucepan filled with cool water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Peel like a pro. After you boil the eggs, run them under a little cold water so that they’re cool enough to handle. Then crack them all over and put them in cold water to finish cooling. This makes them easier to peel.
• Use two-thirds of the yolks. (The yolks have most of the calories and fat in eggs. One yolk has 5 grams of fat and 54 calories, compared with only 16 calories and no fat in an egg white.) Instead, use nonfat cottage cheese to stand in for some of the yolks—it keeps the filling velvety and rich while reducing some of the fat.
• Instead of regular mayo choose low-fat. It has 15 calories per tablespoon and 1 gram of fat. It really is a miracle in creating a velvety filling.
• When it comes to a classic-tasting deviled egg, you must use yellow mustard. It has the right acidity and saltiness that adds a special punch. (If you’re a mustard snob, you can do a blend of a more high-brow mustard with a little yellow mustard.)

Most of all, have fun! You don’t have to go just straight up and put mustard, mayo and paprika in your filling. Think of fun mix-ins like anchovies, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, chives, cilantro or Tabasco. Or even try stuffing them with guacamole. And don’t forget this important food-safety tip: don’t leave deviled eggs out longer than a couple hours. (If your parties are anything like mine, your guests will eat them much faster than that anyway!)

Get the Recipe: EatingWell Deviled Eggs
Active time: 20 min.| Total: 20 min.| To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Deviled eggs are a perennial potluck favorite. Our recipe replaces some of the egg yolks with nonfat cottage cheese—keeping the filling velvety and rich while reducing some of the fat. No one will know the difference.

12 large hard-boiled eggs (see Tip), peeled
1/3 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives or scallion greens
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Paprika for garnish

1. Halve eggs lengthwise with a sharp knife. Gently remove the yolks. Place 16 yolk halves in a food processor (discard the remaining 8 yolk halves). Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, chives (or scallion greens), relish, mustard and salt; process until smooth.
2. Spoon about 2 teaspoons yolk mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.
Makes 24 servings: Per serving: 34 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 71 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 0 g fiber; 85 mg sodium; 31 mg potassium.

By Jessie Price: EatingWell deputy food editor Jessie Price’s professional background in food started when she worked in restaurant kitchens in the summers during college. She started out testing recipes for EatingWell and then joined the staff here full-time in 2004 when she moved to Vermont from San Francisco.”

THANKS EATING WELL Magazine and web site!
“EatingWell:WHERE GOOD TASTE MEETS GOOD HEALTH””