Tag Archives: spicy recipes

Deviled Egg in Tomato Canoe Salad Recipe+ How to Peel Eggs + Hellmann’s Longest Picnic Table

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jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - deviled egg tomato canoe single

Even if summer isn’t officially here for a few more weeks, it certainly feels like it is here in Austin, Texas. The kids are basically out of school, barring the last few finals and a field day, and our family calendar is booking up with neighborhood pool parties, potlucks and lazy-day picnics. The more leisurely pace of the season lets me do one of the things I love best, and that’s get creative with recipes.

So how very timely that I found a contest being sponsored by Hellmann’s® in honor of the company’s 100th Birthday.  Part of the happy hoopla includes Chef Mario Batali (I love his recipes, don’t you?); here’s his spin on five old-school, classic Hellmann’s® recipes. The new creations are sure tasty looking; I’m salivating just reading the recipes for Chicken Pasta Salad with Green Olives and Raisins, Chicken Wings with White BBQ Sauce, a Juicy Salsa Burger, Fiery Chipotle Deviled Eggs and Favorite Parm Chicken. You can get all these recipes at Mario’s Table.

You can make these recipes at home “as-is” (and you know they are delish, because this guy has some mad chef skills), or better yet, add your own flair to the chef-inspired recipes. Hellmann’s® is inviting you to submit your best version of one of these five recipes. Just add one to three new ingredients and explain how you would make it better!  You could even win a trip to celebrate Hellmann’s® birthday in New York City and be a guest at the “World’s Longest Picnic Table.”

mario batali hellamans

So, I’ll go first! Of course, with my picnic and potluck state of mind, I chose Mario’s Fiery Chipotle Deviled Eggs to make over. Deviled eggs – or really any egg recipe –never lasts long in my house.  And, honestly, there’s nothing to feel guilty about when it comes to eating a few – what a great source of protein and B vitamins and other nutrients. I also appreciate how Hellmann’s® is now using 100% certified cage-free eggs in the making of their Lite Mayonnaise. This keeps with the brand’s commitment (which I second) to ‘Real Food’ made with simple ingredients.

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - deviled egg tomato canoes

 Spicy Deviled Eggs in Tomato Canoes (Served as a Salad)

  • 12 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup Hellmann’s® Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt
  • 12 medium-sized Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 9 ounces baby spring mix
  • 1/4 cup crumbled bacon

Instructions:

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; add cold cater to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil; cover, remove from heat and let stand 9 minutes (or a little longer if you are using XL eggs).

Drain immediately and fill the saucepan with cold water and ice. Tap each egg firmly on the counter until it forms a web of cracks and peels under cold running water. See my other egg peeling tips below.

Slice eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Place yolks in medium bowl with mayonnaise and add mustard, hot sauce and celery salt and mash until smooth. Spoon yolk mixture into egg white halves; set aside.

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place one egg in one tomato half and sprinkle with approximately 1 teaspoon of the bacon crumbles. Repeat for remaining eggs. For an individual serving, place 4 egg and tomato halves on a bed of lettuce.

Serves 6.

peel egg

Tips to Make Peeling Hard Boiled Egg Easier

  • Don’t use straight-from-the-hen’s-behind fresh eggs. What I’m trying to say here is that eggs that are about a week old work best for boiling. I don’t know why!
  • When boiling eggs, cover them in cold water in the pot and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Starting from cold lessens the chances of the shells cracking before completely cooked.
  • Some people suggest adding a teaspoon of salt or baking soda to the water to make peeling easier. Wish I would have found this tip earlier!
  • Store eggs in the refrigerator for a few days before you plan to use them. For some reason, eggs that have been hanging around for a while have peel that slips right off in big pieces rather that little shards of shell that also take off chunks of the cooked egg.
  • Peeling eggs under cold water also seems to facilitate the process.

Elite Eats: Pro Triathlete Natasha van der Merwe Spices Up With Jamaican Beef Kabob Recipe

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After a day that includes numerous hours logged on a run, bike or swim, it seems like a girl could eat whatever she wanted. While I have heard pro triathlete Natasha van der Merwe  hint at these 5,000 calorie days, I know firsthand that she’s not scarfing down gut-busting pizza and McFlurrys during her typical training block – these treats are reserved for much-deserved, post-race rewards. The day-to-day menu of the “South African born but Texas trained” transplant is much more practical, drawing on foods “with a purpose” to either fuel her for the next workout or help her recover from the most recent.

As much as she can, Natasha likes to stick to “real” unprocessed foods and a gluten-free diet. During long training rides she’s made the switch from energy bars and gels for mid-ride fuel to homemade sweet potato cookies — or even sometimes just the whole baked sweet potato!  Believe it or not, a challenge for Natasha is taking in enough quality calories to stay “topped off” for Ironman training, a commitment that often has her busy working out 2 or 3 times per day. Oh, and did I also mention that she fills her downtime with coaching and taking care of the day-to-day details of Tri Team Transport, a triathlon bike and gear transport business she owns with her husband.

Because of this hectic schedule, Natasha tells me that she relies on quick and easy meals that can be thrown on the grill. Lean steak, a sweet potato and some veggies has long been her go-to selection. A perfect choice for the athlete and I’m not the only one saying so!  According to experts, a 3.5 ounce serving of lean beef supplies about 40 percent of the daily requirements for zinc, a mineral needed to keep the immune system strong. Also supplied in this modest-sized serving of beef are 2 milligrams of iron (athletes need extra to rebuild red blood cells broken down by taxing training sessions) and a boost of B vitamins which help convert carbs (like a nutrient-dense sweet potato)into usable fuel for exercise.

It sure looks like beef is working for Natasha; this year she’s had some solid breakthroughs in her sport including a 37 minute 10k (off the bike, mind you!), a sub 30 minute swim in the half-Ironman and top ten finishes in too many 70.3 distances to count. Plus, she also recently finished her first full Ironman 140.6 distance (something she said she’d “never” do) at Ironman Mont Tremblant and now has her mind set on Ironman Florida and Ironman Arizona.  Probably her only “beef” about beef is being in a rut about how to prepare it day in and day out– and that’s where I come in!

Knowing Natasha’s livelihood relies on simple, satisfying and nutritionally-sound suppers, I went to my source for no-fail beef recipes — the Texas Beef Council.  The perfect “spiced-up” dinner suggestion for my triathlete friend that contains both lean beef and sweet potatoes is (drumroll) Jamaican Beef Kabobs. You should try it for dinner tonight, if you know what’s good for you!

 

Jamaican Beef Kabobs Recipe

 

 

 

 

 

  • 1 lb. beef sirloin steak (or other lean cuts such as eye of round, sirloin, tenderloin)
  • 1 Tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1 tsp. red pepper
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 medium pineapple
  • 4 fresh jalapeno peppers
Directions
Mix onion powder, sugar, thyme, red pepper, allspice, salt and pepper together in small bowl. Rub mixture into steak.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place the potatoes in sauce pan with water to cover. Simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain.

Cut the steak and the pineapple into 1-inch cubes. Cut the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds.

Thread beef, sweet potatoes, pineapple and jalapenos onto skewers. Grill over medium coals until beef is done to your liking, about 10-15 minutes.

Suggestions: If you prefer a less “fiery” version, substitute green bell peppers for the jalapenos. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 10 minutes and drain before using. This will keep them from burning on the grill. Use plastic gloves while handling jalapenos to avoid burning hands. You can substitute shoulder steak for the sirloin steak.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 287 Calories; 5g Total Fat; 2g Saturated Fat; 50mg Cholesterol; 3mg Iron; 660mg Sodium; 5mg Zinc; 28g Protein; 32g Carbohydrates; 5g Dietary Fiber