Truffle Deviled Eggs with Candy Bacon

Easter was such a treat every year when I was a kid! Every Good Friday, me and my brother would dye eggs with my mom. On Easter Sunday, we would load up our bikes and drive to Coffeeville, MS where my great-grandmother, Grams, lived. I remember riding four wheelers, playing volleyball, and walking around looking at all the farm animals. The one thing about Easter I can never forget are my mom's famous deviled eggs. She made them every year. I've put a twist on the traditional southern eggs - a little cream cheese, a little truffle, and a little bacon! Happy Easter to all! 

SEE FULL VIDEO HERE!!!!! 

Grocery List: 

Eggs:

• 1 dozen large eggs

• 4 oz cream cheese

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 2 tbsp mayo

• 2 tbsp truffle oil

• 1 tsp truffle salt (or Kosher)

• 1/2 tsp white pepper

Bacon:

• 3 strips thick cut bacon

• 2 tbsp Brown sugar

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp Chili powder

• 1/8 tsp Cayenne

Directions: 

1. 

Place eggs in one layer in a large pot with water that comes about an inch over them. Bring to a heavy boil for one minute. Turn the heat to the lowest simmer and cover the pot. Let sit for 12-15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water. To peel, crack each egg at the top and at the bottom (this is the best places to start peeling because air pockets get into them from here), use your fingers and pull apart the shells. If it gets tricky, dip the egg back into the cool water and continue peeling. 

2. Make the candy bacon. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, chili powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Take each strip of bacon and dip one side into the mixture and place them spice side down on top of a baking rack over a baking sheet lined with foil. Using a spoon, spread the leftover mixture thickly and evenly over the top of the bacon, pressing to adhere. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy. 

3. Make the egg filling. Cut eggs in half longways and scoop out the middle into a large bowl. Add cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, truffle oil, salt, and white pepper. Whip the mixture together until really smooth. 

4. Fill a piping bag (or Ziplock bag with a snipped corner) with the egg mixture. Pipe the mixture into the eggs. When bacon is cooled, cut into 1/2 inch strips and stick a piece into each egg. 

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!! 

Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 2 - Truffle Deviled Eggs with Candy Bacon

GET THE FULL RECIPE HERE! 

Apple, Fennel, & Arugula Salad with Roasted Shrimp

When it's cold outside and the holidays are upon us, comfort food consumes me. I want it heavy, I want it sweet, I want it creamy, I want it fatty, and I want a lot of it!! Mac and cheese, stews, pies, cookies, and let's not forget the extra large bottle of Baileys I buy around this time each year... These are a few of my favorite things. But sometimes I need a break from the heaviness of the holidays. After all, Christmas is just right around the corner, and I want a full appetite for the big day! With it's subtle holiday ingredients, this salad reminds me of Christmas without bringing all the calories and fat I'm used to having this time of year. The apples and ginger give this salad a little holiday sparkle, and something about the licorice flavor of the fennel makes me think of Santa and sleigh bells!

Grocery list (2 people) :

• 1/2 lb shrimp - peeled and deveined, tails on

• 1 fennel stalk

• 1 Fuji Apple

• 2 cups arugula

• 1 lemon

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger - grated

• 1/2 tsp garlic - minced

• 1 tbsp honey or agave

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil

• Kosher salt

• Pepper

Directions:

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Step 1:

Heat oven to 400.

Toss shrimp with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast shrimp for 8-10 minutes or until they just turn pink.

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Step 2:

Thinly slice the bulb (bottom white part) of the fennel stalk. Cut about 1/4 cup of the fronds (herby green part) from the fennel and roughly chop. Core apple and cut into fourths. Using a mandolin, slice apples very thin (if you don't have a mandolin, just slice them with your knife as thinly as you can).

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Step 3:

In a salad bowl, toss the apples with the juice of half a lemon (this will keep apple from browning). Add the fennel and arugula and toss together.

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Step 4:

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, add juice from the other half of the lemon, ginger, garlic, honey, and a dash of salt and pepper. Drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil while whisking to bring it all together. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Toss the dressing together with the salad. Top with the shrimp.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!