Natural Easter Egg Dye

We've been cutting back on processed meats and nitrates, trying to keep the meat we do eat organic, and incorporating lots of colorful fruits and vegetables in our diets every day. We try to limit potentially carcinogenic food dyes found in so many processed foods including mac and cheese but don't let me kid you. Our eating habits are far from perfect. Ice cream for breakfast, anyone?

In a continuing effort to do more good than harm, I thought we'd jump on the bandwagon by way of natural Easter egg dyes this year.

Nice, right? 

I have to confess I bought a back-up package of PAAS because I wasn't sure how the troops were going to react to the idea soaking for hours only to end up with muddier, less vibrant hues. I shouldn't have worried. They had so much fun mixing up their potions and checking up on their eggs over the course of the day, they almost forgot all about the fizzy Paas tablets. Almost.

As for hard boiling eggs, there are all sorts of tips and tricks out there for avoiding the dreaded green ring around the yolk, making the eggs easier to peel, etc. The way I see it, if anyone knows how to properly hard boil an egg, it's Martha. So here's a recap of her drill.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
courtesy of Martha Stewart

1 dozen eggs
Large stock pot
water

Allow the eggs to come to (or close to) room temperature. Place them in a heavy bottomed, large stock pot. Cover the eggs with an inch or 2 of cold water. Heat to a boil slowly, over medium heat. Once the water boils, remove the pot from heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes.

After 12 minutes, rinse the eggs under cold water in a colander for several minutes until cool.

Now your ready to start mixing your dyes!

Natural Egg Dye (Blue)

1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Combine the water, vinegar, and blueberries in a medium bowl. Use a masher, muddler, or wooden spoon to mash the berries. Let sit for 15-20 minutes, then strain out the berries through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid dye.

How long you soak your eggs will depend on the vibrancy of your berries and the color you want to achieve. We soaked our blue eggs for nearly 5 hours to get the color you see in the photos. 

 Natural Egg Dye (Yellow)

1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp ground tumeric

Combine the water, vinegar, and tumeric. Stir well.

 Natural Egg Dye (Orange)

1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp ground paprika

Combine the water, vinegar, and paprika. Stir well. 

With these dyes like many others, the longer you soak, the darker your eggs will get. We soaked our yellow egg in the tumeric dye for about 2 hours to achieve the lovely golden hue you see here. The blueberry and paprika dyes took longer - about 4-5 hours each. You can always stick them in the fridge to soak if they're taking a while and check up on them periodically until you like what you see.

Overall, the natural food dyes were a roaring success. The kids didn't mind the slightly duller colors (compared to the electrically bright PAAS) and really enjoyed mixing and smelling the dyes...especially the blueberry. Personally, I think these are much prettier than our neon eggs of years past. Next year we're prepared to go all out, nixing the tablets, and expanding our color palette with beets, onions, and green tea powder. Happy Easter!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears with Balsamic Drizzle

I admit it. This one's just for me. And for you, of course. Pull up a chair.

My kids won't tolerate anything orange and mushy. There's no meat here and sweet potatoes don't rank high in Mufasa's diabetes-fighting, low-carb diet. But, sometimes we need to do a little something for ourselves, yes?

Consider this. You're cooking for a group and needed to accommodate various food allergies and sensitivities. Simple roasted vegetables are a safe bet. Roasted sweet potatoes with pears and balsamic vinegar are not only super tasty and make the house smell like pie, but are also free of the top 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish) and gluten-free too!

And no pressure but one of these really seems to help the process along. Ignore the Jack Daniels glass. He's not invited to this party.

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Pour in an ounce of bourbon, an ounce of fresh lemon juice, top with good ginger beer (here's my fave) and garnish with a lemon wedge. Do it! Do it! Just saying. All it needs is a snappy name. Suggestions?

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears with Balsamic Drizzle

2 or 3 sweet potatoes
2 large firm pears (I used Bartletts but the choice is yours. Cored, halved Seckels would be lovely)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Good quality, aged syrupy balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the sweet potatoes and slice them into wedges about 1 & 1/2-inches thick leaving the skin intact. Put them on a sheet pan. Douse with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 20 minutes until they're starting to soften but not yet done.

While the potatoes roast, core, stem, and slice the pears into wedges about 1-inch thick. Add the pears to the sheet pan with the potatoes. Drizzle on the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss the pears and sweet potatoes gently. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes more until the sweet potatoes are done and the pears are tender. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Season with more salt and pepper and serve warm.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

Looly will have you know she does not like potatoes. I believe it's a texture thing but she argues that potatoes are just disgusting. Despite a few Ruffles here and there, the ubiquitous tubers are off limits to her. No baked potatoes, hash browns, french fries (I don't know what's the matter with her. Maybe I should have her tested), tater tots, and don't even think about mashing or smashing them. Gag city.

As far as I know no one else in the family is quite so averse to potatoes, but we still don't eat many. No one's big on the mashed variety, myself included. I like to chew my food. Unless it's ice cream. And most of the time potatoes are a waste of carbs for Mufasa who has a family history rife with diabetes. He'd rather save up his carbohydrate allowance for a generously buttered buttermilk biscuit.

When we do eat potatoes they tend to be cubed, roasted, and lightly salted. In other words, b-o-r-i-n-g. Roo and Bean like them that way, but trust me, that recipe is not winning any contests for creativity. I've tried jazzing them up in the past and you should hear the hysteria that ensues.

Kid: "Why are there red things in here?"
Mom: "They're poisonous sea urchins (roasted red peppers) because I'm trying to kill you. Obviously."

Kid: "Somebody put dirt on my potatoes! I'm not eating dirt." (That's black pepper, by the way, for those of you unfamiliar with the I'm not eating this dirt defense)

Kid: "What are those onions for? Because I don't want them in any of my stuff."

Ahh, yes, the majesty of parenthood.

But with a little help from the Olympics, I've found a winner. Tangy, salty, malt vinegar sauce seems decidedly British, so I primed the kids with an enthusiastic description of Olympic synchronized diving and water polo followed by a quick lesson on British pub fare. Basically I convinced them they'd be supporting the Olympic athletes by partaking in a potato and vinegar dip feast. What? It's not like it's not helping the Olympians if they eat a few potatoes. Bear with me here.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes
adapted from Vegetarian Times

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 head of garlic, peeled and sectioned into cloves
2 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup malt vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar

1. Soak the cubed potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the dry potatoes and garlic cloves in the oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally to promote even browning. Season with salt and pepper (use white pepper instead of black if your kids don't like "dirt" on their food)
3. Meanwhile, combine vinegar and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Serve sauce as a dip alongside the potatoes and garlic or drizzle it right over the top. The drizzle is great for adults but I don't recommend it for kids. They like to control their own destiny. Give them the dip on the side and see what happens.

Good stuff! Even if you don't like potatoes like Looly, make this just so you can dip the roasted garlic cloves. Crazy delicious. For the record Looly did try a potato, sans dip. She didn't like it. But she tried it. Roo was a fan and Bean's favorite "potato" was actually a roasted garlic clove. That girl has a refined palate.