A few weeks ago I was asked to organize snacks at my school’s literacy night. Wanting to carry the theme of books and reading into the food portion of the event, I decided that each food we served would be derived from a favorite childhood book featuring food. It all started out as a vague idea and ended up being a lot of fun for children and adults alike.
Some books had easy pairings but when I came to the Doctor Seuss classic Green Eggs and Ham, I found myself pausing. First, I was looking for bite-sized food that could be made ahead of time which ruled out the majority of the Seuss themed dishes I found on the Internet. Then I also wanted to be able to incorporate both title components into a single dish. And finally, there was the issue of making the dish green.
Deviled eggs have always been one of my favorite appetizers and whenever I make them they disappear in minutes. Plus unlike scrambled eggs and the like they are portable and can be made ahead of time. So I took to my old stand by recipe and tweaked it a bit to include bits of minced ham and green food coloring. The food coloring is definitely optional but this version of my classic dish is a keeper.
GREEN EGGS & HAM DEVILED EGGS
12 eggs, hardboiled, cooled, peeled & sliced in half
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon dried Coleman’s mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sweet curry powder
1/4 cup minced cooked ham
Green food coloring (optional)
Parsley sprigs and paprika to garnish
- Using a small spoon, carefully remove the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place the yolks in a small bowl and move the whites to a serving platter.
- Using a fork, mash the yolks to form a thick paste.
- Stir in the mayonnaise, dried mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and curry powder, mixing until the mixture is smooth and lump free.
- Stir in the ham, mixing until the meat is evenly distributed.
- If you are using the food coloring, add one drop at a time, stirring well between each addition, until you have achieved your desired color.
- Scoop the filling into the egg whites.
- Sprinkle with paprika and top with a sprig of parsley.
Yields: 24 servings.
