I came across this interesting idea the other day for cooking eggs. Rather than merely boil your eggs, you infuse them with a delightful mixture of tea and spices, giving them a distinct aromatic flavor. This is something that is not terribly strong, so you can still use them in egg salads, etc. but enough that this isn’t just another boiled egg.

Chinese Tea Eggs

Makes 6

6 boiled eggs
3 c. water
2 tea bags (I used one black and one orange tea)
1 6″ cinnamon stick
6 cloves
3 Tblsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. anise seeds

Tap the boiled eggs lightly on a hard surface to crack them slightly, like this.

You don’t want any holes, though, because the mixture will seep in and turn the whole egg black. Just lots of fine lines.

In a tall pot, mix all the remaining ingredients and add the eggs. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 min. If you want a stronger flavor, let the eggs simmer longer, but be aware that they get pretty rubbery if you go over an hour.

Remove from the water, cool slightly and peel. You’ll have some fascinating variations! Notice the egg at the back that had an actual hole in the tip . . . careful with your cracking!

My husband brought me three perfect, purple eggplants the other day, even though he detests them himself. Since he was going to be out, I decided to turn a couple of them into something fun and tasty for my kids. The other night, while out at a bar with a friend, I’d seen eggplant sticks on a menu and the idea had been kicking around for a few days in my head, so I decided to whip some up.

You can bake or deep fry eggplant sticks. I opted for the deep frying simply because I figured it would be more appealing to my little ones, so this recipe calls for deep frying, but stay tuned since I will likely try an oven dish shortly with them! In the meantime these suckers are sooo good, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a cheesy taste that appeals to all ages. We served ours with ketchup, but you could easily use Ranch dressing or anything else you like.

In the words of my 4 year old, “These are NOT disgusting.” He and his little brother polished off a whole eggplant themselves!

Cheesy Eggplant Sticks

Serves 4-6

2 medium eggplants, peeled, cut into 1/2″ fingers
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. flour
1.5 Tblsp. chicken consomme powder
1 tsp. paprika
4 Tblsp. Parmesan or hard cheese (hard Mexican cheese will give more of a bite)

Lay the eggplant sticks out on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 10 min. while you mix the flour, paprika, consomme and cheese in a bowl. If you want a bit more of a zing, try adding some chili powder (1 tsp) or pepper to the flour mixture.

In a deep pot, heat 2 c. oil until a bit of bread bubbles and browns when dropped into it.

Rinse and dry the eggplant sticks. Dip them into the egg mixture until thoroughly coated, then toss in the flour mixture. You can set these aside on a plate until the oil is hot enough.

Use a serving spoon to lower the sticks into the oil. Only put in as many as can float in the oil or they will stick together on top of each other and not cook properly.

Cook for about 7-10 min. or until dark golden brown. If you undercook they will still be firm inside and taste like eggplant . . . the goal here is a soft, squishy interior. Dip out with the spoon and drain on paper towels.

Let the oil heat up again and then add more eggplant sticks. Repeat until all have been cooked. Serve hot with dressing of your choice!

After making the Tangy Chicken Roll-Ups for a Christmas party, I found myself with entirely too many tortillas kicking around. Knowing we wouldn’t eat them in time, I chopped them into 8 wedges and turned them into tortilla chips, which I ended up taking to the party, as well, along with my Spring Onion Dip. They were a HUGE hit!

While making your own tortilla chips does take time, mainly because they don’t all fit into the oven at once, it’s a very simple process.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Serves approx. 8 people

12 9″ flour tortillas, cut into 8 wedges
Olive oil
1 Tblsp. paprika
4 Tblsp. salt
1 tsp. all spice
1 Tblsp. celery salt

Preheat oven to 400°.

Mix spices and salt in a bowl. Lay tortilla wedges on baking sheets and brush with oil. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and pop into the oven.

Bake until the tortilla chips are hard, but not browned. They’ll crisp up a bit more after you take them out. This should take between 10-15 min. depending on how thick the tortillas are. Repeat with remaining wedges.

Everyone knows the old standby dip . . . sour cream and a package of onion soup mix. This isn’t that recipe. In fact, this onion dip will impress the heck out of anyone who tries it, trust me.

The creamy base for this dip is just tangy enough to catch the taste buds, but the subtle flavor of almost caramelized onions comes in afterwards, getting stronger the longer the dip sits. It’s truly delicious, particularly when paired with homemade tortilla chips or crackers.

Spring Onion Dip

Makes about 1.5 cups

1 c. chopped spring onions (the base of the green onions)
1 tsp. sugar
oil

4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

In a small frying pan, heat the oil. Add the onions and sprinkle with sugar. Cook over medium heat until the onions are well browned, about 12-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, cream and Worchestershire sauce until smooth. Add onions and beat. Let sit for at least 2 hours in the fridge before serving, to allow the flavor to spread throughout the dip. Stir before serving.

These are excellent finger foods, perfect for parties! The tang of lime and cream cheese combines with the chicken and veggies to create a snack that will dominate the appetizer section and have your guests oohing and ahhing over your cooking skills. The best part? They’re SUPER simple. As in, your 6 year old can make them. And that’s what we’re all about here at Gourmet Mama, fast, impressive foods you don’t have to be a kitchen genius to figure out.

These roll-ups are best made ahead of time, since they need to chill, but this means you can have the party food ready to go the day before the party!

Tangy Chicken Roll-Ups

Makes 32

2 lbs chicken, cooked and chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 c. carrot, finely shredded
1 c. lettuce, minced
1/4 c. green onions, chopped
4 9″ flour tortillas

8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. heavy cream
2 Tblsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, cream, lime juice and oregano. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix remaining ingredients.

Spread the tortillas with a layer of cream cheese mixture, then top with the chicken mixture. Roll up and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 2 hours.

Just before serving, unwrap the rolls, cut off the ends (perfect for taste testing) and then cut each tortilla into eighths.

Inspired by the flavors of Guatemala, this tasty appetizer or snack is perfect for serving to company. The lime gives it just a little tang, without being too overwhelming and the chicken is cooked to perfection with the aroma of herbs blending nicely with fresh parsley. Add all this together with the firm, creamy avocado and top a crunchy tostada and you’ve got a dish fit for a king! A Mayan one, at least.

This recipe actually requires two separate recipes. You can use any pre-cooked chicken breast, but you’ll get the best flavor if you use the recipe below.

Herbed Chicken Breast

1 lb. boneless chicken breast
1 tsp paprika
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tblsp. dried oregano (not powdered)
1/2 tsp. allspice
salt

Saute breast just long enough to seal in the juices, about 1 min. on each side. Add 2 c. water and the spices and herbs. Stir gently and cover.

Let steam for 20 min. or until cooked through, turning once.

Chicken Avocado Tostadas

Makes 10 small tostadas

10 tostadas (fried corn tortillas)
1 medium onion, minced
1 lb. chicken, cooked, cooled and cubed
1 red pepper, chopped
2 avocados, cubed
1.5 Tblsp. lime or lemon juice
1 Tblsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 c. shredded lettuce
1/2 c. queso fresco (Mexican cheese)

Toss all main ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly coated with lime juice. Top tostadas with the mixture and serve.

If you’re looking for an alternative to hummus or just want something tasty to dip your veggies or pita bread in, this bean dip is heavenly. I made it with a friend a couple of weekends ago and it was a huge hit with both our families. We served it with warm, fresh pita bread straight from the oven and there was nothing left by the end of our cooking lesson!

A good blender will be able to handle this dip easily, but if yours gets bogged down, I would suggest adding a little more oil or even a bit of water. It shouldn’t make much difference to the end result and will keep your blender running smoothly.

White Bean Dip
makes 2 cups

2 c. white or cannoli beans
1/3 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 T. fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
pinch of salt
juice of one lime

Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste if needed. Serve with chips, carrot sticks or pita bread.

I love deviled eggs and make them for every picnic or special occasion. They’re so simple to do and they taste so heavenly that you really can’t go wrong!

That being said, it does get just a teensy bit old to have the same deviled eggs every single time, so recently I have been doing some experimenting. Curry is another flavor that my family enjoys, so I combined the two to create this very tasty curry deviled egg recipe.

Curry Deviled Eggs

6 hard boiled eggs
2 T. mayonnaise
1 T. curry powder
3 drops Worchestershire sauce

Peel the eggs, cut them in half and scoop out the yolk. This should be mashed with the remaining ingredients.

You can either spoon the yolk mixture back into the eggs or use an icing bag to pipe it in for a more decorative look. I have yet to get a decent frosting kit, so my eggs are spooned. Either way, they taste wonderful!

Here in Guatemala, snacks are a big part of the culture. It’s very normal to go out in the evening to watch the kids playing futbol (soccer) in the town square and have yourself a nice cup of hot something along with a small item of food.

One of my absolute favorite snacks to buy when out and about is the tostada. Now tostadas come in many forms, all of which are delicious. There is the very basic tostada, which is the recipe I’m going to share in a minute, and there are more complicated ones which require the addition of tomato sauce or even a heaping helping of grated cabbage salad.

The basic tostada requires only four ingredients.

The tostada which is a crisp corn tortilla that is either flat or rippled.
Hard Mexican cheese
chopped parsley
Avocado or refried beans . . . we made ours with beans.

Take the tostada and spread it with either mashed avocado or refried beans. Then sprinkle a little parsley on top and finish off with some crumbled cheese . . . like so.

It`s spring and high time to start looking at some lighter dishes! One of my favorites is this yummy cucumber salad that is lightly brined. Not actually pickled, but flavored. My mother used to make a salad very similar to this, but I`ve adapted it for use these days.

Brined Cucumber Salad

Serves 6

1 large cucumber, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced

Brine
1/4 c. white vinegar
2 tblsp sugar
1 tblsp salt
1/2 c. water

Dissolve salt and sugar in the water and vinegar. Add the vegetables and refrigerate for 2-6 hours. The longer you leave the salad in the brine, the stronger the taste will be. I recommend taste testing it every hour or so.

Drain the salad and serve. You can also keep the drained salad for up to two days.