Passover and Easter have come and gone. We’ve joined with friends and family to share food and fellowship, celebrate the miracles of Exodus and Resurrection, and the new life of spring. Then all the guests go home, and you are overwhelmed. What can you do with all those colorful hard-cooked eggs?

Eggs are versatile. There are so many ways to use up your hard-cooked Easter eggs!

Having hard-cooked eggs on hand makes for an easy, fast breakfast with a slice of whole-grain toast. It is a wholesome way to add protein to your lunchbox. An egg is a nice mid-afternoon snack. Peel, halve, and top with a little mayo and sharp mustard, or simply sprinkle with salt. Deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches are perennial favorites.

Pickle eggs by placing peeled, hard-cooked eggs in brine leftover from pickles. Place halved hard-cooked eggs in your soup bowl, and top with soup for an extra protein punch. Chop and sprinkle as garnish over a salad for a light main dish meal. They add color, flavor and texture as well as protein to fresh spring greens. Also add eggs to grain, potato or pasta salads, along with fresh veggies.

Hard-cooked eggs (Photo provided — Yvona Fast)

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods available — and inexpensive, too. They are an excellent source of protein. They’re also a good source of essential vitamins A, D, E and B group as well as the minerals iron, phosphorus, iodine and zinc. And recent research has debunked the belief that eating eggs increases the risk of heart disease. So don’t be afraid to use up your leftovers!

You have about a week to use them up. Left in the shell, they will keep in the fridge that way up to a week. If you already peeled them, place them in a bowl covered with cold water; they will also store for about one week if you change the water each day. You can also keep them refrigerated in a sealed container, wrapped in damp paper towels, for about a week.

A quick post-Easter breakfast is toast with eggs, cheese and spinach. Layer sliced hard-boiled eggs on whole-wheat bread, top with shredded cheese, and broil until bubbly. Top with fresh spinach and diced tomatoes. Serve open face, or use two slices of bread and sandwich them together. Or split English muffins or biscuits, top with chopped eggs and a little ham (if you have some), then sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake or broil until cheese melts.

Here are a couple other recipes to help you use up those eggs.

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Cucumber corn and egg salad (Photo provided — Yvona Fast)

Corn and Egg Salad

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Ingredients:

1-2 cucumbers (depending on size)

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons fresh minced dill

2-3 eggs, hard-cooked

Few scallions (about 1/2 to 1 cup, sliced), green and white parts

2 cups corn kernels

2 Tablespoon sour cream (or 1 T sour cream and 1 T plain yogurt)

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Directions:

Peel cucumbers (peeling optional). Cut lengthwise in half, then quarters. Then cut across the grain to form small cubes. Place in salad bowl and sprinkle with salt and fresh dill. Peel and chop the eggs, and stir in.

Cut root ends off the scallions and slice. Add to cucumbers in bowl, and stir to combine. Fold in sour cream and yogurt. Serve.

Options: For a main dish salad, add three chopped hard-cooked eggs or 1 to 2 cups diced cooked chicken.

Makes about four 1-cup servings.

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Barley Salad with Peas and Carrots

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Ingredients:

1 cup barley

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

2 eggs

1 carrot (1 cup sliced)

1/2 pound sugar snap peas

1/2 cup sharp cheese, cubed

1 bunch scallions (1/2 cup sliced)

1/4 cup chopped minced parsley

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons plain yogurt

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

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Directions:

Combine barley, salt and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

In another pan of water, cook eggs until hard boiled.

Prepare vegetables. Wash and slice carrots. String peas, rinse, and cut into 1-inch lengths. Slice scallions. Mince parsley.

Cube cheese. Peel eggs under cold water.

Crush garlic with salt. When barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, transfer to bowl. Stir in crushed garlic with salt, vinegar and olive oil. Add prepared veggies and cheese. Chop eggs and add. Stir in yogurt and mayo. Chill.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook “Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market,” Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: cooking and writing. She can be reached at “http://www.wordsaremyworld.com”>www.wordsaremyworld.com, yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on Facebook as “Author Yvona Fast.”

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