Easter is again upon us, and with it comes the ubiquitous decorated hard-cooked egg. In today’s world, the humble egg at Easter has lost much of its symbolism and had been reduced to mere a novelty to be sought out on that Sunday morning.

So, why eggs?  Let’s consider, for a moment, the symbolic significance of eggs. Pagans viewed them as a symbol of renewed life, using them in their spring celebrations.  Christians associate them with Jesus emerging from the tomb and his resurrection.

Why decorate them?  This practice dates back to the 13th century.  Eggs used to be forbidden food during the Lenten season.  To observe the end of the Lenten season and make things more festive, folks decorated the eggs, then ate them in celebration.

Here’s the question.  How many eggs can one eat before tiring of them? It depends on the person, but the following recipe may help in clearing your refrigerator of some leftover hard-cooked eggs.  It’s from the cookbook  I authored and published, The Collective Chicken – The Official Mike the Headless Chicken Cookbook.

Deviled Chicken Eggs

Serves 6

Ingredients 

• 6 hard –cooked eggs
• ½ cup chicken breast, cooked and chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley for garnish

Method

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise.  Remove yolks and place them in a small bowl.  Mash the yolks with a fork.  Add all remaining ingredients except the egg whites.  Stuff the white with the yolk mixture.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Refrigerate until serving.