ROTD-Today is Intl. Hot & Spicy Foods day, so add a FAV food/recipe of yours that's Hot &...

Here's a tip for how I "fix up" a favorite.  You can buy "HOT" Pickled Okra, but I like mine Sweet 'n Hot, so if I don't see the hot ones in the store, I just buy the mild, add in some crushed red pepper, some Splenda, and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE!  I throw the jar in the fridge, so when I have a crispy/salty craving, I can grab one of my Sweet "n Hot picked okra! (NOTE:  You can do this with any kind of store bought pickles.  I sometimes sweeten and spice up a jar of kosher dills too.) Here's another recipe creation of mine that fits the bill for Hot & Spicy today!  These were created for ECU Pirate Tailgate parties.

Hot Mama "Menta" Cheese Deviled Eggs

Recipe By: Wendy Perry Serving Size: 12 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method --------  ------------  --------------------------------    1      dozen         jumbo eggs      1/4  c.            favorite pimento cheese (made or store bought)    1      T.            sugar or Splenda           lots          freshly ground black pepper and salt -- to taste           few dashes    favorite hot sauce -- to taste    1      heaping T.    Duke's mayonnaise    1      heaping t.   ground horseradish    1      t.            ground mustard    1      T.            finely minced fresh onion -- opt.                           fresh chives -- finely chopped, divided                           cayenne pepper

FOR PERFECT BOILED EGGS:

Place in a pot big enough for eggs to lay in single layer.  (This can even be a large sauté pan.)  Cover with COLD water plus one inch.  Bring to a boil, BUT, as soon as boiling starts, get that pot OFF the heat and throw a lid on it immediately.  Then, just let the eggs sit a spell... about 20 minutes.  Drain under cool water.  I then put them back into cooking pot and shake around a bit to crack shells.  I then cover again with cool water so that it seeps under the shells to make them easier to peel.  This method will give you eggs with yolks in the center and without that "gray" stuff around the yolk!  Week old eggs make for better deviled eggs (easier to peel).

Cook and peel eggs as above. Cut in half either lengthwise or otherwise, whatever suits your fancy.  TIP:  To keep them from sliding around on your serving plate, simply slice off a very thin piece of the white on the rounded underside to make a little flat surface area.

Place yolks into mixing bowl and mash with for****il crumbled.  Stir in pimento cheese, sugar, black pepper, shakes of hot sauce, mayonnaise, horseradish, ground mustard, minced onion and some chives.  Mix well and taste for seasoning.  Add more if needed.  Fill egg whites with Menta Cheese mixture.  Dust with cayenne pepper.  To garnish, sprinkle with remaining chopped chives.

Make extra, because these Hot Mama's will be a Hot Hit at your tailgate party!

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NOTE:  For Easter, or Pirate parties or just fun, make marbled eggs.  Once cooked, drain in the pot and shake around a bit to make some cracks in the shells.  Open a can of beets (Use beets for eating or another recipe).  Pour the beet juice over the cracked eggs and let sit.  Shake around good so some of the juice gets into the cracks.  Peel, and you will have kewl "marbled" egg whites for stuffing and all your friends will wonder how in the heck you did THAT!