Photos by Kelly Black.

Looking to switch up your usual appetizers and desserts this summer? Here’s a fun and easy twist on deviled eggs, and for dessert, strawberries and ice cream! It’ll impress your friends and leave your taste buds satisfied.  

It is important that you first gather the necessary ingredients before you embark on this tasty adventure.

“Gourmet” Deviled Eggs

– 6 eggs

– 3 stalks of green onion (chopped)

– 2 tbsp. of mayonnaise

– 1 tsp. gourmet mustard (for garnish)

– 1 tsp. mustard powder

– 1 tsp. black pepper

– A pinch of salt

– A pinch of paprika

Method:

1) In order to create the perfect deviled eggs, I recommend placing them in a pot of cold water in which they are covered by at least one inch of water.

2) Cook on high heat till they begin to boil and allow for about one minute of boiling.

Then remove the pot from the heat at set aside covered, for 15 minutes – not letting the eggs sit for long enough could result in soft boiled eggs, and this recipe is tastier with hard boiled eggs!

3) After 15 minutes drain the water and place the eggs in a bowl of cold water for about five minutes – my boyfriend’s mother taught me this trick and it makes peeling the shells off the eggs so much easier.

4) Once the eggs have cooled, you can peel the shells off. I find tapping them against the counter breaks up the shell and makes it easier to remove.

5) Rinse off any remaining pieces of shell and then place them on a cutting board. Cut them vertically down the middle and remove the yolk from the egg whites. Place the cooked yolk into a separate bowl.

6) Once all the yolks have been removed from the egg whites, you can mash them and add the two tablespoons of mayonnaise—you can always add more if you prefer them creamier!

7) Add the three chopped-up stocks of green onion and a teaspoon of mustard powder, mixing together as you go along.

8) Throw in a teaspoon of black pepper and a pinch of salt and paprika to enhance the flavour.

9) Now for the fun part! You can put the mixture in a plastic bag and cut a hole in one end to make filling the egg whites easier, but a teaspoon will work well too.

10) To garnish your delicious creation, I recommend placing a dollop of gourmet mustard on the egg yolks. In this recipe I used Mrs. McGarrigles Canadian Maple mustard, it is gluten free and is made locally in Merrickville, Ontario—not to mention it complements the tangy flavour of the yolk mixture!

11) Of course no meal is complete without proper arrangement. You can place the egg halves in a circle, allowing enough room in the middle for a small bowl for some veggies and dip! I used carrots and herb and garlic cream cheese.

 

Coconut Ice Cream Strawberry Bites 

– Coconut ice cream 

– 10 strawberries (the more the merrier!)

– White chocolate chips

Method:

1) First, rinse the strawberries and then dry and place on a cutting board. Cut the tops off, and cut the bottoms enough so they can stand upright – try to avoid cutting to deep in order to keep the ice cream from spilling through the bottom of the strawberries.

2) Then core the strawberries to create little strawberry bowls.

3) Scoop a teaspoon or so (this will depend on the size of your strawberries) and fill the strawberries with ice cream—in order to prevent unnecessary melting, save this part for a couple minutes before serving.

4) Place a white chocolate chip on top and viola!

This is such a quick and easy dessert, you’ll be making it all the time!