Devilish Eggs

Deviled eggs are practically a staple as an American appetizer.  The concept is pretty basic: a hard-boiled egg, sliced in half, refilled with a combination of the yolk, mayonnaise, mustard, and spices.  In fact, the mustard and the spices...the ingredients that give the deviled egg it's kick... are also the ingredients that helped to name this tasty little appetizer.  In culinary terms, "deviled" describes something that is spicy, tangy, piquant.

Well, I didn't quite make deviled eggs for New Year's; I made devilish eggs.  Let me explain: the recipe is from Lisa Lillien's Hungry Girl book, 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories.  Lillien takes recipes and manipulates them in ways that are completely inconceivable, but entirely delicious.  The purpose is to create healthier dining options.  For example, her recipe for Devilish Eggs is made entirely without the egg yolk, which is the "unhealthiest" part of the egg.  Yeah, you're probably saying to yourself: "But that's the main ingredient!"  Yes, but every single person that tasted the devilish eggs on New Years had no idea that it was made with cauliflower.  Yeah.  Cauliflower.

Are you ready to have your mind blown?

Ingredients

2 cups chopped cauliflower
12 eggs
4 wedges "Laughing Cow" Light Original Swiss Cheese
1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet relish, patted dry to remove moisture
2 teaspoons minced shallots
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
Yellow food coloring
Salt and black pepper to taste
Paprika (optional)

(Disclaimer: Because I cook like the rest of the women in my family, I prepare things based on taste.  So, I added almost another quarter of a cup of sweet relish, a little more yellow mustard...and maybe a bit more mayo.  Don't judge me.)

1. Boil the eggs for about 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the eggs in the hot water for an additional five minutes. Peel the shells from the eggs under running cold water.  Cover the eggs and leave them in a refrigerator until needed. 

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add cauliflower and 1/3 cup of water.  Microwave the cauliflower for about 7 minutes (or until the cauliflower is soft). Drain excess water from the cauliflower.

3. Lightly mash the cauliflower.  (I used a potato masher and that worked brilliantly) Add the mashed cauliflower to a blender. Spoon in the mayonnaise, and puree until it is just blended (not smooth).  It is important to not over-blend.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower/mayo mixture with the cheese wedges, relish, mustard, shallots, and food coloring. Stir until smooth.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.

5. Halve the eggs lengthwise, and scoop out the yolk. Dispose of the yolk.

6. Evenly distribute the filling among the egg halves.  (I placed the filling in a Ziploc bag, cut a small corner off the bag, and used it like a pastry bag to fill the egg halves.)

7. Top with paprika. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

I'm serious when I say that no one knew that these deviled eggs weren't quite so naughty...they were only devilish.  Kudos to Lisa Lillien for an amazing recipe.

PointsPlus value: 2 (4 pieces per serving)

(Adapted from Lisa Lillen's book Hungry Girl: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories)