Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs with a Lox Rosette

A Spring 2015 Brunch Menu

Mention a celebration brunch and I immediately envision Eggs Benedict with extra Hollandaise... Sticky Buns dripping with caramel... Onion Bagels loaded with Lox and Cream Cheese... Creampuffs... Shrimp and Creamy Cheese Grits... Oh, how that list goes on. This year I aimed for a lighter menu when planning a brunch with friends to welcome Spring. Reality check: Pat prefers healthy meals and Rick is training for an April IronMan triathlon, so I lost any real excuse to get wild and crazy with butter and sugar. Okay, that also meant I would spend less time on last-minute cooking and more time visiting with guests - always a good thing.   

Not that every item was light and low calorie (think ham-and-cheese filled croissant with herb sauce), but the buffet did offer a variety of choices; hopefully something for everyone. Conversation flourished, the hours flew by, and Spring joined the party with a fine display of ever-changing weather. 

Brunch Menu: Spring 2015

Smoked Salmon Squares

Caprese Salad with a Light Vinaigrette

*Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs With Lox

Fresh Fruit Platter with Minty Honey Lime Sauce

Baked Croissants with Ham, Havarti, Sliced Pear & Herb Sauce

Mini Cheese Quiches with Peppers, Spinach & Chicken Sausage

Orange Juice (Champagne available)

Coffee

My favorite brunch choice? I thought it would be the small croissant sandwiches, but instead I ate more than my share of the deviled eggs. That shouldn't have been a surprise when both smoked salmon and lox were involved! The filling was an unusual flavor departure from any of my previous favorites (link), but why stick to just one filling when so many tempting recipes are available? (link) 

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs Plus Lox

adapted from a recipe in a SeriousEats post by J. Kenji López-Alt: 9 In-Your-Face Deviled Egg Variations

Ingredients:
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 heaping tablespoons cream cheese (reduced fat)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (Best Foods lite)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon, grated

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (Colman's)
1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon toasted onion powder (not onion salt)
heaping 1/4 cup minced smoked salmon
Kosher Salt

For garnish:
Thinly sliced scallions 

Paper-thin slices of lox, cut into strips and rolled into rosettes

Capers, rinsed and drained

Directions:
Place all of the yolks in a medium bowl. Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, dry mustard, sesame seeds, onion powder, and smoked salmon to the yolks. Use a sturdy whisk or a fat fork and combine thoroughly -mash, stir and whip together until thoroughly combined. Season with salt to taste.



Note: To prepare these ahead of time, the filling and egg white halves can be stored separately overnight in covered containers in the refrigerator before filling. (Place the egg white halves cut-side-down in a single layer.) 

If you have a steady hand, use a spoon to fill each egg white half. For a more attractive result spoon the filling into a ziplock bag, cut off a corner of the bag and pipe the yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Either way, mount the filling to slightly overstuff each cavity. Garnish each deviled egg with sesame seeds, scallion rings, capers and a lox rosette. Serve immediately.

A Lighter Lox Omelet

Lox - there's still one small chunk remaining in the fridge, part of the summer's salmon catch. I woke up thinking about that treasure, considering how to enjoy it this morning. So many choices! It's hard to beat the classic combination of thinly sliced lox piled on a fresh bagel, loaded with layers of cream cheese, red onion, capers, and a bit of dill weed. Each bite is salty, sour and tangy, smoothly creamy yet chewy, and downright delicious. Those same ingredients (minus the bagel) plus some added bacon and soft cheese, translate well into the richly satisfying Lox Omelet Loaded With Flavor (link). Rich, however, isn't always a good thing, not if I want to fit in my jeans instead of sweatpants. 

Here's today's lighter version of that favorite breakfast dish, still tasty and satisfying but a lot less filling.

Photo: Omelet ingredients without any bacon or meltable cheese.

Photo: It's important to slice the lox super thin.

Photo:Barely-set omelet topped with slivers of lox, sliced onion, capers and a sprinkle of dill weed.

Photo: Lighter Lox Omelet topped with sour cream and a few more slices of lox on the side.

A Lighter Lox Omelet

2 eggs (I used 2 eggs + an extra egg white)

Sprinkle of dill weed (NOT dill seed)
a splash of milk
lox (smoked salmon) torn into piecesthin slices of onion

1 tsp capers, rinsed & drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

Sour cream for topping (optional)

1. Whisk eggs, egg white if using, dill weed and milk together in a mixing bowl.
2. Heat a medium nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and as it melts, rotate the pan to spread it out. Add the egg mixture and let it cook undisturbed for a bit to set the bottom. After the bottom begins to firm up, use a spatula to gently push the sides toward the center, tilting the pan to let the liquids run out to the edge.  
3. While the center is still somewhat moist but liquid no longer flows, scatter the pieces of salmon, onions and capers over the top. Season with salt and pepper, then fold one side over the other to form an omelette.
4. Serve topped with sour cream and sprinkle the top with a bit more dill weed. Add a toasted mini bagel if you need some crunch.