This is a spin on my good ‘ole spider egg recipe. It is one of those recipes that hardly feels like a recipe as most of the real work is the time spent just cutting up the olives into the right decorative shapes. With All Hallows’ Eve quickly approaching, parties are bound to pop-up, and this just might be your stand-out dish to bring to share.
In our family, Spider Deviled Eggs have become a Halloween tradition. I would undoubtedly miss seeing these annual ‘spiders’ if I didn’t make them – besides the fact that they are fun to make with kids and a healthy go-to snack food for me when the party food gets too sweets focused. By request I bring them to my cousin Rochelle’s house every Halloween. I think she was the original concept behind this fun healthy-ish food treat and I imagine she will like this new spin on it. >get it? Web, spider, spin…okay, I’ll stop now<
Halloween is one of my favorite low-stress holidays. The fun of decorating, dressing up and getting candy, usually chocolate for FREE, is all but irresistible. Of course I am no longer trick or treating, but I’ll be the first parent in our group to rustle around in my kids loot bags to extract my favorite candies. By the end of the night I am anything but a model parent, I feel awful from eating too many sweets and can’t imagine how many days I will now need to hit the gym to whittle those pounds off of my hips.
I think what I love most about the holiday is the party Rochelle hosts – the menu is never over the top (which is unusual for my family) but it is also not your average ‘easy’ fare either. Keeping it simple means spinach dip, spider deviled eggs, lentil soup (affectionately known as ‘mud soup’), my aunt’s homemade focaccia with various irresistible toppings, a green salad, witches’ finger cookies, cupcakes adorned with adorable Halloween themed goodies and oh yes, LOADS of candy that we ‘try’ to share. It is a meal I never tire of, and talking about it now has my belly craving it already.
Have a spooky and delicious evening my friends!
Spooky Green Spider Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
6 hard boiled eggs*
2 ripe avocados
2 TBS lime (or lemon) juice
1 TBS chopped chives or green onion
1/4 tsp ground mustard
¼ tsp chili or cayenne powder
¼ tsp onion powder
1 can of whole black pitted olives
dash of garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 TBS sour cream or mayonnaise (optional)
Directions
*To make hard boil eggs, place eggs in a saucepan and cover with two inches of cold water. Bring to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.
Carefully peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. Place them on a serving platter. Scoop out the cooked yolks and set aside.
Cut the avocados in half. Remove the pit. Scoop out the avocado flesh and place in a bowl. (See How to Cut and Peel an Avocado.) Roughly mash with a fork. Place three of the cooked egg yolks in the bowl with the avocado, reserve the remaining egg yolks for another use, and add in all remaining ingredients. If a very smooth consistency is desired the mixture can be blended in a food processor or blender. Add additional salt and pepper as desired.
Place a generous spoonful of the avocado mixture into each well of the hard boiled egg whites. This can also be done with a pastry bag.
To create the decorative spider, slice one whole black olive in half. One half will be the body. With the second half, cut horizontally into six small slices which will be used as spider legs (yes, real spiders have two more legs but not many usually catch this discrepancy). Repeat until all eggs are decorated. Refrigerate until serving. Serve additional olives on the side for those less brave souls – spider eggs require a special kind of ghoulish spirit.
