LONG BEACH -- If you are wondering how in the world you are going to use all of your kids= colored Easter eggs after the big holiday, look no further.

Do not throw those hard boiled eggs away just yet. Spice up your life by letting the fun of Easter live on in the form of eggs. The hard boiled egg can be used for something as simple as an egg salad sandwich or for adding to a salad.

You can use them for more creative and fun dishes, too.

You can also use the following recipes I have compiled. Go ahead, spice up your life and let these recipes work for you. The fun of Easter can live on... through eggs, of all things.

BACON AND EGG SALAD

3 hard cooked eggs

2 slices thick bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

salt and pepper to taste

2 c. mayonnaise

1 t. ketchup

dash of Tabasco

2 t. Dijon mustard

parsley

Coarsely chop the eggs and place in a bowl. Cook the bacon until just crisp and

browned. Drain and chop. Add the bacon to the eggs. Mix the mayonnaise and ketchup with

Tabasco and Dijon mustard in a small bowl, and stir into the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve. This makes two servings.

CRAB LOUIS WITH HARD COOKED EGGS

1 c. 1000 Island Dressing

1 lb. lump crab meat, picked

4 c. mixed baby greens, rinsed and dried

1/3 c. *Orange Honey Dressing

4 hard cooked eggs, sliced

2 t. chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Gently toss crabmeat with 1000 Island Dressing, and set aside. Toss the salad greens with the orange honey dressing in a bowl. Arrange the greens in the center of four dinner plates. Top with the crab salad, and garnish with the eggs. Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of chopped tarragon.

*Orange Honey Dressing

2 t. minced garlic

1/4 t. salt

1 2 t. Dijon mustard

1 t. honey

2 T. orange juice

2 c. olive oil

pepper to taste

In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, salt, mustard, honey and orange juice together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly until thickened. Season with the pepper. Store, covered, in a refrigerator up to two days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

TEXAS CREAMY POTATO SALAD

3 potatoes, peeled

3 hard cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

1/3 c. diced red bell pepper

1 1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. pickle relish

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the potatoes in chunks, place in a pot of salted water to cover, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until tender about 15 minutes. When the potatoes are cool enough to

handle, cut into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add the eggs and the bell pepper and toss

together gently with a rubber spatula. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise and relish.

Toss this dressing with the potatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve.

Chef Pam Lewis is lead instructor of Southern Miss Gulf Coast Culinary Arts Academy. For information on the Southern MissGC Culinary Arts Academy, call (228) 214 3240. For recipe and story requests, culinary questions or comments, e-mail Chef Pam at pamela.lewis@usm.edu or write to her at

Chef Pam Lewis

Culinary Arts Academy

The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast,

730 East Beach Blvd.

Long Beach, MS 39560

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