Deviled Eggs with a Flair

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
4 ounces soft goat cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced gherkins OR cornichons
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 ounces prosciutto, chopped into small pieces
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

1. SLICE eggs lengthwise in half. REMOVE yolks; place in a medium bowl.
2. ADD goat cheese, mayonnaise, gherkins, Sriracha sauce, mustard, garlic salt and onion powder. MASH until well blended.
3. DIVIDE yolk mixture evenly between egg whites.
4. SPRINKLE top of each filled egg white with some of the prosciutto and chives before serving.

VARIATION:
Add prosciutto and chives to the yolk mixture, and serve as a spread with crackers.

Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. To ensure easily peeled eggs, buy and refrigerate them a week to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief “breather” allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.

To hard-cook eggs: PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling. REMOVE from burner. COVER pan. LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra-large) COOL completely under cold running water and peel.

Hard-cooked eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling. Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.

To peel a hard-cooked egg: Gently tap egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Starting peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.

Nutrition information per serving (2 filled egg whites): 144 calories; 10g total fat;
4g saturated fat; 2g polyunsaturated fat; 3g monounsaturated fat;195mg cholesterol;
384mg sodium; 4g carbohydrate; 0g dietary fiber; 10g protein; 379.3 IU Vitamin A;
45.2 IU Vitamin D; 23.7mcg folate; 39.4mg calcium; 1mg iron; 149.3mg choline.

This recipe is an excellent source of Protein and Choline; and a good source of Vitamin D.