Having a devil of a time finding use for Easter eggs

One of the things that has always befuddled me about Easter is the egg dyeing. I loved it as a kid, and enjoy it with our kids to this day, but you always end up with a whole rainbow of hard-boiled eggs. I don't really care for cold hard-boiled eggs. I enjoy mine hot with plenty of pepper. One solution is to transform them into deviled eggs. If you have family over for Easter, I can guarantee they will disappear. Just this last weekend my family came over with 30 beautifully-colored eggs and I dubiously decided to devil them — just about 60 in all (allowing for some that didn't peel well). They were all devilishly devoured. What I did was start with a base recipe, and then separated some of the mixture and experimented with different additions. You do always want to make some of the eggs traditional-style — there are adamant egg purists out there that will balk at any variation from the standard, and that's OK. Keep a few aside for them and then use your imagination for the others. I admit that my basic recipe isn't completely traditional — I add yogurt for the creaminess and tang and parmesan cheese for the bite, but I've never had any objections. The world loves a deviled egg.A quick tip: The way I boil my eggs that works well is to start the eggs covered in cold water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes, covered. As soon as the 15 minutes are up I run the eggs under cold water until they are cool. Voila — perfectly cooked eggs with no green ring around the yolks.Rachel Chaddock may be reached at rachels.recipes@yahoo.com. Deviled Eggs12 hard boiled eggs, cooled1/4 cup mayonnaise2 tbsp. Dijon mustard1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt1/4 cup grated parmesan cheesesalt and pepper to tasteSlice each egg in half lengthwise and remove yolk — put the yolks in a large bowl. Set egg while halves, cavity up, on a plate. Mash the yolks up with a fork until well combined. You can also do this in a food processor for ultra-smooth filling, but it's never been necessary in my family. Add mayonnaise, mustard, yogurt, cheese, and salt and pepper; mix until well combined. Either spoon into egg white cavity, or if you're feeling fancy, use a pastry bag or sealed plastic baggie with the tip snipped off to pipe filling into the whites. This is your base. Now, the variations I came up with on Easter Sunday, with my lovely sous-chef Odile, who is both good-natured and an adventurous eater, both valuable in a sous-chef. Her favorite of the three was the sun-dried tomato and fresh basil version, although the spicy deviled egg was a close second. Caper Deviled Eggs (add to 1/4 of the mix)Add 2 tbsp. juice from bottled capers to the mix. Garnish with whole capers, and if you really like the flavor, tuck a few capers into the egg white cavity before filling.Spicy Deviled Eggs (add to 1/4 of the mix)Add 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce, 1/4 tsp. cayenne, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 2 tbsp. lime juice to the mix. Garnish with a dusting of smoked paprika. "California" Deviled Eggs (add to 1/4 of the mix)Add 2 tbsp. fruity olive oil, 1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup finely-chopped fresh basil to the mix. Garnish with additional fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes. You want to make sure that your garnish reflects what you've added to the eggs, so that there are no unpleasant surprises. If anyone has other recommendations for deviled egg variations, please send them in. My family would appreciate it! Happy Easter, everyone!