These were my addiction! Savory, a little sweet, less acidic bite than other brands, and I can't eat just one! But I came up with something better for me that's just as tasty!
There are few chips on the market that beg me to eat more than a few, but red wine vinegar flavored chips are my Waterloo! And, I will admit that on a couple of occasions I've eaten (inhaled) the entire bagful in one sitting. Bad me!
Of course, if you've noticed, most chips have succumbed to "shrink-flation". Smaller bags, less product, and more $cost$. Oh, don't forget the ubiquitous "settling of contents" excuse, all with the result that you basically end up with half a smallish bag of chips.
Even so, eating the entire contents of a bag of chips - even with shrink-flation and settling - is not a practice I want to indulge very often.
So, I decided to come up with a protein-rich, low calorie, low-carb snack that had all the zest and savor of those red wine vinegar chips, but was better for me and lacked the "guilt" factor.
These pickled eggs hit the mark and you CAN eat just one...maybe two, but it's doubtful you'll need to oink out on the entire jarful. They're so satisfying that one (or two) is enough. Usually...except for the BIG GAME and a sofa-full of snackers. Believe me, they'll want more!
These pickled eggs go well with a martini, beer, wine, sparkling water, even a glass of champagne. I don't drink soda pop, so I can't say if that's a good combination. Probably it is because many folks like chips and soda together and it seems the pickled eggs would likely harmonize, as well.
And, they're a quick snack that's easy to tote along, a nice appetizer ahead of a meal, or something to serve guests that drop in unannounced for a visit and a drink.
If you'd like a clearer brine, use kosher or canning salt.
To begin, I looked at the ingredients on the chip package. I saw that in addition to red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar was also used. So I included some in the brine for the following recipe. Be aware that this brine will color the surface of the egg whites.
I used a quart canning jar. Simply increase the recipe to fill larger jars.
Recipe: Red Wine and Balsamic Vinegar Pickled Eggs (makes 6 pickled eggs).
Ingredients:
I've drained the boiled, cooled eggs on a clean towel
1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, halved
1/4 cup sweetener of choice (I used Splenda)
1 TBS sea salt, canning, or kosher salt
6 extra large boiled, peeled eggs
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
Process:
Place eggs in a pan and cover with cold or cool water by about 1/2-inch. Bring the water to a boil and boil the eggs on medium-high burner for eight minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid. Let the eggs sit until cooled enough to handle - about 2 hours. Rinse in cold water and peel the eggs, placing them into a clean jar. Add the peppercorns and halved garlic.
Ready for the hot brine.
In a small sauce pan add the water, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and sweetener. Bring the brine to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Pour the hot brine over the eggs in the jar, add a lid and band and allow the jar to cool until warm enough to handle before refrigerating.
Ready to refrigerate.
Refrigerate at least two weeks before sampling to fully absorb and meld the flavors. Pickled eggs keep up to a couple months in the fridge.
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Notes:
After a couple of weeks the whites of the eggs will turn a deep, rich brownish-red.
The white of this egg has turned a rich, dark color.
The vinegar coloration only stains the outer surface of the egg white. The inside portions remain white.
For this recipe I recommend allowing the eggs to marinate in the brine for two weeks before sampling. I tried them after just one week and the garlic flavor hadn't quite blended into the other ingredients yet. After two weeks the flavor was perfectly balanced.
After I acquire some white balsamic vinegar I'm going to try this recipe using white wine and white balsamic vinegar for the brine to see how it turns out. I may try some multi-colored peppercorns for a change-up, as well.
If you're using small eggs, boil eight instead of six.
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