When the warm weather hits, I start counting the eggs in the fridge for all the ways to put together a light meal without too much effort.

Nothing is easier than boiling a couple, of course, but there’s loads of ways to get creative with eggs and still not spend more than a few minutes at it.

When runners set off in the Manitoba Marathon later next week many of them will have eaten an egg or two before they’ve left the starting gates too. Manitoba Egg Farmers are supporting the June 16 event as the official sponsors of the marathon’s Breakfast of Champions. The good thing about eggs for athletes — and those of us cheering from the sidelines too — is their high-quality protein, good not only for providing lasting energy, but optimizing the building and maintenance of muscle mass. Scientists use eggs as the standard for measuring the protein quality of other foods.

I’ve chosen this antipasto recipe and another for an egg salad roll-up from the Manitoba Egg Producers website this week (www.mbegg.ca), plus two others for another special summer treat — devilled eggs. Enjoy!

Antipasto

• 2 c. romaine lettuce1 – 19-oz. (540-ml) can artichokes1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese (22.5 per cent b.f.), sliced1 onion, sliced1 large red pepper, sliced2 large tomatoes, cut in wedges6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced or cut in wedges1/2 lb. cold thinly sliced meats (ham)
• Dressing:2/3 c. olive oil1/3 c. vinegar1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese2 cloves garlic, chopped1/2 tsp. oregano1/4 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper

Line a large serving platter with lettuce leaves. Arrange long rows of artichokes, cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes, eggs and meat slices. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Drizzle over salad. Refrigerate until serving time.Makes 6 appetizer servings.

Zippy Devilled Eggs

Tasty and always kind of cute to look at, a dozen devilled eggs only looks like you fussed in all the 15 minutes it took to make them.

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• 12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled1/3 c. light mayonnaise or salad dressing3 tbsp. chili sauce1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauceSnipped chives or paprika

Slice eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks and set whites aside. Mash yolks in a small bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, chili sauce, mustard and hot pepper sauce. Pipe or stuff egg yolk mixture into egg whites. Sprinkle with chives or paprika. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 24 servings.

Tips: Place the filling for devilled eggs into a resealable plastic bag, then snip off a corner to pipe the filling into the hard-cooked egg whites. If you have to carry the devilled eggs to a party, place one egg in each cup of a muffin pan. At the gathering, you can transfer them to a plate.

Hard-Cooked Eggs: Use eggs that have been in the refrigerator the longest because the fresher the egg, the harder it is to peel. Place cold eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Fill the saucepan so the eggs are covered with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of cold water. Bring to a boil. Cover with lid and turn down heat to simmer; cook for 10 minutes. Immediately drain off hot water and place eggs in an ice bath. Crackle each shell at the large end; return to ice bath. When all eggs are cracked, remove shells. Store in a jar of cold water or closed container for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Crab Devilled Eggs

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled4 tbsp. light mayonnaise1/4 tsp. dry mustard1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juiceFew drops of hot pepper sauceDash of salt1/3 c. crabmeat2 tbsp. finely chopped celeryPaprika

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and mash in small bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Fill egg white halves; piling high. Cover and refrigerate. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving. Makes 12 appetizers.

Egg Salad Roll-ups

From Perfect Anytime. You can download your own copy at www.mbegg.mb.ca/recipes-book lets.html.

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped1 green onion, chopped 1⁄4 c. finely chopped celery1⁄4 c. finely chopped red pepper2 tbsp. chopped cilantro3 tbsp. mayonnaise 1⁄4 tsp. smoked paprika Black pepper, to taste 4 – 10-inch red or green wraps

In a large bowl, mix together hard-cooked eggs, green onion, celery, red pepper, cilantro, mayonnaise, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Spread evenly on four 10-inch wraps. Roll up and slice into rounds. Makes 32 rounds or 8 pieces per wrap.