Ham and Sweet Potato Hash with Over-Easy Eggs and Pea Shoots

I had another lovely ham steak from Copper Penny Farm languishing in my freezer and couldn’t decide what to do with it. I had the sudden epiphany that it would be great with sweet potato the other day while planning my weekly dinner menu, and found this recipe over at Epicurious. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it was close enough to get me started.

I was happy at how quickly this came together – from start to eating within 30 minutes – which makes it perfect for a weekend brunch item. Use a nice heavy bottom skillet for this to get a nice brown on the sweet potatoes while they’re cooking on their own – just make sure you have a lid that more or less fits to get the steaming action you need to cook them through.

Also, if you can’t find baby pea shoots, feel free to substitute any other delicate greenery like watercress, mâche, or arugula. And take it easy on the salt on this dish – between the salty ham and the salted butter I used I didn’t feel the need for any additional seasoning at all.

Ham and Sweet Potato Hash with Over-Easy Eggs and Baby Pea Shoots

Yields about 4 servings

2 tablespoons butter

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes (about 2 cups)

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 lb ham steak, cubed

2 cups baby pea shoots

4 eggs, cooked over easy

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the sweet potatoes. Toss to coat and then cover with a lid, cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. When the sweet potato is almost done add the onions and ham and cook for a further 3-4 minutes – until onion is translucent and ham is heated through. Add the baby pea shoots and wilt. Divide into four portions and serve immediately with over-easy eggs on top.

key lime tart

It’s not very often that I bat an eye at the dessert menu anymore. I’ve been burned once too often by the lure of a citrus dessert.

Usually in the form of a bar or mini-tart these imposters lurk at buffets, dessert tables and on menus throughout the country. They promise the delicious complexity of the bite of citrus with a pleasing sweetness to counter the acidity. Sweet and sour. Yin and Yang.

With an unfortunate consistency these hopes are dashed at the first bite. Met with a tooth-aching amount of sweetness those once-enticing bites have been beaten with the sugar cane so severely that any hint of complexity has been annihilated.

When I do chance upon a citrus dessert that has achieved that tangy-sweet nirvana I come embarrassingly close to licking the plate. Some people I know can bear witness to just such an event at a small restaurant in North Carolina last year. I remain unashamed.

This tart swings just a little bit farther in the opposite direction. It’s more tangy than sweet and for those of you who appreciate that delicacy called the “Sour Patch Kid,” it is here that you will find a friend.

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passion fruit semifreddo

You know what I love the most about passion fruit? When the produce boy sells them to you at a steep discount because "they're all wrinkly, they must be old."

It's a beautiful thing - especially considering that last time I saw passion fruit at Whole Foods they were $2 each. Ouch.

For those of you unfamiliar with this tasty, tropical fruit, wrinkly skin is a good sign. It indicates that the fruit is ripe and sweet. A passion fruit with shiny, smooth skin is unripe. So the next time you see a store trying to get rid of their old, wrinkly passion fruits - snatch them up, my friend. Them's some good eats.

Semifreddos are an Italian dessert kind of like a frozen mousse. Instead of using the traditional churning method of most frozen desserts, the flavorful base is folded into pillowy whipped cream and frozen, usually in a mold. It's then turned out and sliced, sometimes served with a sauce.

Succinctly, they're rich, creamy, delicious, and so easy a trained monkey could make one. So make one, impress your friends, and add an inch or two to your waistline.

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truffled chicken milanese

This is one of those perfect weeknight entertaining dishes that looks impressive but is incredibly easy. It's a kind of cross between a chicken milanese and a latin chicken milanesa a caballo. The best part about this recipe is how make ahead friendly it is. You can bread the chicken hours before you need them and pull them out and fry them whenever.

They are exceptionally moist and the truffle salt adds such a luxurious level of flavor - even I was surprised at how well all of the flavors really meshed together. The crispy coated, moist chicken, the umami earthiness of the truffles, the acidic bite from the lemon-dressed salad, and the creamy richness of the poached egg. If you have it on hand I can't imagine that a drizzle of truffle oil would hurt the finished dish, either.

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banana muffins

Over Memorial Day weekend my in-laws came to visit TA and I. I had a good idea of what I was going to make for two of the three meals we would be eating at our house, but I completely forgot about breakfast on Sunday morning.

When I woke up I realized my error and decided to make yogurt scones - except I didn't have any yogurt. Instead I used up some aging bananas in the fruit bowl and made muffins.

These were surprisingly quick and easy to make - plus incredibly delicious. They're not too sweet and have just the right amount of banana flavor. I folded in some shredded coconut to the last half of the batter for TA. He's a big fan of coconut and ate nearly all of them himself.

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