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.

salmon chowder

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where chowder is a diet staple. If you've managed to make it to 5 years old without trying some kind of chowder - clam, oyster, fish, etc. - then there's definitely something odd going on.

Because I had some unpredictable allergic reactions to seafood as a child I was a little more sheltered than most and usually stuck to clam chowder. It wasn't until I started spending more time on the East Coast that I finally tried salmon chowder. Since then it's become a family favorite. It's easy to whip up a pot on the weekends and take it to work for lunch throughout the week - especially because I think it tastes even better the next day after it's been chilled and all of the flavors have had a chance to really meld. I think it creates a much deeper, richer flavor.

The original recipe calls for fish stock, which can be difficult to find and I find obnoxious to make on my own. Kitchen Basics does make a boxed stock that I find delicious and you can usually find it at Whole Foods (their clam stock is fabulous for making clam chowder, also). If you can't find a seafood stock then use chicken stock, but remember to use stock - not broth.

This is a key part of soup making of which many people tend to miss out - stock and broth are two very different things. Stock is made using browned bones, meat and vegetables. It has a rich, hearty flavor with a great deal of depth. Broth is made using just meat and vegetables and tends to have a much more subtle flavor. Think of it as the difference between using a a carcass from a roasted chicken vs. pieces of chicken meat to flavor the liquid. Both have their purposes, but one must be aware that they are indeed different.

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mustard-tarragon potato salad

Memorial Day weekend heralds the beginning of summer for many people. It's been in the nineties and humid as Hades here for quite some time, though, so the introduction of light, summery foods is welcome.

I was pleased to get my hands on some lovely garlic scapes earlier this week and have been popping them into all sorts of dishes. They were a pleasant, refreshing addition to this potato salad. Minced garlic would have been much too oppressive for the light flavors, but the green, bright essence of the scapes adds a unique freshness to the salad with just a hint of garlic.

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Baked Potato Soup

I'm pretty sure that anyone who's ever eaten at a steak house has tried baked potato soup at some point. It's creamy, delicious, and encompasses all the flavors of a piping hot baked potato with all the toppings.

This soup is a perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and makes a nice first course, or paired with a nice salad, a great main. I had some potatoes that were starting to grow eyes and had already planned on making mashed potatoes to go with a pot roast I made the other night - but there were far too many to feed just the two of us. I made the extra and popped them in the fridge overnight.

The next day I combined them with a little chicken stock, bacon, onion, and garlic. Instant dinner - and crowd pleaser. The soup is just as versatile as is a baked potato. Add any toppings you normally would - chili and cheese, broccoli and cheese, green onions and bacon, sour cream, etc.

Also, if you're like me and hate leftovers, it's a great way to use up leftovers without feeling like that's what you're doing. I put chopped scallions, shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and a dollop of fat-free plain yogurt in place of sour cream and - I can assure you - it did not taste like last nights leftovers.

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Chicken, Bacon and Sweet Corn Soup

There are few things I enjoy more than the sweet, fresh corn available each summer. I did a much more in depth post on how much I enjoyed sweet corn last year at about this time, but sadly it didn't make the transition to the new website.

Last year I tried it off the cob, sauted with butter and tossed with parmigiana reggiano. This year I've decided to implement it into a rustic soup with chicken and bacon.

Because really, what doesn't bacon make better?

I've made attempts to make this as low calorie as possible - all the better to watch our waistlines with - and managed to make each one cup serving slide in at under 150 calories per serving.

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