21 January, 2012

Winter brunch; sweet potato hash and fluffy eggs




Yes, that was me (sort of) dancing on the snowy beach this morning.  Did you see that tree covered in ice?  Startling.  Walking back to the neighbourhood, I was tossing around ideas for lunch and came up with a classic combination that used some fresh herbs and leftover ingredients from the fridge.

Baked Fluffy Eggs topped with baby spinach and dill; Sweet Potato Hash with caramelized onions.  This is not an incredibly complex preparation, and I'm sure you can improvise your own version just by reading the description.  But in case you want to know how I did it, keep reading.



Prepare the sweet potato hash:
(I used one sweet potato and half an onion to serve two people.) 

I had a pre-baked potato on hand (something I like to do is bake a few potatoes at once even if I'm not going to use them all that day and refrigerate the rest.  They really come in handy on a lazy weekend morning...)  If one isn't already baked then do this first OR peel and dice the potato then roast in a hot oven (425).  I had a whole potato so I chose to slice half inch medallions.  Let the potato cool.  Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and cinnamon on the potatoes. 

Prepare the eggs:
(I usually allow for 2 eggs per person - and you can use egg whites only, or a combination of whole eggs and whites.)  

Lightly grease a medium size ramekin; preheat oven to 425.  In a large bowl, add some milk to the eggs, add some salt and pepper, and whisk vigorously for a couple minutes.  If you like, stir in a bit of grated cheese.  Pour the mixture into the ramekin.  Place the baby spinach leaves and fresh dill on top of the eggs and place in the oven (top third rack) for about 20 minutes, or until set.

While the eggs are cooking, slice the onion and sauté in some butter and/or olive oil for about ten minutes over medium heat until browned.  Remove to a plate (you can soak up any grease if you like on a paper towel.)  Carefully mix with the potato.  

Melt some butter in a saute pan.  Add the potato and onion mixture and cook for a few minutes, turning once or twice.  Carefully remove the eggs from the ramekin and serve on a plate with the potatoes.

Afterthought:  are 'free range eggs' really what I think they are?