Sweet Potato Hash with Baked Eggs and Cheese

I love having sweet potatoes in the house. They're such a healthy vegetable and so tasty. And they're not just for Thanksgiving. But sometimes I just don't know what to do with them besides simply baking, shredding for latkes or adding mini marshmallows. Last night I put on my thinking cap, took a tip from Pat and Gina Neely from Food Network and made their Mother's Day Hash. I used their recipe almost to the letter except I added Sazon Azafron seasoning to the vegetable mix (flavor explosion!!) and sauteed everything in a small amount of bacon fat (why did they leave that out?) and canola oil. I omitted the smoked paprika and parsley which I did not have. Here's my version and lots of pics.

Sweet Potato Hash
Inspired by the Neely's
Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed about 1 inch
salt
1T bacon fat
1T canola oil
1/2 large onion chopped 1/4 inch
1 red bell pepper chopped 1/4 inch
1/4 cup scallions chopped (white and green parts)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 package Goya Sazon Azafran
Additional 2T bacon fat and 1-2T canola oil for crisping the potatoes
Kosher salt and pepper

4 fresh large eggs
Additional salt and pepper for seasoning the eggs
4 T shaved parmesan cheese

Lets get cooking with some pictures. I'm loving re-living this meal. In medium sauce pan add cubed sweet potatoes, a generous amount of salt and cold water. Place on high heat until water boils. Lower heat to simmer and cook uncovered about 10 minutes until potatoes are mostly tender. (We'll be sauteeing them later).

Drain cooked potatoes and dry on a kitchen towel or paper towels. While potatoes are cooking, prep your veggies. Now grab a saute pan and add 1T of bacon fat and 1T canola oil. Heat to medium and add your pepper, onions, and scallions. Cook for a few minutes (4-5) to soften, and add the garlic and the Azafron. Cook a few minutes more to let the veggies absorb the seasoning. Remove mixture from saute pan and set aside.

Now it's time to put this hash together. In the same pan that you cooked the pepper mixture, add about 1-2T canola oil and 2 T bacon fat. What we're doing here is crisping up the cooked sweet potatoes. Place a layer of the cubed potatoes in sauce pan. Don't crowd them, You want them to get crispy, not steamed. And gently turn them so they are browned on all sides (or almost all sides). Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper.

We're almost there, so now add back the pepper/onion mixture and add a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper.

Gently mix together and your hash is done and ready to serve. But if you want to take it to a different level, grab a large muffin tin, spritz 4 of the indented tins with cooking spray and divide your hash to fit each halfway up each large crevice. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.

You see where I'm going with this. Crack an egg over each prepared muffin tin and liberally sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

Add some shaved parmesan cheese. And anything else your little heart desires. I could only think of cheesy, sweet potato hash and a semi runny egg.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Let cool a bit before you serve. I dug right in and was happy I did. What a simple dinner. And a great little brunch entree for guests or family.

To me this is comfort food. I'll be re-heating the rest in the microwave for brunch tomorrow after my workout and I'm thinking (hoping) if I don't break the eggs they're going to be great.

Oven Fried Sweet Potatoes with Sriracha Dip

When I first started this blog I wrote about my obsession with PF Changs' creamy, spicy Sriracha dipping sauce. I've more or less gotten over my obsession but still crave this yummy mayonnaise mixture a few times a month. And lately I've been making it without dragging out the blender (I'm getting lazy in my old age). Anyway, here's a great little appetizer or side dish you might want to try. It's ready in under and hour, and the sauce is almost as good as the original posted three years ago. By the way, Sriracha sauce can be found in the International aisle of most supermarkets. The brand that I buy is from Huy Fong Foods.

Oven Fried Sweet Potatoes
serves two

2 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced into 24 pieces. I like to cut the potatoes in half, then slice each half into six pieces
2 T canola oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 onion powder

Creamy Sriracha Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1-1/2 T Sriracha sauce
1 scallion chopped
1/2 tsp horseradish

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl combine canola oil with dry spices. Add the sliced potatoes to the bowl and coat with oil mixture. Place on baking sheet covered with foil or parchment paper. Bake 20 minutes. Turn potatoes over and cook another 15 minutes or until done.

While potatoes are cooking, make the dipping sauce. Combine all ingredients and when potatoes are done, dig in and dip away.

Southwestern Sweet Potato Oven Fries

I'm always trying to add sweet potatoes to my diet because they're just so darn good for you.  Sunday night I was experimenting in the kitchen and decided to make myself a little appetizer with a Southwestern flair. I had two medium sized spuds (can you call sweet potatoes spuds?) and thought it would be a healthy way to end the weekend. Before I get to the recipe, check out the sweet benefits of this hearty vegetable: Sweet Potatoes help save your eyesight, lift your mood (always a good thing at the beginning of a work week), combat cancer and strengthen bones. I love the benefits and especially the taste of this simple dish.

Southwestern Style Oven Fried Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Country Living
Serves two

2 medium size sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 T canola oil

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the sweet potatoes and dry well. I like to peel off the hairy, knobby, not so attractive parts of the skin, but leave on as much skin as possible to take advantage of the nutrients. I also cut off the tips of the taters because they seem to burn in the hot oven.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 6 wedges (24 pieces).

In large bowl combine the sliced potatoes, oil, and spice mixture. Toss together (I use my hands and get messy) until potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet (easy clean-up) and place in the middle rack of your pre-heated oven. Bake until the edges are crisp and the potatoes are cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, make some guacamole and get ready to dip away.