Getting those veggies in first thing - and actually liking them!
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| Hot, healthy and perfect for November!!! |
I hope you all had a fantastic bonfire night on Thursday and managed to find a lovely spot to watch all the wonderful, breath-taking, amazing, not at all over-done fireworks as they invaded our night sky in the same way selfie-whores took over social media!
Sorry, that came across a little bitter. I actually do really like fireworks and have nothing against the displays that often get put on, it's just that this year due to starting a new job, I didn't get time to enjoy a single firework. Nope, not one. Nada. I still haven't see any and am starting to believe that either a new brand of invisible rockets may have caught on or they are just purposely avoiding where I live (very rude). Regardless of this, I have most definitely heard them - all of them. Combine getting back into full working weeks with a ton of late night noise and it may be a bit clearer as to why I'm being a bit of a sour Susan.
However, I am going to shake that gremlin off my back because:
a) I have a recipe to help combat the groggy mornings and,
b) As people tend to get a little carried away with fireworks this time of year, they'll run from around Halloween pretty much up to new year, so I'm bound to see a few at some point.
If you read this blog regularly (I don't know why you would) you may remember my spinach and egg break-nests post in which I stated that I was trying to have a bit more of a varied diet at breakfast and not be so dependent on porridge. Well, despite that post being a personal break-through in my constant battle with oat-addiction, I may have fallen off the wagon - like, a 'fall off, roll over a cliff and drown in the ocean' sort of relapse. To put it mildly, I'm failing more than I did in Senior school P.E. where the teacher actually told me that it was ok for me to stop participating in lessons. I'm putting this oaty over-indulgence down to having less time in the mornings (a weak excuse) and am also blaming oats themselves for being both reasonably quick in the microwave and for having infinite flavor possibilities. Luckily though, come the weekend, the mornings get a little more relaxed and with the extra time comes the possibility to try new ways to tantalize the taste-buds.
Now, I do believe that the thought of eating vegetables first thing in the morning can be a little challenging. No screw that, it's downright mind-twisting. Fruit - easy, veggies - not so much. I get that a lot of people get their greens in the morning via a lavish smoothie that is often packed with nutritious produce and looks oh so perfect on Instagram. However, whenever I try to concoct a smoothie recipe with ingredients such as spinach or kale the result is always the same; a liquid that's colored somewhere between iodine brown and baby poo green with a taste similar to vegetable soup - gone a bit wrong. Also, for me personally, smoothies are nice snacks but don't really fill me up as a whole breakfast. If I want to stay full for at least an hour (a tricky task for one with a stomach that begins in England and ends in Australia), then the vegetables on offer are going to have to be a little bit more robust. The kinds that I am referring to are things like broccoli. pepper. mushrooms, carrots and cauliflower, in other words the stuff that's usually saved for dinner. Is there a way to eat these foods at breakfast time in a format that is both tasty and nutritious whilst not overly time-consuming? Of course there is it's 2015!
A vegetable hash is nothing new, people have been making these for breakfast, lunch and dinner since the dawn of time... well, since the dawn of skillets at least. They're a great option for people who are limited on time but want a way of getting a good amount of healthy carbs into a meal. Plus they can be prepared in endless ways with whatever ingredients you fancy. Just throw it all in a pan with some seasonings and you're good to go. When it comes to breakfast I am usually more swayed by a sweet option but as bonfire night recently ended with a bang (or so i'm told) I thought it would be nice to start this morning off with something with a bit more of a kick.
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| Remember, remember, the 5th of November. Chili powder, garlic and yolk. |
What you get from this breakfast hash is an explosion of chili and garlic that stems from deep within a pile of sauteed sweet potatoes and assorted vegetables, all blanketed by the molten yolky goodness of a poached egg - not a bad way to start the day. Another great thing about this recipe is that you can double, triple or even quadruple it (no judgement here) to make a big batch for a several meals. The hash itself can be stored in the fridge for a few days for on-the-go mornings - or even stashed away in the freezer for future use. This dish may not be as original or pioneering as Guy Fawkes himself was, but in terms of both simplicity and flavor its a full-proof way to ensure you get a jump-start to your day.
Experience the best fireworks - right on your tongue
Disclaimer, please don't eat a real firework, it just... it just won't end well. Cool? cool.
Chili-Garlic Sweet Potato Hash
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 small-medium sweet potato - diced into cubes
A few chopped up broccoli florets
1/3 bell pepper of choice - diced
1/4 onion - diced
Cooking spray or 1 tsp olive/coconut oil
1 egg (free-range if possible to appease the chicken lord)
1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes or chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic granules/powder
Optional - 1 tsp honey, maple syrup or agave nectar
Optional - salt/pepper to taste
Instructions:
Place the cut potato cubes into a steamer over a boiling saucepan
of water and leave to steam for around 5-10 minutes (you can use this time to
chop up the rest of the veggies).
Place a frying pan over a medium heat and
heat up the cooking spray/oil for about a minute.
Once potatoes have steamed
and are tender, place them in the frying pan along with the broccoli, onion and pepper.
Add
in the chili flakes/powder, the garlic granules and if desiring a slight sweet-chili
twist (why wouldn’t you?) toss in a tsp of honey as well.
Stir all together to
combine those wonderful flavors and after 5-10 minutes minutes of cooking,
reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid continuing to stir every now and again to prevent sticking to the pan.
Now, to save
getting out another pan (because let’s face it, who the hell can be dealing
with multiple pans at 8am? This isn’t Saturday Morning Kitchen, we just want to
eat) use the saucepan of water over which you steamed the sweet potato to poach
your egg. I do this by heating the water to boiling before reducing the heat to
low, swirling the water with a spoon to create a ‘vortex’ and then simply
cracking in the egg. Leave it to cook for about three minutes for a wonderfully runny yolk.
Continue to
cook the hash and by the time the egg has cooked, those veggies should also be ready. I like
my broccoli and peppers on the slightly crunchier side not only as a texture preference but also due to them holding more nutrition
when only lightly cooked. I’m all about that
crunch, about that crunch, no soggy… However, if you like your vegetables a bit
softer, feel free to cook them for a bit longer. Place the hash in a bowl, top it with your egg, cut it open to release that bad boy’s gooey, golden yolk all
over those veggies and if desired top with some salt, pepper, more chili flakes
and garlic granules.
Proceed to wolf this breakfast down like you give a damn! Because yolk god damn it!!
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