Healthier Eggs and Potatoes

Time to put our New Year's resolutions into action and take a few inches our waistlines by eating healthier. The easiest way I have found to eat healthier is to increase my vegetable intake; not a total diet change that is difficult to maintain but a small step towards eating better. Let's take a traditional American breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes and sausage then add vegetables to make breakfast more healthy. The vegetables can vary based on what looks good at the market but there is something special how the tastes of onion, sweet red and poblano peppers go together. I prefer the taste of the poblanos to regular green pepper and they add some subtle heat that I love. I can add a little browned sausage to bring everything together into one savory dish or leave it out if I want to go meatless. This is a perfect recipe to experiment with, adding whatever you want to satisfy your own individual taste. The vegetables are cooked first then added to your eggs and potatoes with fresh herbs. Experiment also with the size of the cut of the vegetables until you find your preference. I personally like a medium dice for the eggs and a larger dice for the potatoes but you can also do one size and use a single skillet then divide the vegetables between your egg and the potatoes.

Ultimate Home Fries

Ingredients

3 large Red Bliss potatoes
 ½ stick butter
 2 tbsp. olive oil
 ½ pound sausage meat
 3 cloves garlic
 1 large onion diced
 1 red pepper diced
 1 poblano pepper diced
 3 sprigs Italian Parsley or other fresh herbs chopped
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
One day ahead, quarter 3 large Red Bliss potatoes and put in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 12 minutes or until desired doneness. Drain, cool and refrigerate overnight. This will cook and let the starches gell using the same method that gives french fries their fluffy interior with a crisp exterior.

Dry the potatoes with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the potatoes. Cook slowly letting each side of the potato brown before flipping. While the potato browns heat a skillet on medium heat and when hot add the remaining butter. When the butter starts to sizzle add the garlic and sausage; break the sausage up and let brown. When the sausage begins to brown add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm.

When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and toss to combine. Taste, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley. Toss to mix and remove from the heat. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Optional – Deep fry the potatoes and toss with the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and finally the parsley.



Pepper and Onion Breakfast Scramble

Ingredients

6 large eggs 
 ½ stick butter
 2 tbsp. olive oil
 ½ pound sausage meat
 3 cloves garlic
 1 large onion diced
 1 red pepper diced
 1 poblano pepper diced
 3-5 sprigs Italian Parsley or other fresh herbs chopped
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Heat a no stick skillet to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the garlic and sausage; break the sausage up and let brown. When the sausage begins to brown add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm.

Clean the skillet and return to the heat and add the remaining butter. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and begin to pull the egg mixture with a spatula from the sides of the pan to the center. As the egg starts to set add some of the fresh herbs and when almost done fold in the vegetable mixture and take off the heat. The eggs will continue to cook so plan for a little carry over cooking. Serve immediately sprinkling more fresh herbs over the top. Serves 4.

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Dice vegetables to desired size Saute Cook potatoes in cast iron Scramble eggs and add herbs when almost done Fold in Vegetables Last minute add vegetables to potatoes Play Pause