Saturday, September 13, 2014

Spinach, Avocado, and Sun-Dried Tomato Home Fries Skillet




OK, let me preface this recipe by avidly stating: I am not a breakfast-food lover.  Not for breakfast and absolutely, certainly not for dinner.  I don't think in my entire adult lifetime, I have ever made breakfast for dinner.  And it's been been decades (4 or 5?) since I've actually eaten breakfast for dinner.  I've given it some thought and I think it might stem from my childhood days (evenings, I suppose) when Mom would periodically make waffles or some such thing for dinner (Dad loved breakfast for dinner) and it seems like it was always on a cold, dreary evening (think Ethan Frome setting).

However, I must say that in the last year or so I've actually starting craving an egg here and there.  Not often, mind you, but once or twice a month.  I've been sitting on this recipe for a while and thought it would make a nice breakfast for Jim, only we never sit down for breakfast.  And then yesterday that egg craving crawled into the back of my head and by dinnertime, it was flashing a red alert.  Since I had everything on hand, I took the plunge and made breakfast for dinner!

This is a great one plate meal for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.  It's an updated version of a classic American breakfast adding sun-dried tomatoes and avocado.  The tomatoes add a vibrant taste and the avocados lend a creaminess.  Jim won't eat straight avocados, so I made a bit of guacamole for him.  Also, I only had smoked sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil) which made me think a touch of smoked paprika in the potatoes would be a great touch (yes, it was).  The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of EVOO for cooking the potatoes, but I have an incredible non-stick pan and I wanted crispy potatoes, so I only used 2 Tbsp.  If you're using a great, old cast-iron skillet, you'd probably need more. 

SPINACH, AVOCADO, and SUN-DRIED TOMATO HOME FRIES SKILLET (2-3 servings)

2-4T EVOO
2 medium or 4 small russet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes, about 4 cups
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
seasoned salt
black pepper
smoked paprika, optional (start with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp)
1 big handful of baby spinach, chopped
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil (or not), chopped
1 avocado, chopped (smashed with a bit of salsa, minced onion and garlic, a touch of salt and fresh lime juice if you prefer guacamole)
2-6 eggs

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat then add potatoes, onion, and garlic.  Season with S&P and smoked paprika (if using) and stir to coat.  Cook 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.  Place a lid on top to quicken cooking (but you won't get a crispy edge to the potatoes).

Remove skillet from heat and add baby spinach and sun-dried tomatoes on top.  Season lightly with regular S&P then set aside.  Stir if you want a bit of wilt to your spinach (not too long or it will completely wilt) and make sure than skillet is off of the heat source.

Cook eggs to your preference (over-easy/medium/hard, poached, scrambled) then season with S&P.  Spoon potato, spinach, and sun-dried tomato onto plates then top with chopped avocados and egg(s) and then serve.

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