Once most of the crew had departed after about 10 days of meal planning and feeding a crowd rather well (moms love giving their kids their favorites when they’re visiting ), I was by my lonesome in the kitchen pondering what to whip up for lunch.  I did as I often do: I took inventory…

• Bits and pieces of leftover grilled steak (1/2 cup or so once the scavengers had nibbled most of the bones!)
• 2 1/2 grilled sausages
• 6 or so baked potatoes
• 2 large fresh orange and yellow sweet peppers
• fresh onions
• 4 ears of fresh raw sweet corn
• eggs
• a few small fresh tomatoes

I diced the peppers, a large onion and the potatoes, then cut the corn off the cobs.  I stir-fried these on med-high in a bit of oil until they began to brown a bit, then tossed in the diced leftover meat until it was all nice and hot throughout.  We call this hash.  It can contain lots of different stuff and is a great way to use up leftovers.  I then poached the eggs in a steaming pot of boiling water.  I sliced the tomatoes nicely to serve on the side.

Each plate had a pile of ‘hash’, a couple of poached eggs and a few slices of tomato.  I also set out hot sauce and salsa for those who like some ‘pop’ to their food.  This was one of the best meals ever!  So tasty.  Perhaps you’ll find the stuff you need to create some hash. 

Some tips that you might find helpful:

• Leftover baked potatoes make a great foundation for hash.  To have some meat to add for taste is nice, but not necessary.  Just about ANY cooked, leftover meat works.  Onions, peppers, tomatoes - even if they’re wilted, add great flavor.  Be creative and toss in anything from frozen peas and corn, canned pinto beans to Brussels sprouts and cilantro.  Sprinkle grated cheese over the top if you want-especially nice if you’re going vegetarian.
• I never bake just the potatoes I need for a meal.  I always throw in a good 5-7 extra for hash, fried potatoes, potato soup, veggie soup additions, etc.
• I wash and toss my potatoes in a crock pot on high.  In just 3-5 hours you have perfectly baked, steaming potatoes.  Easy, plus you don’t heat up the house with a hot oven in these summer months.
• To poach eggs simply boil a pot of water - 2 quarts for 8 eggs.  When it comes to a full boil, toss in a tsp or 2 of vinegar (keeps the whites intact) and slide the raw eggs in.  Watch the water as it begins to boil again and in about a minute you have perfect firm whites and runny yokes.  Scoop out eggs one by one gently with a slotted spoon and serve.   If you scoop one and it’s way too runny, just let the pot sit for another minute off the burner and the eggs will naturally firm up.
• Waste not, want not!  Enjoy being creative, while you’re being frugal.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 11th, 2008 at 3:20 am and is filed under Mom's Home: domesticity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.