sweet potato, black bean & rosemary breakfast hash with broiled gouda toast.
/here come the cozy foods.
not a huge fan of the term "hash" when referring to this delicious hearty breakfast, but i suppose it works better than the word "pile."
this is a lovely meal to make on a weekend morn on a brisk fall day.
i was making this a lot last fall and was so excited to make it again this year.
it did not disappoint.
it's easy, savory, filling, hearty, and comforting. the rosemary is key. if you have rosemary growing outside (or find some down the street. haha. for real, there's free rosemary everywhere if you're looking. and by free, i mean don't let your neighbs see you), pluck off one little branch.
i boiled the sweet potato in a pot of water for about fifteen minutes, just to soften it up a little bit. then cut it up into bite-sized chunks. heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium heat in a pan, and let the sweet potatoes brown up a bit on each side. add the freshly chopped rosemary.
it will begin to smell oh so delightful in your kitchen in no time. the more rosemary, the better.
continue to brown the sweet potatoes on all surfaces, flipping them over every few minutes.
add the black beans and gently incorporate with the sweet taters and rosemary, just until they are hot. try not to stir it all up too wildly. i try to avoid letting the black beans split and get all weird and soggy and mashed all over the place.
once the black beans are heated to your liking, add a light sprinkle of black pepper and salt. reduce heat to low and just let it keep warm while you cook your egg and make toast.
fry an egg, sunny side up.
make toast. broil cheese on top until melted. our broiler situation is wacky, so i walk a fine line between cold cheese and black toast. in a perfect world, this cheese would be lightly browned on top. i had sliced gouda on hand, which was really yummy on toast. i've also used havarti for melty cheesy toast which is also amazing and obviously all the cheddars of the world. whatever melting cheese you have around will probably do!
scoop an even "pile" of the sweet potato and black bean combo onto your plate. carefully place the fried egg on top. sprinkle your cheesy toasts with a little chopped rosemary, too.
mmmmm.
i'm a huge advocate of varying textures within a meal.
sweet potatoes, black beans, and eggs = soft & mushy.
three soft & mushies do not make a right.
[in fact, most foods with mushy textures are hard for me to finish without wanting to gag. see: bananas and oatmeal. woof. i like them, but i really have to focus to eat a whole bowl of oatmeal. is that weird? anybody else get sick of soft textures while you're still physically consuming them? this is a main reason why i don't really care for fish or seafood at all. i know. worst pacific northwesterner award.]
cue the crispy, cheesy TOAST. oh thank heaven.
phew! a few bites o taters and egg here, a couple bites o crunchy, cheesy toast there. aah. all is well in the textural harmony of this breakfast.
free that yolk!
fall flavors
and
color. oh so good.
it's really filling, i tell ya! i couldn't even finish it all.
see?
bonus: the lingering aroma of rosemary in the house is far more pleasant than other lingering breakfast smells that force you to open all the doors and windows for the rest of the day. mmhmmm. i love you bacon, but youz a lingering stinker.
thus, a winning meal all around.
Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Rosemary Breakfast Hash with Broiled Gouda Toast
Recipe serves 2 // Easily multiplied
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 2 TB olive oil
- 3/4 cup black beans
- 2 eggs
- fresh rosemary sprig
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 slices of bread
- 2 slices of gouda cheese, havarti, or cheddar (whatever melting cheese you have on hand)
Instructions-
Bring a pot of hot water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, carefully place the sweet potato in the boiling water. Let cook through for about 15-20 minutes, until potato feels a bit soft when pressed with a fork.
Let the potato cool on a cutting board for 5 minutes. Cut the potato into bite-sized chunks, leaving some skin on, if you wish. [Personally, I like potatoes with the skin left on.]
In a large pan, heat 2 TB of olive oil over medium heat. Add the potato chunks and let brown on each surface, rotating the potatoes over every few minutes.
Chop the freshly washed rosemary needles into 1/4 inch bits. Sprinkle about 3 TB of chopped rosemary all over the sweet potatoes, and continue to flip and rotate the potatoes to brown.
Add about 3/4 cup (or more or less, your preference) of rinsed whole black beans to the pan. Gently fold the beans in to the mixture until they are heated. Try to avoid mashing them at all.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt and black pepper over the potatoes, and reduce heat to low.
Make toast. Add sliced cheese on top and place under broiler until melted or browned. Pay attention to this part! I nearly set our kitchen ablaze every time I use the broiler.
In another small pan, fry 1 or 2 large eggs in a TB of olive oil (depending on how many people are eating or how many eggs you want. i would probably only have one egg ^^^ see my issue on soft textures above).
Plate an even scoop of the potato and black bean hash. Carefully place the fried egg on top. Add black pepper on top of the egg. Serve with the gouda toasts, sprinkled with extra chopped rosemary.
Enjoy with coffee and a relaxing weekend morning :) xo
qp
