Sweet Potato & Chickpea Hash with Fried Eggs

Breakfast for dinner (or 'brinner', though I've never once used that word in real life) is one of my very favourite meals. When I used to stay at school really late during my undergrad days, I liked to treat myself to the all-day breakfast for dinner in the cafeteria. It was cheap and filling and I would savour every single bite of those deliciously greasy hashbrowns. These days I'm usually at home for dinner, but on the nights that I don't feel like cooking anything, my standby is always a scrambled egg and cheese sandwich. It takes about three minutes to make and seems to taste better every time I make it!

I made this sweet potato and chickpea hash for a late weekend breakfast recently, but it's one of those dishes that would work equally well for dinner. Any time of day you choose to eat it, it makes for a really tasty and satisfying meal that's full of veggies and protein, so it's pretty healthy too.

I topped mine with a fried egg but next time I'd probably use a poached egg because I prefer their texture (plus they're healthier!) - either way, you'll end up with a delicious runny yolk that blends in with the potatoes to make each bite taste rich and savoury. Of course, you could leave out the egg and serve the hash as a side dish to a different protein if you prefer, but I thought the egg paired well with the dish and turned it into more of a complete vegetarian meal.

The original recipe called for baking the sweet potatoes in the oven before frying them in the skillet, but I was too hungry to wait that long so I searched online for other methods. There appear to be lots of ways of cooking sweet potatoes for a hash - some boil the sweet potato for up to 15 minutes, others for just a few minutes; some bake the sweet potato first, others bake the whole hash in the oven together; and some just throw the raw potatoes right into the skillet. I decided to boil the sweet potatoes just long enough to make them tender, then finish them in the skillet so they could get crispy and golden but still be cooked through. I thought that method worked well, but feel free to experiment!

I made a big batch of this sweet potato chickpea hash on the weekend, then divided the leftovers into single portions to keep in the fridge. That way I could take out a portion of the potato mixture during the week, and heat it in the microwave while I cooked a fresh egg to serve on top, making for quick and easy breakfasts (and dinner!)

Sweet Potato & Chickpea Hash with Fried Eggs

Adapted from LCBO’s Food & Drink Magazine, Winter 2012 Issue

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 medium or 1 large sweet potato (500g total), diced

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 a medium yellow onion, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small zucchini, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 cup chickpeas (from a can, drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Large pinch each of smoked paprika, salt, and pepper (and other seasonings if desired)

4 large eggs

Directions:

Add diced sweet potato to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and leave aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add the chopped onion, garlic, zucchini, red pepper, and chickpeas (I didn’t have a pan quite big enough to fit everything, so I split everything into two pans). Cook 5-10 minutes until starting to brown, stirring often.

Transfer vegetables to a bowl, wipe out the pan and add a bit more oil. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and spread out in a single layer. Let cook without stirring for about 5 minutes, or until browned on one side. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes. Repeat a couple more times until all sides are lightly browned.

Add the vegetables back to the pan and toss with the sweet potatoes. Add the parsley and season with paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss everything together, then remove from pan and divide among four plates.

Wipe the pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray (or use butter if that’s your preferred method for frying eggs) and set over medium-low heat. Crack 4 eggs into the pan, cover, and let cook about 3 minutes, until whites are set. Top each serving of sweet potato hash with a fried egg, and serve warm with additional salt and pepper if desired.