When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s Community Health Education staff had to come up with creative ways to continue their programming, faced with social distancing restrictions and other COVID-19 safety protocols. The internet to the rescue! Cooking Matters, the nutrition education program that teaches participants to shop smart, use nutrition information to make healthy choices, and cook delicious affordable meals, has found new life during COVID-19 in online instruction. Thanks to webinars and Facebook livestreams, Cooking Matters at Home provides viewers with tasty recipes, great cooking how-to’s, and handy tips on how to maximize food resources—all in the comfort of their own homes.
On January 21, Cooking Matters volunteer chef Mark Crane provided a Facebook Live demonstration on cooking up a scrumptious Sweet Potato and Vegetable Hash Skillet Breakfast. Here’s the heart-healthy, budget-friendly recipe he followed:
Sweet Potato and Vegetable Hash Skillet Breakfast
1 pound low-fat turkey sausage
1/2 pound baby Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup, 1/4 inch diced red and yellow bell peppers
1 cup, 1/4 inch diced sweet onion
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 packed cup fresh baby spinach
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter, quartered
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 ounces shredded reduced-fat pepper jack cheese
Optional: chunky salsa verde for serving
Break up turkey sausage in a medium-large skillet and cook over medium heat. Add quartered mushrooms and continue to cook until sausage is cooked thoroughly and mushrooms have given up most of their moisture. Transfer cooked sausage-mushroom mixture to a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease and moisture.
In the same skillet, add the vegetable oil, diced peppers, diced onion, and cubed sweet potatoes. Stir well to coat potatoes and vegetables with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium / medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and vegetables are tender - 6 to 8 minutes or so.
Stir in the reserved sausage-mushroom mixture, the spinach, and the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Using a spoon, make four openings in the hash in each quarter of the skillet, add 1/4 tablespoon butter to each opening, then add one egg to each opening. Sprinkle pepper jack cheese over the top and cover the skillet. Cook over medium heat until eggs are set - 3 to 4 minutes or so. Vary the cooking time to get runny yolks or cooked-through yolks, as desired.
Using a wide spatula, divide the hash into quarters and serve on plates with chunky salsa verde. if desired.
Enjoy!