Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

Before we get into this recipe, I just want to let you know it's a complete coincidence that I'm posting this on March 18th, the day after St. Patrick's day. Nope, nothing to do with it at all. Anyway...

Like many of my posts, the idea for this one comes from my mother and me growing up surrounded by her cooking genius. And I say this really nice, flattering thing about her both because it's true and because I'm about to say something that might sound like an attempt to discredit her, even though it's not:

Corned beef hash is easy as...well, you know.

It's another one of those things I saw my mom do when I was young and thought "wow, that's so complicated and hard! I bet I'll never be able to do that."

I mean, of course it will be a lot more labor-intensive and time consuming if you brine and spice your own corned beef, but that's not what I'm talking about here. Maybe future post, but not now, please, I'm tired. Zzzzz....

Recipe for 2 people

You will need:

Hash:

-1 large red potato, skin on, thinly sliced for quick boiling
-4 big strips cooked corn beef, preferably cold for easy slicing
-1/2 small onion, chopped
-pinch salt
-pinch lemon pepper
-1 Tbsp. olive oil for cooking

Poached Eggs:

-4 eggs
-2 Tbsp. Vinegar
-Medium-sized pot
-slotted spoon or frying basket with handle

Make the hash:

In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil and add potatoes, once it starts to boil again turn heat to low and simmer until fork-tender, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, dice cold corned beef.

When potatoes are done, drain water from pot, heat oil in a skillet and add onions until fragrant. Add potatoes and cook until they start to form that awesome brown crust that corned beef hash simply must have. Add corned beef, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Once the beef is warmed and the hash is well-combined, turn off heat.

Meanwhile, boil water in medium pot, turn down to just barely boiling and add vinegar. Crack eggs, one at a time into a ladle or cup and add to pot. Once all 4 eggs are added, remove pot from heat, cover and let sit 4-6 minutes, depending on how runny you like your yolks.

Serve hash topped with eggs to let the yolks run down into it and make everything all yummy and awesome and stuff.

Sweet Pea Fettucine Carbonara

I used to think there were very few people out there who didn't know what pasta carbonara was. It's on ever menu at every chain Italian place, and even Quizno's has it in a sandwich. Not surprising at all, because really, what's not to like about it? It's bacon and white sauce. Everything human beings are hard-wired to crave all rolled up into one.

I used to think there were very few people out there who didn't know what carbonara was until I tried to make it myself and discovered I didn't even know what it was.

(^ Hey look, I made an Italic letter I that looks exactly like the one on the button you push to change to Italic font. Ha. Ha. Ha.)

Anyway, I had no idea there were eggs in it, or that you're supposed to throw raw eggs into the pasta at the very end and scramble it all around to cook it.

I got this sweet pea Fettucine for free at work and thought, hmmm, what's good with peas? Why bacon, of course! And again, not surprisingly, I ended up at carbonara. A lot of people like peas in their carbonara, but here the peas are in the pasta.

I understand that not everyone has access to freshly-made sweet pea-flavored Fettucine, so sorry for being a show-off. Regular Fettucine and peas will work just fine.

You will need:

-12 oz. Fettucine
-5 strips bacon, chopped
-1 onion, chopped
-2 eggs
-2/3 cup half and half
-1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
-salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a skillet, cook bacon and onions until bacon is crunchy.

Meanwhile, scramble together eggs, Parmesan, and half & half with the salt and pepper, set aside.

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until "al dente" (nice and chewy, not too soft). This should be about 8 minutes for hard pasta, 90 seconds for fresh pasta.

As soon as pasta is done, drain water from pot, pour egg mixture over hot noodles and stir vigorously to keep from scrambling the eggs while still cooking them with the heat from the noodles and pot.  You're done when the noodles are coated in a thick white sauce. This should take a minute or less.

Top with bacon and onion mixture, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.