This meal is quick and easy, and provides a great way to use up seasonal leftovers. It combines spring vegetables with ham and eggs to create a dish that works for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
When you are developing recipes, you never know exactly how much of an ingredient you’ll need until the final dish is complete. This usually results in a fridge filled with things like a few stalks of asparagus, a quarter head of cabbage or a little dish of peas. These are perfectly edible, but often not enough to create a full dish all on their own.
It’s similar to what we all often face after a holiday or party, like Easter or a spring brunch. Boring leftover veggies and meats that need to be put to good use in a new meal.
That’s how this dish came about. A few random vegetables with some leftover ham and an easy skillet meal was born. Then, I topped it with a poached egg, because in my experience most things are better with a poached egg on top. If you don’t like poached eggs, this skillet will work just as well as a side dish for a scramble or with no eggs at all.
It’s super simple and comes together quickly. Not to mention it can work for any meal of the day. Don’t be shy if you have other veggies on hand. A bell pepper, maybe some diced carrots, or even a few radishes to finish it off would be equally delicious.
- 1 tablespoon olive or virgin coconut oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped asparagus (about 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 1/2 cups cubed ham
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1/4 cup fresh green peas
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch of fine ground sea salt (optional)
- 4 poached eggs
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high (a cast iron skillet is great for this dish). Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the asparagus and cook for one more minute, until the asparagus turns bright green. Stir in the ham and cook for one more minute, until the ham is heated through.
- Stir in the cabbage and peas and cook for about 30 more seconds. The cabbage will begin to brown and wilt and the peas will turn bright green.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the chives and black pepper. Add a pinch of salt, if desired. This may not be necessary if your ham is salty enough for your taste.
- Divide the veggies and ham onto four serving plates and top each with a poached egg. Serve warm.
My favorite meals that my mom makes are made with leftovers. 🙂
Some foods get even better the second time around!
What a wonderful recipe! This is making my mouth water!
Thanks! So glad you like it!
Everything is better with a poached egg! Yours looks perfect, too!
I agree! And sometimes I get very lucky. They definitely don’t all look like that. Haha!