Braised Pork and Sweet Potato Hash with Black Beans

Yesterday I mused on about the benefits of braising a large piece of meat with the intent of having leftovers to use up throughout the week and, last night, I reaped those benefits. It seems this week has turned out to be a busy one; we're teaching a bunch of classes and then got a last minute dinner party booking for tonight, in addition to the families that we already cook weekly meals for. Yesterday I got so distracted with menu planning and creating grocery lists that I was starving before I even had the opportunity to start dinner. In attempt to maximize my time, I took my own advice and made a quick evening dinner using bits of the already flavorful braised pork and tossing in some other ingredients that I had on hand to make a simple hash.

If you haven't come across hash all that much, please allow me to introduce it to you. Hash can mean many different things but at it's simplist, it's a mix of starch, usually a potato that is fried up with bits of this and that. In a pinch, it's a lifesaver if you find yourself having one of those busy weeks.

I happened to have a sweet potato on hand, some leftover black beans and an apple - all a perfect match for some pulled pork. When I tossed it all together and gave it a quick fry, I added some fresh chopped rosemary and a pinch or two of cumin. For freshness, parsley was sprinkled on top, right before serving. While this isn't the most glamorous of dishes, it's comforting and full of fall flavors and when you add ingredients of varying textures and flavors, you get something extra special Most importantly, it's made in a matter of minutes. Below is the recipe for the hash that I made but if you plan to make it yourself, feel free to use whatever you have on hand. You could also skip the meat entirely and make it a vegetarian dish, or, this makes a terrific, hearty breakfast with a poached egg on top.

Braised Pork and Sweet Potato Hash with Black Beans
Serves 2

- 1 cup cooked, shredded Pork (or any other cooked meat, or can be made vegetarian without the meat)
- 1 large sweet potato, baked until cooked through
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 TBS fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Olive Oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the potatoes, apples, pork, garlic and rosemary. Quickly fry until all of the ingredients are heated through. Add the black beans and season to taste. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley.