In the Key of K

Pictured below, breakfast potatoes, tofu scramble, toast, and beyond plant-based sausage patties.

This is another recipe of mine that has strong family ties. My grandfather and I used to make these for elaborate Sunday morning breakfasts where many family members who lived nearby would come over for a huge breakfast spread. Every Sunday.

My grandparents lived on a mountain in the rural Alleghany Mountains near Cumberland, Maryland. They had a sliding glass doorway off of their dining room with bird feeders on a hill in the back and behind that was a mountain. Regular attendees included many birds, squirrels, groundhogs, deer, foxes, and more! They even on occasion had bears visit the bird feeders. Breakfast back then (in the late 90s) included potatoes, pancakes, eggs to order, sausage, bacon, toast, coffee, and orange juice.

Breakfast Potatoes
InTheKeyOfK

2 or 3 Onions
Around 2 pounds of potatoes (any potato works but red is my favorite for this recipe)
Olive oil (don’t use a different oil–this is part of the flavor–good extra virgin is the best)
1-2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp black pepper
1-2 tsp garlic powder, optional

Note: I recommend a good non-stick pan or a well-seasoned cast iron pan. It’s still delicious if the they stick but it’s frustrating.

Start by cutting the onions into bite sized pieces and sauté them in a large pan with 2 or 3 tbsp of olive oil. Once they start to cook I add some water and crank the heat to cook them faster–maybe a 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup. You may have to add water a couple of times. You want the onions to be soft. The water trick cuts the cook time of the onions easily in half.

Meanwhile I chop the potatoes into bite sized chunks and add to a bowl with a little water and microwave for 7 to 10 minutes. You don’t want to cook them all the way through just mostly cooked. This saves a lot of cook time. Without the water (for onions) and microwave potato hacks the potatoes would easily take 2 or 3 hours to make well.

When the onions are soft and all or most of the water is cooked off, add another two or three tbsp of olive oil and let it get hot. Push the onions to the edges of the pan and then add the potatoes in the middle and lower the heat a little. Leave the potatoes alone for at least five minutes maybe more (if they seem like they are starting to burn, lower the heat a little and stir). You don’t want to stir them until they start to get a little browned (the potatoes in the pic above do not have enough color! do better than me!). Stir and brown in 5 minute intervals until the desired color is reached or the potatoes are starting to break down. If they aren’t browned they are still delicious.

Add 1 tsp salt (usually 2 tsp by the time it is all done) and at least a 1 tsp of black pepper. You should see pepper flecks on your potatoes! Taste and salt and pepper more if necessary. I almost always add at least a tsp or two of garlic powder too.

The combination of good olive oil, soft onions, and brown-ish potatoes is unbeatable! I’ve also added vegan sausage or ham but I prefer it with just potatoes and onions. The leftovers never last a whole day.