Today in ABC radio Adelaide Nikolai’s “What’s for Dinner” segment, things were broadened out to ideas for brunch.

Here are three of the recipes that were discussed.

Hoppel Poppel

Serves 4 to 6

2 teaspoons olive oil

15g butter

1 large onion, finely diced

200g diced ham or bacon

600g cooked potatoes cut into 1.5 cm cubes

8 eggs

½ cup milk

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

1 ½ tablespoons chopped parsley

½ cup grated tasty cheese

Method

Heat the oven to 160°C (fan forced). Grease an 18cm x 28cm lasagne style dish.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and ham

and bacon until the onion is tender. Remove from the pan. Add the butter to the

pan and then and sauté the potato cubes until golden brown and crispy. Place in

the prepared dish with the onion and ham.

In a bowl whisk the eggs, milk and salt together and pour over the contents of

the dish. Sprinkle on the cheese, then mix together until well combined.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until set.

Best served hot but can be reheated.

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Slow Cooker Baked Beans

Some dried beans need to be cooked for 15 minutes before being drained and added to the slow cooker.  This is because some beans are toxic when slow cooked otherwise.  It’s not all varieties, but I never seem to remember which ones, so as a matter of course I boil all dried beans for 15 minutes and drain them before adding to the slow cooker.

500 g dried haricot or navy beans

2 onions


3 ½  cups tomato purée


3 tablespoons tomato paste

1½ tablespoons mild-flavoured honey

 3 teaspoons vegetable stock powder

Method

Cover the beans with cold water (at least 3 cm). Leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain off the liquid. Cook for 15 minutes in boiling water. Drain.

Peel and finely dice the onion and place in the slow cooker with the beans, 1 cup of water, tomato purée, tomato paste, honey and stock powder.

Place lid on cooker and cook for 4 hours on High or 7 hours on Low.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Variation:  add a smoked ham hock to the cooker along with the rest of the ingredients for a lovely rich, meaty sauce. Extend the cooking time on Low to 8 hours if you do this. When ready to serve, remove the hock from the cooker, take the meat from the bone and return it to the baked bean mixture.

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Hash Browns

500g potatoes, peeled

1 large tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 small egg

Method

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until just smooth.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat until piping hot.

Carefully spoon tablespoonfuls of potato mixture into oil.

Allow to cook until brown on one side, then turn and brown on the other.

Drain on paper towel.

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