Sunday, January 20, 2013

SSFC: Bubble and Squeak


Local potatoes

I love potatoes. Always have since I was a little kid. I eat them in some form or another about 6 days a week, baked being my most favorite way, and fried coming in a close second. If I go out for dinner and have to choose two sides with my entree, I've been known to pick two different kinds of potatoes. In fact, a few years ago I was in Alabama and had one of my most favorite meals ever (also the most memorable BBQ I've ever had): a BBQ chicken sandwich with tater tots, potato salad, and tea so sweet that my teeth actually cried.  




As much as I love potatoes, it can become challenging to think of different ways to eat them. Lately my favorite way is to make bubble and squeak, which I made for this week's SSFC Eat Local challenge. 


Bubble and Squeak ingredients

Bubble and squeak is an English dish made with vegetables leftover from the previous night's dinner. Potatoes are one of the main ingredients, along with cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, peas, or any other leftover veggies. According to Wikipedia, this dish became popular during World War II as an easy way of using leftovers when most food was subject to rationing. The name "bubble and squeak" comes from the sound the vegetables make while they are cooking.

As you can see, I deviated from the traditional list of ingredients for the purposes of the Eat Local challenge. I don't like cabbage, but I thought this might be a good way to use up some Swiss chard I had picked up at the farmers' market. 

Local Ingredients
1 tbsp butter - Pennsylvania
4 medium potatoes - farmers' market
1 cup Swiss chard - farmers' market
1 small onion - my garden
1 clove garlic - my garden

Here's how I made it:
Boil the potatoes until you can spear them with a fork, then drain them in a colander. While they are draining, put the butter and olive oil into a frying pan on medium heat. Dice the onion and  garlic clove and add to the pan. Begin to add the drained potatoes to the pan, stirring and pressing down on them with a spatula so they mash a little. Continue to stir and mash ingredients until the potatoes are fried. Then add the chard. Stir for about a minute until the chard is wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bubble and Squeak

Although I made this as a side dish for dinner, we've also had it with breakfast. Bubble and squeak is actually part of a full English breakfast, and it's a nice alternative to the hashbrowns I typically eat with my eggs. 

You can see what other Challenge participants are eating this week by clicking on the SSFC photo above. 

Have you ever eaten traditional Bubble and Squeak? How would you make it?

16 comments:

  1. That's what bubble and squeak is? I thought it involved sausage. Looks tasty! I love potatoes, too, especially sweet potatoes.

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  2. Ya know, you could grow potatoes on your deck! They're great container veggies.

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    1. Actually I tried to grow potatoes last year. Lost them all to potato beetles. :(

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  3. Love Potatoes! Fixed just about any way. Bubble and squeak doesn't sound very appetizing, though. But I'd give it a try. :)

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    1. Ha! The name is odd but you can't go wrong with fried up potatoes. :)

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  4. I LOVE bubble and squeak! I tend to make it from left over veggies with potato, sometimes I make it with sweet potato which makes it even tastier. Yours looks delicious and has me drooling. I'll have to make some soon!xxxxx

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    1. Oh, that's a great idea! I'm going to try with sweet potatoes next time.

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  5. I've heard of it, but didn't know what bubble and squeak was! It looks quite tasty, and it really does have a fun name. Kudos to you for trying something new.

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    1. Thanks Holley! I'm not the greatest cook but this was easy to make.

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  6. this sounds like a fun recipe! i love the photos in this post. potatoes are my favorite side dish too... sometimes i'll even eat a bowl of roasted potatoes as dinner.

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    1. Thanks Emily! Some nights it's just a bowl of potatoes for me too. Sooo gooooood.

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  7. Yes, had bubble and squeak many times. Love anything to do with potatoes! Love the combo you came up with - potatoes and swiss chard. YUM YUM!

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    1. Thanks! Swiss chard is starting to grow on me. It was fun trying to think of different ways to eat it.

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  8. Oh this sounds yummy and I love potatoes too...I can't wait to grow blue potatoes again...mmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!

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    1. I can't wait to see how your blue potatoes grow! I tried and failed to grow blue ones last year.

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  9. I've never heard of it but looks really good. Swiss chard is so healthy, we grow it every year

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