Even though I live in the country and prepare most of our meals from scratch, there are times when I am in a hurry and want an easy healthy meal that doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare. Uncured ham steaks, fresh steamed asparagus, and sweet potato fries are a quick combination of fresh and prepared foods that cook up in under 30 minutes. Making quick meals does not mean sacrificing taste or eating foods that are bad for you, there are ways to put together quick meals that are healthy and tasty. Here’s how to make it:
Here are the three main components of the meal: Uncured ham steaks (lower sodium if you can find them), fresh asparagus, and a bag of frozen sweet potato fried (I used seasoned waffle fries). This meal serves two people but can be doubled to feed four.
Start by preheating the oven to the temperature indicated of the package of fries. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place the desired amount of fries on the sheet. (Parchment paper aids in easy cleanup). Bake according to the directions usually tossing halfway through.
While the fries bake, trim and wash the asparagus and place in a microwave proof dish, preferably glass.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and poke a few vent holes in the plastic wrap with a knife. Place in the microwave on high for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the stems. They can get a quick reheat just before serving. Season lightly with sea salt and pepper before serving.
About 10 minutes before fries are done, spray a large cast iron skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium high heat.
Brown the steaks on both sides until heated through. Since the ham steaks are already cooked, it is important to brown them quickly so they do not dry out. About the time the ham steaks have finished browning, the fries will be done. Keep an eye on the fries so they do not burn. Remove the fries from the oven and serve with the ham steaks and steamed asparagus.
If desired, just before serving, garnish each dish with freshly chopped parsley. Fries can be served with ketchup (See the recipe for homemade ketchup https://randiscountrykitchen.com/2019/02/20/homemade-ketchup/ ). Enjoy and happy cooking!
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min. total
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen sweet potato fries
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and washed
2 Uncured ham steaks (lower sodium if you can find it)
Sea salt & black pepper
Ketchup to serve with fries (see homemade ketchup recipe: https://randiscountrykitchen.com/2019/02/20/homemade-ketchup/
Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Large baking sheet
Parchment paper
Cooking spray
Plastic wrap