Ham Steak and Potatoes served with Steamed Green Beans

Serves 2 adults and 2 children, or 3 healthy adult appetites
1 Ham Steak, pre-cooked (often smoked - yum! - check salt content because it can vary greatly)
4 medium sized potatoes, cubed
1 medium sized onion
2 Tbsp paprika (really you want enough to cover all of your potatoes but this is rough estimate)
1/2 Tbsp freshly ground pepper (more if you like it hotter)
2 cloves freshly minced garlic (or more or less, whatever suits you)
2 tsp Kosher salt
8 ounces frozen green beans
3 Tbsp olive oil (I keep a squirt bottle full of olive oil that has basil leaves and crushed garlic near the stove, I usually use it to supplement the flavor of whatever vegetable oil I use- yum!)

I cooked the entire main course in a single large skillet with raised grill on the bottom. Heat your oil in the skillet over a medium-high heat. Roughly chop the onions and get them on the heat so they can soften while you cube the potatoes. I peeled the potatoes, but that's your preference I suppose. After the onions have begun to caramelize (maybe 5 minutes) throw in the potatoes and toss them in the oil-onion mixture and along with the paprika, garlic, and black pepper. You can add 1 tsp of kosher salt to the potatoes at this time - the salt in the ham will season the food well enough but I couldn't help but put it in with the potatoes. Once the potatoes, onions, and spices have been thoroughly mixed, cover the skillet and let them cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

Once the potatoes are softened (and delicious - go ahead and taste them!) carefully move the contents of the pan to one side. The idea now is to slide the ham steak into the pan and cover it with the potatoes. You might need to cut the steak into a few pieces, it's up to you. Remember, the steak is already cooked so you're really just heating it up. Scoop as much of the potato mixture onto the steak as you can, cover, and let it sit under medium to medium-low heat for 5 - 10 minutes.

Now would be a great time to steam those veggies (and break out a nice hot loaf of french bread and have a few buttery hunks while you're waiting). I use a makeshift steamer that is basically a large sauce pan and a wire-mesh strainer but to each his own. It's tough to time the steaming of the greenbeans because they don't take long. I like mine still crunchy so I tend to not leave them in very long. The key to yummy steamed vegetables, to me, is to season them when they come out. Here's what I do. I bring out my strainer and mist them with my little olive oil mister (that thing is awesome! One of the best $10 I ever spent). Then I simply sprinkle them with some fresh black peper and kosher salt and toss. Set them aside with aluminum foil on top to keep them hot and you're almost done!

Once the potatoes and meat are done, spoon out the potatoes and set the ham steak on a plate so it can rest for a few minutes. I'd say 2 minutes would be enough time, and again I cover it with foil to keep it warm after it has had a moment to come to terms with the cold plate.

Now comes the secret voodoo sauce that makes this such a great dinner. Even though the ham was already cooked, there is enough goodness left in the skillet to make a killer sauce. Throw it back down on the stove and grab a bottle of white wine vinegar (or a little bottle of white wine - we don't really drink wine but you can buy those little bottles of red and white wine with screw top lids at the grocery store, think wine cooler size, and keep them for cooking purposes) and pour it into the hot skillet to deglaze the pan. If you'd done it right you'll be treated to a nice hiss and lots of bubbling. Let that sit there exerting its furious righteousness for a few minutes until it thickens up and your kitchen smells like heaven. If you're lucky you'll have little brown bits of ham, onion, and garlic in there but no matter what is left it will be good. Uncover the ham and spread your sauce on top. We had just enough to cover the steak and give it a sultry glaze.

Serve it up to the fam and enjoy the fruits of your labor! Hopefully, like me, you'll find it was a very simple and delicious dinner that can be made with very little effort with food on hand. Let me know what you think!