Everyday Veggie Hash

So there is something about hash. The legal kind--just to clarify. But seriously, hash is just the best thing ever invented. It's a bunch of random ingredients cooked in ONE pan, served in a bowl, and gobbled up in a hurried fashion.In hard times, mom's across the world use hash to fill up their families and stretch small amounts of precious protein. Hash usually contains some sort of potatoes, or other starchy filler, along with onions, shredded or diced protein, and any number of veggies. You can literally put anything in hash, crisp it up in under 20 minutes, and enjoy a bowl full of simple, humble comfort food.

I make hash all the time. Sometimes I shred sweet potatoes, carrots, or plantains for the starch, or sometimes I take the time to dice them small into pretty little cubes. There are always onions involved, usually broccoli, and usually some sort of leftover protein, sausage, or bacon. Today I was feeling a little lonely because I have about 17 more days to go before Ian comes home. I know I'm being a baby, but I miss him. So I made myself some hash.

Everyday Veggie Hash
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

5 strips of good quality bacon
1 large sweet potato, small diced
1   red onion, small diced
2 cups of organic broccoli slaw (I used Trader Joe's)
2 cups of shredded Brussels sprouts (again, I used Trader Joe's)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil, or other healthy fat
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of organic granulated garlic*

Directions:

1. In a large cast iron skillet, brown the bacon until cooked. Remove the bacon to a plate, and leave the grease in the pan.
2. Add the onions and diced sweet potatoes, season with a good large pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper, and cook over medium high heat until both are starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the veggies and the coconut oil, season again with salt and pepper, and cook for another five minutes until all the hash is starting to brown.
4. Chop the bacon into small pieces and add it into the pan along with the granulated garlic. Stir to incorporate and cook for just a few minutes longer until everything starts to get crusty and yummy.
5. Serve in a bowl, and for bonus points, add a fried egg on top of each serving if you wish.

This is a version of hash I made before Ian left for his corporate training. Instead of bacon, I used sausage, and instead of broccoli slaw I used diced squash and small broccoli florets, and shredded sweet potatoes instead of diced. When the hash was done, I made a few wells in the pan and dropped an egg into them to fry. I broiled them for just a few minutes in the oven until the white was set, and I served this breakfast hash up with some diced avocado on top.

This is the basic method for hash, but feel free to improvise with whatever you want. That is the beauty of hash. It's not specific, it's ever changing, but it is always filling and comforting. Don't be afraid to try it, even if it isn't the exact same as this recipe, because my "everyday veggie hash" is never the same. Get yourself a great cast iron pan, learn how to take care of it, and start to love it for it's wonderful abilities, especially when it comes to hash.

*Yes, I use granulated garlic. I had a reader question me and ask why on earth I don't always use fresh garlic. Well, honestly, I like the dried, granulated version better in some instances. A lot of good cooks, especially southern cooks, appreciate granulated garlic. I don't view it as inferior to fresh garlic at all. It's milder, sweeter, and less harsh than fresh garlic, but also incredibly aromatic and pungent. I do use fresh garlic in some instances, but more often than not, I throw in granulated garlic to punch up the flavor of a dish quickly, and I don't feel that it is a cheat at all because I truly love the flavor it adds. It is important to note that I only use ORGANIC granulated garlic, because I strongly believe that it is a better product. I hate that regular spices are treated with weird chemicals and irradiated, but I do love that many organic grocers often sell bulk organic spices, particularly Frontier Organic spices, and it is a much more affordable way of keeping your spice cabinet stocked. I'm a mason jar junkie anyway, so I always have extra crowding my cabinets, and I might as well make good use of them. So I am coming out of the granulated garlic closet and I am proud to say I love this ingredient! Ok, vent off.

So hash it up guys, and get creative. What's the worse that could happen? You enjoy your veggies? That's what I thought.