Alternatives to Potato Hash Browns, Part 3: Jicama

This is the third part in my series of alternatives to potato hash browns. If you're just joining us, I decided to go on a quest to find the best alternative to potatoes. I grew up with my dad making potato hash browns pretty much every Sunday for our big family breakfast. I love hash browns. Crispy and brown potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper. Bacon. Sausage. Eggs. Bread from the local boulangerie. Oh, those Sunday breakfasts were lovely.

Recap:
Part 1 - Celery Root - crisped and browned nicely. Was able to flip in mostly one piece (better to make in a small or medium sized frying pan so you can flip over in one piece). Didn't burn (maybe I paid closer attention to it). Tasted potato-ish with a slight sweetness.

Part 2 - Rutabaga - they would not stay together. Maybe there's not enough starch, but they are better as an actual hash with other veggies or the base of hash brown casserole.

And here we are with Part 3. I used jicama this time. Jicama is a root vegetable that originated in Central and South Americas. It can be eaten raw and is often used in slaws or salads. It has a crunchy, sweet flavor when raw. I ate jicama in a fish taco dish from Snooze back in my Pre-Paleo days. They made a jicama slaw to top the tacos. That's the only time I remember eating jicama in my life (until recently). I think jicama would make a pretty good baked French fry. Jicama has only about 46 calories in a cup vs. about 120 calories in potatoes. Jicama is full of fiber and Vitamin C. It also contains B-Vitamins, Magnesium, Copper, Iron and Manganese.

Here's how I made my jicama hash browns. It's super easy to do, especially with a food processor. However, I did soak my sliced jicama in warm water overnight. It softens them a bit. I don't think it's necessary for hash browns, but you would probably want to do that when eating it raw.

Also, something to note, jicama seems to be waxy on the outside. That's normal. You're going to peel the skin off before shredding.

Jicama Hash Browns   
Serves: 2-4 (depending on appetites)

Ingredients:
2 small or medium jicama (or 1 large), shredded
2-3 T. fat of choice (I used coconut oil)
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Slice the jicama into one to two inch slices. You can soak overnight in a covered pot of warm/hot water, but this step is optional. If you choose not to, just skip ahead to Step 2.
2. Peel the skin off the jicama slices with a knife. 
3. Shred the jicama in the food processor or by hand with a box grater. 
4. Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. 
5. Add shredded jicama. Pat down with a spatula and shape it into a round. Season with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper (to taste). They won't need as much salt as potatoes, so go light on it. You can always add more when you taste them. 
6. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the underside is golden. You may need to lift up the browns a bit to check. 
7. Flip and cook on the other side for another 4-5 minutes. 
8. Serve with other breakfast foods. We ate ours with fried eggs, bacon and a Honey Almond Breakfast Cake (similar to a biscuit). 

The jicama lost quite a bit of sweetness during the cooking process. It still has a crunch, even when cooked. I did like it, but it doesn't fulfill my childhood memories of hash browns.

In summary, I would rank my hash brown alternatives as follows.

1. Celery Root - closest in flavor and presentation
2. Jicama
3. Rutabaga

I received a great suggestion for another alternative: Daikon radishes. Have you ever eaten a Daikon radish? If so, how was it prepared? I've seen them at the grocery store and even said to my husband, "I wonder what you do with these. I need to do some research." I'll give it a shot sometime soon. 

Alternatives to Potato Hash Browns, Part 2: Rutabaga

On Saturday, I started the series for alternatives to potato hash browns. I wanted to find the best veggie to use for hash browns. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have fond memories of Sunday breakfasts with my family. One of the foods that my dad had perfected was potato hash browns. They were crispy, salty and had a little bit of olive oil still lingering. So good. There's honestly nothing quite like biting into my dad's hash browns. White potatoes are a Paleo no-no, so I'm here to find the best alternative.

Saturday, I made celery root hash browns. Those actually browned nicely and got a little bit crispy (depends on how much coconut oil you use). They had good flavor. Stayed together when flipping them (mostly). If I had to grade the celery root, I would give it an A.

Moving on... I made rutabaga hash browns. I do like rutabagas quite a bit. They're quite tasty when mashed (you could even add a little chicken broth for extra flavor and richness). I used a rutabaga in my soup tonight to add some body and creaminess (it's a pureed soup). But as hash browns...

I wasn't a huge fan to be honest. I put them in the pan, patted them down into a circle and then left the room for a bit. Ok, I really went into the living room to sit in my recliner. I was just giving them time to cook and get golden brown. You know what they say, "A watched pot never boils." I think I left them a bit too long, because they burned a little. They didn't stick together at all like hash browns should. Rutabaga hash browns will have to be stirred regularly, to ensure they don't burn. Also, as long as you don't expect them to crisp up, then you may like them. I think rutabaga hash browns would be good as a base to a hash brown casserole.

Rutabaga Hash Browns
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
2 rutabagas, shredded
2 T. coconut oil
Sea salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. 
• Prepare your rutabagas: cut the tops and bottoms off and then peel them. 
• Shred the rutabagas in a food processor (with shredder attachment) or with a box grater. 
• Add shredded rutabaga to the hot pan. Flatten with a spatula and shape into a circle. 
• Season with sea salt and pepper. 
• Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir them around so they don't burn. Continue cooking and stirring every couple of minutes (or more frequently) for a total of 12-14 minutes. You can also turn the heat down closer to medium so they won't burn as easily. 
• Serve with other breakfast foods, such as eggs and bacon or sausage. 

These would probably be tasty with over-easy or sunny-side-up eggs, so the yolks glaze the hash browns. Overall, I'd give these a C. They weren't terrible, but they didn't live up to my expectations. I highly recommend giving rutabagas a try though, even if you just make mashed rutabagas. It's definitely a tasty root vegetable to add to your arsenal.

The third, and final, part of the series will happen next weekend. Can you guess what root vegetable I'll be using for my final test? 

Alternatives to Potato Hash Browns, Part 1: Celery Root

I decided to do a three-part series on alternatives to potato hash browns. I've been experimenting the past couple months with different root veggies in order to recreate my childhood memories of Sunday breakfasts. Every single Sunday morning (until I left for college), my dad prepared big breakfasts of hash browns, bacon and/or sausage, eggs and toast (or English muffin). Occasionally, he would switch it up and make pancakes or French toast, but would still often make some hash browns, bacon and/or sausage and eggs to go alongside. It was always a special meal in our house. It was something I definitely looked forward to all week. We would typically eat around 9 or 9:30am. We also enjoyed homemade freezer jam (strawberry and black raspberry were common in our house) atop our toast. My mom often made large batches so we would have delicious jam all year long. After breakfast, we all sat around the table reading the newspaper. My brothers and I would read through the sports, comics and coupons. My parents had a little thing going that they would pay us the amount they saved in coupons. It was a great incentive for us to find coupons on items we bought. Sometimes I would walk away from the grocery store with $4-5. That was a lot of money back then! Lots of fond memories of those breakfasts though.

White potatoes are generally a big no-no on the Paleo lifestyle. They're extremely starchy and higher in both carbs and calories compared to other root vegetables. Potatoes have around 118 calories per cup (shredded) while celery root only has 42 calories. Potatoes have three times the carbs (27 grams). Celery root is a very nutritious food containing potassium, manganese, magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, phosphorous and fiber. You now know celery root is a healthier option for our bodies. What you may not know is that celery root is the "ugly stepchild" of vegetables. If you can get past how it looks, you'll (hopefully) discover an amazing ingredient that can be used in so many ways. Of course, I made my celery root into hash browns, but they could also be pureed/mashed or used in soups.

I found celery root at Sprout's (in Colorado), but you could also find them at Whole Foods or King Soopers/Kroger. It's most likely something you have walked by, not thinking anything of it or giving it a second look. I know I have. Hundreds of times. It's right there by the mushrooms, hot peppers and Brussels sprouts. Or maybe you're one of the few that has looked it and wondered what on earth do you do with that thing? Well, I'm here to share with you one way to prepare that ugly-looking root veggie.

Gather your equipment.

I used my food processor to shred. You could also use a box grater, but it will take a bit longer. I thought I would pour my shreds into a separate bowl, but I ended up pouring them straight into the frying pan. So, here's my recipe that's not really a recipe.

Celery Root Hash Browns
Paleo Rating: 8.5
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
2 celery roots
2 T. coconut oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Prepare your celery root. Cut off the tops and bottoms. Then cut around the edges to get the skins off. You'll end up with what's in the picture to the below. I cut mine in half, so you'll just have a couple round bulbs.

• Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. 
• While the pan is heating up, shred the celery root in your food processor or with a box grater by hand. 
• Add the celery root to the hot pan. Use a spatula to flatten the celery root and straighten the edges (should be in a round shape). 
• Season your celery root with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper. They won't need as much salt as potato hash browns, so take it easy at first. You can always add, but you can't take it away. 
• Allow it to cook on one side for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Do your best to flip them in one piece. Otherwise, flip them in a couple of pieces. Let them cook for 3-5 minutes on the other side. Cut and serve with eggs and sugar-free breakfast sausage or bacon. 
• Enjoy! 

      

As you can see, mine didn't flip in one piece, but they did brown up quite nicely. I did notice celery root has a slightly sweet flavor. It's not a strong flavor, but compared to potatoes, they are just a tad sweet. Otherwise, they're a great Paleo substitute for hash browns. I highly recommend giving celery root a chance.

Breakfast is served.

Next up: Rutabaga hash browns.