Heavenly Hast - Recipe

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 2000 by Ken Haedrich

Old-fashioned are is a nutritious hit with these six tasty one-pot meals

If you're a vegetarian, it's probably been awhile since the last time you sat down to a dinner of good old-fashioned hash. Perhaps you miss that hot, fragrant and oh-so-satisfying dish. I know I did when I first gave up eating meat.

My mother made great hash when I was a kid. She kept an old hand-cranked grinder in a shoebox on the top shelf of our pantry. I used to love the Sunday morning ritual of clamping that heavy metal grinder to the counter and feeding in the leftover bits of roast beef mom had trimmed. And we always topped Mom's hash with the requisite poached egg.

These days I eat more hash than I ever did as a kid, although today it's never made with meat. I have broadened my definition of hash to include any number of starchy skillet dishes, such as those made with grains, couscous and plenty of vegetables, especially potatoes.

This is the time of year when we start to think about heartier dinners. And for people with busy schedules, hash is the perfect meal solution. For the most part, these dishes are fairly substantial, requiring little more than a mixed side salad to make a whole meal. Even if you spend your afternoons in a flurry of after-school activities, you can whip up these recipes in plenty of time for dinner. And if you're lucky enough to have any leftovers, hash is as welcome for breakfast as it is for supper.

Though our meatless hashes may seem like a big departure from tradition, they all preserve the one thing without which hash just wouldn't be hash: the spuds, the starchy backbone of the dish. Not only do they add bulk, but they also soak up flavors and are neutral enough to help define the other ingredients without stealing the show.

To give these one-pot meals some extra flavor, we rely on one small chef's trick: using vegetable broth (canned or packaged work well) rather than water to cook the grains or potatoes in. Our comfort meals are packed with flavor, and they don't fall short on the nutrition front, either. There's no saturated fat and lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Are they better than Mom used to make? You be the judge.

Curried Vegetable Hash

4 TO 5 SERVINGS EGG-& DAIRY-FREE

This all-vegetable hash is less bulky than some, but it gets a fair amount of body from the winter squash. It's an excellent end-of-summer or early-fall dish, when the last of the fresh corn and first winter squashes overlap.

1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 bay leaf
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. mild curry powder
2 cups peeled, diced winter squash
  (1/2-inch pieces)
2 cups peeled, diced all-purpose
  potatoes (1/2-inch pieces)
1 1/2 cups fresh corn (3 medium ears),
  or frozen
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1 ripe medium tomato, halved, seeded
  and diced
1 to 2 tsp. chopped fresh basil
1 to 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

l. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, garlic, flour and curry powder and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Stir in squash, potatoes, corn, bell pepper, broth and salt until well combined. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat slightly and cook until potatoes are barely tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in tomato and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender and coated with medium-thick gravy, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and parsley. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve hot.

PER SERVING: 265 CAL.; 6G PROT.; 7G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 44G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 347MG SOD.; 7G FIBER

Bulgur Hash

4 TO 5 SERVINGS EGG- & DAIRY-FREE

A wonderfully savory hash with the classic firm-bodied texture. It can be thrown together quickly and tastes as good for breakfast (with an optional poached egg) as it does for dinner with a salad. Vegetable broth rather than water is essential here--the hash really benefits from the added flavor.

4 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. paprika
2 cups peeled, diced all-purpose
  potatoes (1/2-inch pieces)
1 cup uncooked bulgur (medium
  grind)
l 1/2 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. salt

1. In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and paprika, then stir in potatoes and bulgur until evenly coated.

2. Stir soy sauce into broth and add to potato mixture along with salt. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer without lifting lid until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and gently fluff hash with a fork. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Serve hot.