Hash it out: a traditional American dish gets a vegetarian spin

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 1998 by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

A traditional American dish gets a vegetarian spin.

Though certainly "fit for a king," hash was developed more out of necessity than desire by peasants looking to make the most of the meager ingredients they had on hand. A savory, stick-to-the-ribs food, hash (from the French verb hacher, meaning "to chop") is, in its simplest form, a mixture of leftover chopped meat bound with potatoes and vegetables. Although it's a dish born of poverty and parsimony, it has created enough culinary goodwill and cherished memories to hang on for centuries-- and its longevity is a clear testimony to its tastiness.

American hash was traditionally Yankee breakfast fare, nourishing enough to see hard-working lumberjack or lobstermen through a day of tough labor and inexpensive enough for early New Englanders to put on their tables daily. Sunday supper for them was typically a boiled dinner and the leftovers were turned into "red flannel" hash, which incorporates corned beef, potatoes, carrots and beets--the latter is what gives it the predominant "red" color.

Our vegetarian version of this dish uses the potatoes and beets, but replaces the corned beef with cooked bulgur--a powerful enhancer of flavor and texture. This hash is wonderful for breakfast (with or without a poached egg on top) and supper, as either a main or side dish.

`Red Flannel' Hash

6 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE

The best thing about making hash is that there are no rules to follow. For instance, in this recipe, barley or wheat berries can be used instead of bulgur. Bear in mind that hash is meant to be a fusion of already cooked foods. Therefore, when adding any fresh ingredients to the pan, always cook them before the "hashing" takes place.

1 1/4 cups water
Salt
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
4 medium beets, scrubbed
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium all-purpose potatoes,
peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
or 1/2 tsp. dried
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

IN MEDIUM SAUCEPAN, bring water to a boil. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and stir in bulgur; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff bulger with a fork and set aside.

Meanwhile, put beets in medium saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, cover beets with cold water and let stand 5 minutes. Drain beets again and slip off skins. When beets are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1/2-inch dice.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add enough water to just cover potatoes; salt lightly and bring to a boil. Cover and cook potatoes just until barely tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Check water level occasionally; you want to end up with just a little bit in the pan when the potatoes are cooked because it will flavor the hash.

Stir beets into potato mixture and heat briefly. Stir in bulgur until well blended; add thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Serve hash hot off the stove.

PER SERVING: 157 CAL.; 4G PROT.; 4G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 29G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 66MG SOD.; 6G FIBER.

Recipe excerpted from Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family by Ken Haedrich. Copyright 1998 by Ken Haedrich. Reprinted by permission from Bantam, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved.