Saint Patty's Day Hash

A fantastic hash starring greens including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and green onion for that green St. Patty's day custom.  And don't potatoes help make this Irish?  A great way to lower carbs and amp up the veggies.
4 golden potatoes, scrubbed
2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil

2 small leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
10-12 Brussels sprouts, base trimmed and quartered lengthwise

1/2 lb cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1/2 small head)
1/2 lb broccoli floweretts, about 2-3 cups
1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced

Prick the potatoes on all sides with the tines of a fork. Microwave for 2 minutes on each side, four times, rotating, each time. Remove the hot potatoes with a towel and carefully slice into eighths.

Heat a large non-stick skillet and add the butter and olive oil and brown the potatoes over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. 

Turn the potatoes with tongs regularly so that they brown on all sides. Salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile get your veggies all lined up.

Sauté the leeks and Brussels sprouts in a large pan in a bit of olive oil. 

After about 5 minutes, add the cabbage and the broccoli and continue cooking another 5 minutes or so, until the veggies are only just becoming crisp tender. 

Add the red pepper flakes and the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Now toss in the potatoes with the green veggies and tip into a serving bowl.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Cauliflower Brussels Hash

Getting more and more into veggies to replace highly processed carbs.  Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts pair well to make a satisfying side.  Toss on some chopped walnuts for the next dimesion of crunch and flavor.
4 cups cauliflower, about 1 small head
12-15 Brussels Sprouts
1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp dried dill weed

Quarter the Brussels sprouts.

Cut the cauliflower into small (3/4-inch) pieces.

Melt the butter in the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook about 8-10 minutes, until slightly browning on the edges. Add the garlic, chili flakes and dill, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

 Turn up the heat to high and toss in the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Toss together well with the onion mix. Add 1/4 cup water and allow the veggies to steam a bit while tossing together. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking the hash until the cauliflower browns up a bit. Cook slowly enough so as not to burn the sprouts or the cauliflower. Cook about 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook’s Note: This is a great side dish to use if you are trying to reduce carbs. It can be a nice substitute for mashed potatoes, white rice or buttered pasta.  Tossing on walnuts (especially after being toasted in the oven for a few minutes) makes this a home run.

Rainbow Cabbage and Rice

Amp up the veggies and keep the grains whole for a healthy heart.  And eat as many colors as you can to take in antioxidants.  Here I match purple cabbage with orange carrots and red whole grain rice.  But rather than having veggies accent the rice in a pilaf, I've reversed it to have the rice accent the veggies.
1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced

3-4 cups green cabbage, chopped
3-4 cups purple cabbage, chopped
1 cup cooked red rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
palmful fresh parsley, minced

Melt the butter in the olive oil in a very large skillet. Add the onion and carrot, and sauté for about 10 minutes, until just browning around the edges. Add the cabbages and sauté another 5-8 minutes.

Add the garlic and rice and cook another 2-3 minutes to heat the rice through.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Cook’s Note: There are many whole grain rices you could use. Great whole grain rice mixes are now very popular and easy to find most anywhere.  I used a frozen red rice from Trader Joe’s, but there are many other varieties available. I also freeze my own rice and grains after cooking extra, just for use in low-carb dishes like this.