Turnip Hash BrownsDo you aspire to be one of those people who plans ahead? Would you like to have your weekly meals all laid out in advance? While I know it would save me time and money to do that, the fact is I am not especially talented in this area (can you say ADD?). The following recipe for Rutabaga Hash Browns with Pulled Pork is an exception. Breakfast on the Paleo diet can be a tough transition because we are so used to eating some type of grain in the mornings. But while this recipe will not solve all weekly meal dilemmas, a few quick steps the night before and you will be minutes away from an amazing, delicious, nutritious and inexpensive breakfast the next day.

On a whim (see how I don’t plan!) I bought a waxed turnip. (I previously titled this post “Turnip Hash Browns with Pulled Pork” because I was a little mixed up about the terms. See explanatory post.) According to my crumpled receipt, which I just fished out of the bottom of my purse, I paid $1.52 for this 2.21 lb purple and white beauty. It is lower in overall calories and carbohydrates than white potatoes but high in vitamin C. Before I went to bed I peeled it and put it through the shredder on my food processor. (You could use a box grater.) It went into a big container and then my refrigerator. I ended up with about 7 cups of shredded rutabaga.

shredded turnip for hashbrowns

Next, I rubbed a 3 lb boneless pork butt (cost me $6) with some Tsardust Memories Russian Style Spice Seasoning from Penzey’s. It’s one of the spices I got on my recent trip to a Penzey’s retail store. It’s not critical that you use this exact spice. I was just experimenting and thought it might work well and it did. I also don’t remember the exact measurement but I basically covered the pork in a light layer. (Maybe 1 tablespoon?) The Tsardust Memories mix contains the following spices: salt, garlic, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg and marjoram. I added about a 1/2 cup of chicken stock (you could use water) and cooked it on low heat overnight.

Here’s what it looked like in the morning:

pork butt

When I was thinking about breakfast I remembered that because I am following the Strictly Paleo Plan this month, I could not use butter to fry the shredded rutabaga. Bummer. But then I noticed the layer of fat on the liquid from the pork. So I used that to fry some diced onion and then the rutabaga. It was GOOD! The rutabaga is more likely to burn than potatoes so you have to be careful with it. And it will not crisp up like a potato hash brown. But the taste is a fresh and mellow sweetness with only a hint of a spicy, and slightly bitter, bite. And let’s be honest, the pork fat doesn’t hurt either.

Here’s the recipe for the rutabaga hash browns:

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • 2 tablespoons of fat
  • 1/2 cup diced onion (I used purple onion but you could use white or yellow onions or shallots, etc… If you use leaks or scallions just be careful not to burn them)
  • 2 cups shredded rutabaga (To remove some of the liquid from the rutabaga you can squeeze it out in some paper towels or a clean dish towel.)
  • 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
  • pepper to taste – optional (I did not use it this time but I’m sure it would be good)

Instructions

  1. Heat a frying pan (I used nonstick) on medium-high heat and add the fat.
  2. Sauté the diced onion for about one minute.
  3. Add the shredded rutabaga, salt and pepper (if using) to the pan and toss with the onions and fat. Continue cooking on medium heat tossing gently a few times for about 10 minutes. Cook for another 5 minutes pressing down with a spatula to brown them a bit more being careful not to burn the rutabaga.turnip hash browns
  4. Turn out the rutabaga hash browns onto a plate or serving dish. (I put the dish over the pan and flipped it over because it was difficult to remove in one piece with a spatula.) turnip hash browns

You can serve this with some eggs or sausage but since I had the pork ready in the crock pot I just pulled off some chunks and placed them on top. Having “dinner for breakfast” is not a problem for our family. It does not phase me to eat leftovers from the night before for breakfast. But the flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg from the spice mix on the pork, along with the sweetness of the rutabaga, make this dish especially palatable in the morning. Even though the recipe above is for 2 servings, one shredded 2 lb rutabaga and a 3 lb pork butt make quite a lot of food. You will be able to have a decent amount of leftovers or serve a fairly large group at a very low cost.

I would love to hear if you try this dish and how it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by!turnip with pork

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Rutabaga Hash Browns with Pulled Pork

potato-free hashbrowns with pulled pork. (Low carb!)

  • Author: Lea Valle
  • Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons of fat
  • 1/2 cup diced onion (I used purple onion but you could use white or yellow onions or shallots, etc… If you use leaks or scallions just be careful not to burn them)
  • 2 cups shredded rutabaga (To remove some of the liquid from the rutabaga you can squeeze it out in some paper towels or a clean dish towel.)
  • 1/41/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
  • pepper to taste – optional (I did not use it this time but I’m sure it would be good)

Instructions

  1. Heat a frying pan (I used nonstick) on medium-high heat and add the fat.
  2. Sauté the diced onion for about one minute.
  3. Add the shredded rutabaga, salt and pepper (if using) to the pan and toss with the onions and fat. Continue cooking on medium heat tossing gently a few times for about 10 minutes. Cook for another 5 minutes pressing down with a spatula to brown them a bit more being careful not to burn the rutabaga.turnip hash browns
  4. Turn out the rutabaga hash browns onto a plate or serving dish. (I put the dish over the pan and flipped it over because it was difficult to remove in one piece with a spatula.)

 

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