Paleo Sweet'N Savory Hash (AIP)

Sitting in an airport void of a single volt of electricity is not something anyone, regardless of their health status, looks forward too.  But that is me, and my family, sitting in the Baltimore airport, with a canceled flight, trying to get a connecter to Nashville, TN.  I don’t travel, simply because my daily symptoms and pains inhibit me from functioning like a normal human being.  Going to Nashville was an exception, and I am not going to lie, it is rather awful to be extra exhausted from being up since 4 am, while have no luggage or food.   But that is not why I am sharing today’s post with you all.  Obviously, despite how doom and gloom it feels, I will, and am, surviving.  Hopefully, by the time I post this I will safely be in Nashville, recuperating from this airport excursion, and powering up to have an awesome Thanksgiving.  In the meantime, I will just lie here on the floor in terminal A and write about today’s recipe. 

Hash, a loose term used to describe pretty much anything thrown together in a skillet, is probably one of the tastiest, no-talent-necessary dishes one can make.  Though potatoes are typically used in “hash-browns,” I chose to use butternut squash instead.  Before I got sick, winter squash was rarely on our mealtime table.  My mom was never a fan of how hard it would come out of the oven, or the mushy consistency that boiling produced.  However, as my allergies simultaneously grew with my illness, I found that I kept stumbling upon roasted squash recipes.  As my mom suspected, the recipe came out boring, bland, and really unappetizing, just how we had remembered it.  Yet as my experience in the kitchen got more advanced, I realized, duh, you just have to cook it longer, at a higher temperature, and (the best part) add more cooking fat.  Not only does this yield a tastier finished product, but the squash itself becomes super crispy, a texture everyone can help but love (especially those with an aversion to squash).  Therefore, I almost hesitate to call squash, “squash,” due to there truly being so many tasty kinds (granted you prepare them the right way).  One of my personal favorites is delicata.  Though harvested in the fall, this heirloom variety of summer squash introduced in 1894, yields a thinner skin, which means no peeling necessary.  Some compare the flavor of this vegetable a cross between sweet corn and pumpkin pie.  But enough about squash, and onto the rest of today’s recipe.

Before roasting, I coated the butternut squash in both oil and apple sauce (i.e. sugar and fat), which gives the squash extra caramelization.  If you still can’t wrap your head around squash being delicious, substituting sweet potatoes works great instead, though I highly recommend trying the recipe the way I originally created it.  Collards, a tough, cruciferous vegetable full of vitamin K, C, A, and a variety of other nutrients, tends to be served as the Southern dish of “creamed collards and grits.”  However, by slicing the leaves into slivers and then sautéing them with pears, onions, and the applesauce coated squash, the slight, natural bitterness the collards possess is hidden. All in all, this caramelized hash is a great addition to any meal, especially your Thanksgiving day feast.  Whether along side eggs or sausage for breakfast, tossed cold onto of a salad for lunch, or served over a juicy grilled burger (my parent’s personal favorite), no one will even realize that they are eating the vegetable once loathed as children.  In fact, I know for certain everyone at your Thanksgiving meal will definitely prefer this over pureed squash any day.  With a combination of succulent, sweet, salty, and crispy, what is there not to love about this delectable dish? 

Sweet'N Savory Hash

Print Recipe

(Serves 4) 
Ingredients

• 4 cups butternut squash - cubed - 1/2 inch thick
• 3 cups collards - de-stemmed, cut into 1/2 inch slivers
• 1 purple onion (1 cup) - thinly sliced 
• 1 pear (1/2 cup) - cut into chunks
• 3 tbsp no-sugar-added apple sauce
• 3 tbsp lard - melted
• 1 tbsp sea salt

Process 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
• Measure 1 tbsp of lard into a roasting pan, placing in the oven to melt while preparing other ingredients.
• Peel and cut squash into like-size cubes.
• Put squash in roasting pan with apple sauce and melted lard, sprinkling with 1 tsp sea salt and placing into preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• While the squash is cooking, fill a pot 2/3 way up with water, allowing to come to a roaring boil.
•  De-stem, and chop collards into like-sized slivers, dropping into the boiling water to blanch for 1 minute.
• Next, pour collards into a strainer and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process.
• Back on the stove, heat remaining 2 tbsp of lard in a medium sized skillet over medium-low heat.
• Slice onions and pear, adding to the pan once hot.
• Allow to caramelize for about 10 minutes.
• Add the collards and remaining 2 tsp of sea salt, letting the greens wilt down, and then turning the skillet to low. 
• After squash has become soft after 25-30 minutes, turn broiler on high, placing the pan  place it under the top broiler, allowing to brown extra.
• Once broiled, add squash to the sautee pan, stirring into the mixture until fully combined. 
• Serve hash warm over turkey, a burger, salad, or anything you like!

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Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."