Healthy, Low Carb, Turnip Hashbrowns Recipe

Some foods get a bad rap unnecessarily. Take hash browns and eggs, for one.  Its what people probably imagine is being served at greasy spoon diners around the US and otherwise, artery clogging foods that, if you eat them on an even semi regular basis, will make you keel over and drop dead from a heart attack.

But honestly, if you follow the traditional foods movement like I do, you'd know that cholesterol is not the evil thing the AHA would have you believe, that you need cholesterol for proper brain and nerve functioning and development, and that eggs don't cause heart disease (even backed by studies in mainstream sources like JAMA-Journal of the American Medical Association). 

Hash browns, prepared properly, especially with a side of eggs,  is actually a really healthy, filling, and nutritious  dish.

I'm trying to keep my grocery costs as low as possible now, despite the ever increasing prices, and that means utilizing foods that aren't necessarily my favorites. Turnips are some of  those. I am not the biggest turnip fan (that isn't to say that I hate them, they're just not my top choice as I find them very strongly flavored), but because turnips are some of  the cheapest vegetables I can find now, that's what I'm buying, and I'm trying to figure out all sorts of uses for  them, even for the non turnip lovers. (Here's a recipe for turnip pickles, another good use for turnips.)

This is a dish I've whipped up for breakfast a few times and it disguises the strong taste of turnips beautifully- turnip hash browns! This is a yummy way to cook this low cost root veggie, and its also a good alternative for people on a nightshade free diet, or low carb or Paleo/Primal diet. I know it sounds odd, but I guarantee it, it tastes nearly exactly like the potato version.

And if you'd rather make  these with potatoes, just sub potatoes for the turnips in this recipe to make some really delicious hash browns.

Turnips, for the record, are pretty nutritious, and are a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, manganese, calcium and selenium.

Turnip Hashbrowns Recipe

Ingredients:
3 large turnips (or potatoes)
1 onion (optional)
1 large pat of butter
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Peel turnips and chop off the top and bottom. (Save these to make veggie scrap broth.) If using potatoes, scrub well but don't peel.

2. Either grate turnips (or potatoes) or chop them in quarters, then slice very thinly. If using onion, peel and chop onion.

3. Melt your pat of butter in a frying pan, then saute onion (if using). Once the onion is translucent, add the turnips (or potatoes) and garlic.

4. Leave the turnips or potatoes on a medium/low flame, stirring occasionally to stop it from burning, but keeping them in one place for long enough to get browned on the bottom.

5. Cook until the turnips or potatoes are totally soft, then season with salt and  pepper to taste.

Serve with eggs on the side for a nice, filling, and nutritious breakfast!

How do you feel about butter, eggs, and other natural high fat foods? Good for you?  The devil? Do you try to avoid them or specifically to eat them or neither?
Do you like hash  browns?
Do you like turnips? If so, or even if not, what are your best turnip  recipes?
Do you think you'd try this one out?

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