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Carol's latest book, Gluten-Free Cooking for Two, is now available. Designed for small households, each perfectly-proportioned recipe serves two people. You will eliminate unwanted leftovers and reduce waste when you cook right-size meals with the 125 recipes in this book. Enjoy!! Celebrate with me!!! Gluten-Free Cooking for Two has won two awards: named one of ten "Best Gluten-Free Cooking Books in 2017" by Healthline.com and won a Silver Medal in the 2017 Living Now Book Awards in the "Natural, Nutrition, Organic, Vegetarian" category.
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Hash: Creative Way to Use Gluten-Free Leftovers

One thing is certain: if you did any gluten-free cooking during the holidays, you are likely to have leftovers. And even if you didn’t host any get-togethers this season, you will certainly have leftovers throughout the year.

Gluten-free hash is a great way to use leftovers.

Make hash to use leftovers in a delicious, gluten-free dish.

So, “hash” is ideal for cleaning out the refrigerator, especially in winter when hearty, comfort-food dishes are perfect. It is a dish that is easily made gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy it.

What is hash?

The definition of hash varies but it is generally a combination of meat, potatoes, and spices cooked together in a skillet and served as breakfast.   It may or may not have eggs in it or on it and you can add cooked vegetables, if you wish. The version you may be most familiar with is corned-beef hash, which is also delicious, but I use turkey, chicken, or ham (you could even use beef) in mine because they are the most common leftovers.

No matter how you describe it, hash is very versatile. Once you make a hash, you’ll see that there are no hard and fast rules—you can vary the ingredients based on what you have. In fact, some people like hash so much that they create it from scratch rather than using leftover ingredients. And, this dish is especially good when made in a cast-iron skillet which creates a delicious crustiness that contrasts nicely with the creamy interior.

Carol Fenster’s Hash

(adapted from the award-winning 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster, Wiley, 2008)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoons unsalted butter or buttery spread

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (or cooked, diced potatoes or hash browns, whatever you have)

1 cup chopped or shredded cooked turkey (or chicken, ham, or beef)

¼ cup gluten-free chicken broth

1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely diced fresh onion or 2 teaspoons dried minced onion

½ teaspoon celery salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

Additional salt and pepper

Paprika, for garnish (smoked paprika is terrific!)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley, for garnish

Additional salt and pepper, to taste

[1] In a heavy, cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter in a heavy, cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place the potatoes and meat in the skillet and cook until heated through.

[2] While the mixture heats, in a medium bowl, whisk together the broth, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, onion, celery salt, and pepper, in a medium bowl and pour over the potatoes and meat.

[3] With a spatula, press the mixture firmly down to compress it so all parts brown evenly; and cook until deeply browned and crispy on the bottom. Flip the hash, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, and cook the other side until deeply browned and crisp. (Cooking time varies with the type of ingredients and their moisture content, so keep checking the browning process; the browner the better for crispiness and flavor.)

[4] Transfer the hash to a serving plate, season with additional salt and pepper, and cover with foil to keep warm. (Or, leave the hash in the skillet and cook the eggs in a separate skillet, which keeps the hash warm and intact so you can serve it right out of the skillet.)

[5] Add 4 whole eggs to the same skillet and fry each to the desired degree of doneness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place eggs on top of hash and dust with paprika and parsley. Cut into wedges serve immediately. Makes 4 servings

Carol’s Tips:

[1] If you have leftover gravy from your holiday meals, it tastes delicious drizzled over hash. Mexican salsa is also quite good; I’m fond of using La Victoria salsa made from tomatillos.

[2] Leftover cooked grains or beans can also be added to the hash to boost its nutritional level.

[3] Don’t worry what your hash looks like; it is a homey, comfort-food type of dish. But you can jazz it up with a dusting of paprika and fresh parsley (as in my recipe here) or cilantro. Or, lay strips of pimiento on top or chopped tomatoes, for a little color.

[4] If you have individual cast-iron skillets, make each hash individually (as shown in the photo). This works very well when you’re cooking for two or want to exercise some portion-control.