Sweet Potato and Apple Hash

18 May Sweet Potato and Apple Hash

Step up your sweet potatoes with a hash! This carb-rich side dish yields enough to pair with your favorite proteins all week long. Remember, it’s the combo of protein, carbohydrates and fat in every meal that will help you to stabilize your blood sugar, burn fat and sculpt lean, sexy muscle. Sweet potatoes are packed full of Vitamins A, C, B6, and fiber. And adding a handful of chopped fresh arugula into any dish is an easy trick to get more greens in your diet. I like to pair Sweet Potato and Apple Hash any time of day with eggs (1 whole egg plus a few whites), pork tenderloin or chicken.  A quality non-stick pan goes a long way in preventing the potatoes from sticking to the pan. If you don’t have non-stick pan, you may just need to add a touch more olive oil as you cook.

Sweet Potato and Apple Hash

INGREDIENTS

• your favorite cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled, and chopped into very small, even cubes (the smaller you cut them, the easier they are to cook)
• 1 large apple, peeled, chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/3 teaspoon smoked paprika
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• agave nectar, as needed
• handful of arugula, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large, preferably non-stick pan over medium heat. Coat wtih cooking spray. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once olive oil is hot, add onions and sauté for about 3 minutes or so. Add two more tablespoons of olive oil and sweet potatoes. Toss sweet potato to coat in olive oil and sauté until the potatoes caramelize (become light golden brown). This will take a while and you may need to lower the temperature and add a little more olive oil as you cook if the potatoes stick too much to the bottom of the pan. Make sure to scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan frequently so they don’t burn (especially if using a non-stick pan).
2. Season sweet potatoes with salt and pepper. Add paprika and toss to coat. Add apple and fresh rosemary. Push potatoes to the edges of the pan and add a splash of lemon directly to the center of the pan and scrape up any brown bits. Saute for another 3 minutes or so.
3. Last minute, drizzle in a couple tablespoons of agave nectar and toss in chopped fresh arugula. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

SO, WHAT’S THE NUTRITION BALANCE?

This side dish is made of carbs and fat and should be served with a protein for a balanced meal.