One typical weekend food people enjoy is a side of hash browns. Typically cooked up in a bunch of oil, these healthy spuds are transformed into unhealthy standard American diet fare. They don’t call the diner the greasy spoon without reason! This doesn’t have to be so! You can make oil free hash browns! People are often scared to sauté without oil, especially if using a non-stick pan. I ditched my non-stick pans and have gone to stainless to prevent us from eating toxins given off from the non-stick surfaces. What’s the secret? Well listen closely! Start with a hot pan, and then add your veggies. When those veggies hit the hot pan, they will instantly release moisture, begin cooking, and won’t stick (with the addition of a few tablespoons of water). Why a hot pan versus cold? The reason is, when you start with a cold pan versus a hot pan, the food has to heat up along with the pan. As this happens, the food sticks, as it slowly releases its moisture, instead of quickly releasing water using a hot pan. It’s the natural waters and sugars that you want to release to create a caramelization of the food, without the need of oil. These oil free hash browns won’t get as crispy as they would with the use of oil, but they will cook beautifully, and taste light, without that gross feeling that comes with eating an oily meal. These are great served with plant-based waffles or a tofu scramble!
Why Oil Free Cooking?
I select to cook without oil. Oil is 100% fat calories, without any additional nutrients. Fat is very calorically dense. Oil is 14 grams of fat per tablespoon, and for every fat gram, that’s 9 calories. So in 1 tbsp that’s 135 calories, and you won’t even know you’ve consumed that! Wouldn’t you rather enjoy those calories and get a variety of nutrients from them? One cup of blueberries equals 85 calories, 1 cup of broccoli equals 31 calories, so in 116 calories, you can get 2 cups worth of food, versus having no sense of satiety in 1 tablespoon’s worth of oil! 
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup minced red or sweet yellow onions
- 7 cups red potatoes, baby or small and cooked whole in boiling water until knife tender, then cut into small dice
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 3/4-1 tsp kosher salt (can use a salt substitute if needed)
- freshly ground black pepper
- a few shakes of chipotle powder, about 1/8-1/4 tsp (depending on how spicy you like things! Start with less)
- 3-5 tbsp water, for sautéing
- fresh parsley or cilantro for serving
- Optional: add in fresh spinach right at the end to increase your greens consumption
Instructions:
- Cook potatoes whole in boiling water until knife tender but not mushy, then cut into small dice
- Place frying pan on stove, and heat to the point where a drop of water will bead up and float on top of the pan
- Add onion, and saute’ adding in 1-2 tbsp of water to prevent sticking.
- When onions have begun to brown, add in potatoes, salt, pepper, chipotle powder, and dried rosemary, and a few additional tbsp of water to prevent sticking (add this as needed to allow potatoes to cook, but not too much or your will end up steaming them).
- When finished, you can stir in some fresh baby spinach or other greens, and/or fresh parsley or cilantro
- Serve with pancakes, waffles, a tofu scramble, or use as an addition to lentils or as a salad topper!
Nutritional Benefits:
- High in fiber (that’s what this is folks!)
- Whole food-no processing
- Oil free-heart healthy and diabetic friendly (yes, you can eat potatoes! They’re good sources of fiber), can use a salt substitute
- Low in calories
- 1½ cup minced red or sweet yellow onions
- 7 cups red potatoes, baby or small, and cooked whole in boiling water until knife tender, then cut into small dice
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- ¾-1 tsp kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- a few shakes of chipotle powder, about ⅛-1/4 tsp (depending on how spicy you like things! Start with less)
- 3-5 tbsp water, for sautéing
- fresh parsley or cilantro for serving
- Optional:
- add in fresh spinach right at the end to increase your greens consumption
- Cook potatoes whole in boiling water until knife tender but not mushy, then cut into small dice
- Place frying pan on stove, and heat to the point where a drop of water will bead up and float on top of the pan
- Add onion, and saute' adding in 1-2 tbsp of water to prevent sticking.
- When onions have begun to brown, add in potatoes, salt, pepper, chipotle powder, and dried rosemary, and a few additional tbsp of water to prevent sticking (add this as needed to allow potatoes to cook, but not too much or your will end up steaming them).
- When finished, you can stir in some fresh baby spinach or other greens, and/or fresh parsley or cilantro
- Serve with pancakes, waffles, a tofu scramble, or use as an addition to lentils or as a salad topper!
[…] Oil Free Hash Browns (breakfast) from Garden Fresh Foodie […]