Sweet Potato and Beet Hashbrowns

Who doesn't love some delicious buttery hashbrowns, right?  They are a guilty pleasure of mine when I go out for breakfast.  Since I started eating healthier one food that I've cut out of my diet has been white potatoes.  For me, I look at white potatoes as a treat in the form of french fries or hashbrowns.  We've substituted sweet potatoes for our starch of choice, which is a healthier version instead of your standard white potato.  This recipe was just a combination of what we had around the house, but was based on a dish that I had at a restaurant that did a beet hash with white potatoes.  

On top of this dish I just included a couple of delicious poached eggs and an easy hollandaise sauce.  If you have never made a poached egg, it is a lot easier than you might think!  All you need to do is bring 4 inches of water to a low boil in a medium saucepan.  Add 1 tbsp of vinegar to acidulate the water: this keeps the egg whites together so that it doesn't turn into egg drop soup. You will want to crack your egg in a small bowl to make sure your yolk stays together and that you can easily drop it into the water.  If you are doing multiple eggs you will want to drop them into the water separately.  Before you drop the eggs, the last thing you will want to do is swirl the water in your pot with a spoon, this will also help keep your eggs together.  Once you drop them in the water, start the timer and cook for 3-4 minutes depending on the consistency of the yolk that you prefer.  

Making a hollaindaise sauce does require a little bit of technique, the key is to have all of your ingredients ready, because once you start thickening your yolks, things will move fast.  I just used this recipe and added 1 tbsp of stone ground mustard the same time that this recipe calls for adding the salt and cayenne.  Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

• 1 sweet potato, grated
• 2 medium beets, grated
• 2 tbsp bacon drippings or butter
• Salt and pepper

1. If you have a food processor with a grating attachment I would recommend using that to grate both the potato and beets.  If not, you can use a regular box grater to grate them.  
2. Transfer the grated beets and potato to the center of a old but clean towel.  Twist the open end of the towel so that you wring out as much of liquid as you can.  This will help crisp up your hashbrowns.  
3. We used an electric skillet set to 350 degrees to cook the hashbrowns.  You could also use a large fry pan over medium heat.  Add your bacon drippings or butter to your pan, then add the grated potato, beet mixture.  Spread out evenly in the pan, roughly a 1/3 of an inch thick.
4. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip the hashbrowns and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  
5. Top with poached eggs and hollaindaise sauce.  ENJOY!!!