This Mexican style potato hash is an extremely satisfying dish full of texture and spice. It has a wonderful element of freshness from the fresh cilantro, jalapeno, chives, tomato and avocado. It is also great when it is spread out in a Pyrex dish and topped with jack cheese and put under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and melted.
My mom and I went backpacking in Nepal many years ago on a trek in the Himalayan Mountains. We started at Pokhara Valley and trekked halfway around Annapurna and back again. I could barely walk after the first three days of the seven-day journey. So we decided to stay a couple nights in an incredible little village that had lots of water buffalo roaming around. There were these Sherpa who would trek from this tiny village down to the Pokhara Valley to get supplies for the villagers as well as for travelers like ourselves. They made this journey on foot and by on foot, I mean barefoot or in flip-flops. They had these giant baskets on their backs that were secured by a strap across their foreheads. Some of these baskets would be filled with beer and soda in glass bottles!
The man who ran the place where we stayed at had opened a beer that had been recently brought up by a Sherpa and half the beer erupted out because of the continued shaking during its long voyage. After seeing that I said, “oh hell no, that will not happen to me, I will not loose a single drop”. Needless to say, he did not believe it was possible. I took a bottle opener and tapped the cap for a couple of minutes, then I took the opener and barely lifted the cap just enough to let out some of the pressure. I tapped on the cap a bunch more times, lifted the cap up a little more and continued doing this until the cap was off and not a drop of beer came out. The man was in utter shock and said he had been losing half his beer for as long as he could remember. He couldn’t stop thanking me. That made my day! I’m sure he passed this knowledge on.
This recipe is perfect with a nice cold Mexican beer. Well, maybe not for breakfast, ha ha!
Mexican Style Potato Hash Recipe:
3 – 6 Servings
- 2 1/2 Pounds Potatoes medium high heat
- 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
- 1 Poblano – roasted – de-seeded – de-stemmed – diced
-
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper – diced
- 1 Jalapeno – minced – optional
- 1 Cob of Corn – cut off the cob or 1/2 Cup Frozen Corn – thawed
- 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Large White Onion – diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves – minced
- 2 Teaspoon Ancho Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt – or to taste
Garnish
- 1/2 Cup Green Onion – thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Cilantro Leaves – roughly
- chopped
- 1 Jalapeno – thinly sliced – optional
- 1 Cup Tomato – wedges or diced
- 1 – 2 Avocados – thinly sliced or diced
*If you aren’t vegan you can add some jack cheese.
- Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo
- Roasted Habanero Salsa
- Fire Roasted Heirloom Tomato Salsa
- Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Instructions:
Roasted Peppers
Roast the peppers on the stovetop on medium high heat. A gas stove works the best but it will work fine on an electric stove. Char the peppers on all sides turning with a pair of tongs. When good and charred, steam them for 10 minutes in a covered dish or a paper bag rolled shut to hold in the steam.
Take a paper towel and rub off the char. It’s ok to leave a little of the char. Slice in half and remove the seeds and stems.
Veggies
Add the red pepper, jalapeno and fresh cut corn to a covered bowl and refrigerate.
In another covered bowl, add the cilantro, green onions and jalapeno and refrigerate.
Assemble
Add the onions to a saute pan with olive oil and saute on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno then continue cooking for an additional 5 – 7 minutes or until the garlic starts to become golden. Stir in the red pepper, poblano and corn. Cook for a couple additional minutes and take off the heat. Set aside.
Put the potatoes in a 5 quart pot covered with water, and add the vinegar. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium low and continue to cook for about 8 minutes. You want them to be soft but still a little firm. Strain. In a large skillet add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium high heat. When the oil becomes hot, add the potatoes. Let them brown a little before stirring. Add the ancho powder, paprika and salt; then continue to stir and cook until they are golden brown. Add the onion mix, stir well and continue to cook for a couple minutes until the entire mixture is hot.
Serve with a wedge of lime, tomatoes, avocado and the cilantro mix.
Health benefits:
Yellow Potatoes – Yukon gold’s content of potassium is higher than many foods and can help reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. They have twice the amount of vitamin C as a Russet, which helps protects your cells from free-radical damage. Yukon’s are rich in B6 and antioxidant properties. It has a bit of Iron but the C helps the body absorb it. They contain fiber that helps reduces cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar, helps prevent constipation and aids in weight loss.
Bell Peppers are extremely high in vitamin A, which helps to support healthy eyesight especially night vision. It is also very high in vitamin C, which is really important for the skin. They have a good source of the antioxidant mineral manganese and B-complex and vitamin E. They help reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol, helps controls diabetes and helps reduce pain. They are a good source of fiber, folate, vitamin K, molybdenum and manganese. Red peppers are one of the veggies highest in lycopene and have been successfully tested in the prevention of many cancers. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant, giving many fruits and vegetables their color, especially tomatoes, that are great for the prevention of cancers in the bladder, prostate, cervix and pancreas.
Poblano Peppers are extremely high in vitamin C; just one pepper has 95% of your daily value. They are great for your immune system and help to reduce inflammation like in arthritis and asthma. They are also helpful with the increase of oxygen helping the body to burn more calories 20 minutes after eating peppers. They are full of vitamin A, vitamin K, and potassium.
