Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

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Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby PJK » Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:39 pm

Anyone had any luck preventing the McDougall hash browns from sticking to the pan while cooking?

I've tried the recipe twice...both times, instead of browning, the potatoes burnt to the pan. A blackened mess to clean, and the potatoes didn't brown.

FYI, I tried once with a nonstick pan, once with a well-seasoned cast-iron pan. No oil either time. Medium-high flame, as directed. Got same (bad) results.

FYI, here's the recipe:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educ ... ash-Browns

Help?
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby patty » Wed Sep 06, 2017 1:25 pm

I am not the greatest cook.. but I imagine cooked at a lower temperature and judgement when to turn them might work. I had the hardest time learning to cook oat pancakes till I started cooking smaller, dollar size. I was able to judge the tempt and when to turn them. That might work with hash browns. I am sure adding onions and peppers would add more liquid to make it easier. There are some really good videos. I am sure one of the members will give you the links. Starch creates satiety, so it is important for you to find what works for you. I microwave, and cook fries in a air fryer. The fries eliminate any desire for the hash browns.

Aloha, patty
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby HappyTummy » Wed Sep 06, 2017 2:22 pm

Keep trying. It takes some patience and there is a bit of a learning curve. Here is a blog post I made on how I do it:

http://beansriceeverythingnice.weebly.c ... ree-recipe

I used fresh potatoes because I can't find frozen oil-free hash browns where I live (at least not very often). I am sure that this method will work with frozen. Skip the step where I squeeze the water out of the potatoes.
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby Willijan » Wed Sep 06, 2017 2:33 pm

patty wrote:I am not the greatest cook.. but I imagine cooked at a lower temperature and judgement when to turn them might work. I had the hardest time learning to cook oat pancakes till I started cooking smaller, dollar size. I was able to judge the tempt and when to turn them. That might work with hash browns. I am sure adding onions and peppers would add more liquid to make it easier. There are some really good videos. I am sure one of the members will give you the links. Starch creates satiety, so it is important for you to find what works for you. I microwave, and cook fries in a air fryer. The fries eliminate any desire for the hash browns.

Aloha, patty


Patty,
So the fries come out crisp in the air fryer?
What else can you cook in it that is McDougall compliant? Is it lined with Teflon? What brand(s) do you recommend?
Once you talked me into getting an Instant Pot, I have gone wild and am considering an air fryer even though I don't like fries. My husband does.
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby Plumerias » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:14 am

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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby patty » Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:48 am

Willijan wrote:
patty wrote:I am not the greatest cook.. but I imagine cooked at a lower temperature and judgement when to turn them might work. I had the hardest time learning to cook oat pancakes till I started cooking smaller, dollar size. I was able to judge the tempt and when to turn them. That might work with hash browns. I am sure adding onions and peppers would add more liquid to make it easier. There are some really good videos. I am sure one of the members will give you the links. Starch creates satiety, so it is important for you to find what works for you. I microwave, and cook fries in a air fryer. The fries eliminate any desire for the hash browns.

Aloha, patty


Patty,
So the fries come out crisp in the air fryer?
What else can you cook in it that is McDougall compliant? Is it lined with Teflon? What brand(s) do you recommend?
Once you talked me into getting an Instant Pot, I have gone wild and am considering an air fryer even though I don't like fries. My husband does.


I have a Black and Decker, it is smaller than most Air Dryers. And I use it mostly for fries. For crispness.. it is more of a baked fry as only with oil do your really get the crisp taste we remember. You can dress the fries up, with veggies or chili and faux cheese. I like it because I can fry a bunch of fires that I have soaked ready to go. Do you need one? I use it for connivence and the fries are easy to have prepped and the satiety is there. I tired sweet potato fries, and didn't really enjoy them. Anything that can be baked can be Air Fried. I do toast:) I haven't seen a stainless steel one.

Susan from Fat Free Vegan purchased one, she shares about it with this recipe. You can also use your instant pot:) You can check out her other recipes as she will mention if she uses a Air Fryer. http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2017/01/cr ... atoes.html It looks like the Phillips Air Fryer she uses.. might have a stainless steel insert. You can see it in this recipe of Crispy Black Eyed Peas: bla http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2016/12/cr ... -peas.html I would check the size of the Air Fryer for myself as I leave it on the counter. I imagine even with the Black and Decker a stainless steel insert might be found to use.

Aloha, patty
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby Willijan » Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:47 pm

Thanks for your long reply about air fryers, Patty. A lot to think about. And I was hoping for crisp. But now I know more than I did before.
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby patty » Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:58 pm

Willijan wrote:Thanks for your long reply about air fryers, Patty. A lot to think about. And I was hoping for crisp. But now I know more than I did before.


Yea, crisp fries and cookies is a past memory:) Flour tortillas are about closest to crisp you can get:) I think that is why I never really enjoyed the hash browns.

Aloha, patty
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby jld » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:24 pm

PJK wrote:Anyone had any luck preventing the McDougall hash browns from sticking to the pan while cooking?

I've tried the recipe twice...both times, instead of browning, the potatoes burnt to the pan. A blackened mess to clean, and the potatoes didn't brown.

FYI, I tried once with a nonstick pan, once with a well-seasoned cast-iron pan. No oil either time. Medium-high flame, as directed. Got same (bad) results.

FYI, here's the recipe:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educ ... ash-Browns

Help?


I watched a video of Mary's this morning where she suggested using a Berndes nonstick pan to make hash browns. Not sure how crispy they are, though.

Here, just found it: https://www.drcarney.com/blog/entry/mak ... -mcdougall
A clean life is its own reward.
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby Vegankit » Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:35 pm

I make hash browns a different way. I too had problems burning and sticking in a pan.

I use left over mashed potatoes or colcannon (Irish recipe consisting of potatoes mashed with cabbage). I add a bag of defrosted Trader Joe's onion, red and green pepper mix and mash them into the potatoes. Then I spread the potatoes out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I use a fork to break up and add more texture to the mashed potatoes - it should look lumpy and crumbly in the pan. I bake it in the convection oven at 350° F, sometimes I'll bump it up to 400° F. I keep an eye on it and when it's browning on top I flip all the potato pieces so it can brown and crisp on the other side. I've never timed how long they bake so I'm going to throw out a wild guess of between 30 minutes to an hour. Hash browns cooked this way never stick and are super crunchy.
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby PJK » Fri Sep 08, 2017 2:19 pm

Thanks, all, for your tips, suggestions and encouragement. Plenty to try here !

And I appreciate your sense of community. Thank you.
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby PJK » Tue Sep 19, 2017 3:09 pm

Quick update - I tried making hash browns in a non-stick electric waffle iron, but got the same bad results. When I opened the iron, the mix of grated potato/onion was burnt and stuck to both sides, leaving nothing edible in the center. Took me a good hour to clean the waffle iron, too. After trying 3 different ways, I'm considering giving up on oil-free hash browns.
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby patty » Tue Sep 19, 2017 11:58 pm

PJK wrote:Quick update - I tried making hash browns in a non-stick electric waffle iron, but got the same bad results. When I opened the iron, the mix of grated potato/onion was burnt and stuck to both sides, leaving nothing edible in the center. Took me a good hour to clean the waffle iron, too. After trying 3 different ways, I'm considering giving up on oil-free hash browns.


Yes, I had the same cleaning:) experience with a waffle iron. I have a George Foreman grill with interchangeable plates. The ceramic panini plates work as the ceramic grill. I stay away from the waffle iron plates.

Agnes at one time posted High Carb Hannah's hash browns youtube, at that time I was still too burnt to try them. They looked the closest to a waffle hash brown, where they can be picked up to eat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDWv1o9BHu8
for the whole recipe: https://www.rawtillwhenever.com/wp-cont ... egan-4.png

High Carb Hannah walks the viewer through making a waffle iron potato: https://youtu.be/-15KYX6aLdU

Aloha, Patty

Update. I tired High Carb Hannah's recipe. I shredded two russet potatoes with skin on. Mixed with suggested seasoning, formed small patties, placed on the ceramic grill, flatten with spatula and baked them with the oven type cover down, turned to cook other side. Worked out great. it is good to gauge how many patties she made, to the size of potatoes she used.

Update. I thought I would try High Carb Hannah's suggestion of preparing the potatoes the way she did for the waffle iron. I peeled some russet potatoes, quartered and boiled for ten minutes. I used my food processor to dice some red and orange peppers, a sweet onion. I put the cooked potatoes in the food processor with the S blade, added some sliced Napa cabbage. Then I made some patties, with the chopped (not mashed) potatoes/Napa cabbage, with the added peppers and onion. But I got impatient in cooking them on the George Foreman grill, as when turning one fell apart:) I swished them altogether, and threw them into the Air Fryer. They turned out delicious. I think why, is the some of veggies, maybe the Napa cabbage/onion crisped.. where the potatoes were not over cooked. I love eating Air Fried fries, but they don't seem to be that healthy, because of the natural moisture isn't there. This was a win. Precooking the potatoes in water, makes the difference with the crisp Napa cabbage and onion. I Air Fried 10 minutes.. or just till I could smell them cooking not burning:)
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby AlwaysAgnes » Wed Sep 20, 2017 5:45 pm

High Carb Hannah has a recipe for potato muffins using shredded potatoes. I don't know, but I think it could be cooked different ways--baked in muffin cups or cooked on a panini press or shaped and cooked on a griddle or skillet. The recipe is in the video description.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0sAvw1dqB0


I remember once upon a time making a potato crust (maybe for quiche? Or possible frittata. I forget.). It was sort of similar to the above. You press the mixture into a glass pie plate, bake, and then fill it and bake again. I think something like that crust could be made with shredded potato/hash browns and eaten without the filling or with a healthier vegan filling.

I found this recipe for a potato crust. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/potato-crust-quiche You'd have to replace the egg with an egg substitute, but otherwise the crust ingredients are okay. I think you could use any kind of flour. Hannah's muffin recipe has similar ingredients; she just adds more vegs to the mix.
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Re: Hash browns - how to keep from sticking?

Postby m.c. » Tue Sep 26, 2017 11:01 pm

I let my non stick pan get hot, on the last line of the low setting. Once its been on a while I sprinkle the pre shredded potatoes on it to cover the pan then pour a pile on in the middle and spread it out. I kind of form them into a circle and pat down the top. After a while the edges will start getting brown and start smoking. Then I can slide the spatula under them and flip them. Then I cook them on the other side for a while. They get very crispy with a soft layer in the middle.

I buy the orida brand frozen. The kind with nothing added. I let a bag thaw in the refrigerator over night before cooking them in the morning.

I use a tfal pan like this https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.F8JD ... =300&h=300


This is where I learned how to cook them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5eHWxTyZNg
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