First I’m going to tell you about the food. The excellent food. I love this recipe. But then… then I want to share an inspirational story about how I landed my exciting new freelance gig. So keep reading!
I had all these beets in my fridge last week and no good way to use them up. I love beets, but sometimes the cleaning and peeling and roasting and the messy pink liquid that stains your fingers and your countertops seems like a lot of trouble for a simple salad. And when I decide I’m hungry, I’m hungry RIGHT NOW. I don’t want to wait for the oven to preheat and then wait for the beets to slow roast.
I was contemplating feeding beets to my dog (she likes raw carrots, why not beets?) when I came across this Martha Stewart recipe for beet hash. Beet hash that takes less than 30 minutes (that’s total time, people). You can’t even ROAST beets in under 30 minutes. Sold. I’m trying it.
And then the skepticism sets in.
Sometimes I have no idea how these things are gonna turn out. This is one of those recipes that sounds so delicious in theory. It’s healthy. It’s beautiful. It sounds like a brunch recipe you would find at a local, organic, family-owned, 5-star restaurant. Is it going to be weird though?
Nope! Not weird. This recipe might just make a beet lover out of someone.
The beets are a tiny bit sweet, but not overwhelming. The turnips are earthy and woody. The onions douse the dish in flavor. Even the black pepper is important here. As the eggs cook, the veggies on the bottom of the pan sort of caramelize then char, which is something I love. You can suss out each flavor and yet, they meld together perfectly.
Plus, look how prettyyyyy.
About a month ago, my good friend Griff and I had a little heart to heart. Griff doesn’t sugar-coat things. He’s always honest. He’s good for giving the male perspective. He pretty much always tells me stuff that is opposite of what I want to hear.
We were talking about my career and my plans to move to a bigger city (plans that are still in the works, don’t get me wrong) and he said something like this: “Yo Dee [He calls me Dee. I love it.], just ‘cause you move to a bigger city doesn’t mean that everything is going to happen for you easily. The people who really want it don’t sit around and wait for opportunities to appear, they go out and make their own opportunities.”
That really got me thinking… He is totally right and now I’ve had entrepreneur-brain happening ever since, which is scary. Look out world! But seriously, I took his advice to heart. And this is going to sound silly, but this is my thought process – I’ve put so much time and energy into dating and breaking up over the past two years – what if I just forget about that world for now and recycle all that time and energy into my profession and into creating opportunities?
And two weeks later…! I don’t want to go into detail and name names until the papers are signed, but I’ve been asked to do some freelance recipe testing and food photography for a start-up company in Chicagoland! It’s just part-time, so I’ll keep working at the hospital and in my spare time, I’ll work out of my own kitchen and take photos on my own front porch. I can’t wait to share more details about the company – I think they will work hard to be very successful, so I’m excited for myself and also excited for them!
[Insert huge, awkward smiley face and dancing, happy, clapping me.] High-five and bear hugs to Griff for giving good advice and getting the wheels in my head turning!
Beet & Turnip Hash with Runny Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 pound beets about 4, peeled and diced
- 1/2 pound turnips about 2, peeled and diced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
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In a high-sided skillet, cover beets and turnips with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and wipe out skillet.
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Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add boiled beets and turnips and cook until turnips begin to turn golden, about 4 minutes.
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Reduce heat to medium, add onion, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in parsley.
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Make four wells in the hash. Crack one egg into each and top with salt & pepper. Cover and cook until whites set but yolks are still runny, 3-5 minutes. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.
