Do you ever feel like eating a hot dog, but do not want to eat meat or consume all those nitrites?
Enter The Carrot Hot Dog.
Everyone has a bag of carrots in their refrigerator, so making these hot dogs is an easy go-to meal on a busy weekday night, or when you have absolutely nothing to eat in-house. You may also add these to your barbecue line-up to accommodate vegetarians.
The whole trick to making these carrot hot dogs is to marinate them. When creating this recipe, I kept a plastic container of carrots marinating in the refrigerator for up to three days, so that I could experiment with the grilling and the toppings.
Speaking of grilling, I successfully used a George Foreman Grill, a traditional charcoal barbecue and one night when it was cold and rainy, I used a paillard pan.
All resulted in a delicious “dog.”
The toppings also jazz up the flavor and presentation. Set out a few or all of the suggested toppings and your guests may help themselves, and make their carrot dogs “their way.”
Round out your meal with homemade baked beans, which are very easy to make in a slow cooker and oven baked fries and you have an easy to prepare vegetarian feast, and I bet your guests will not even miss those pesky nitrites.
MENU
(Serves 8)
Carrot Hot Dogs
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Oven Baked Fries
Carrot Hot Dogs
8 medium carrots (approximately 1 1/2 lbs. total)
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tblsps. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tblsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
BUNS & TOPPINGS
8 hot dog buns, toasted
TOPPINGS-Choose as many as you like
2 tsp. poppy seeds
8 dill pickle spears or cornichons
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup minced white onion
red peppers or pepperoncini
sweet relish
mustard
ketchup
celery salt
To prepare carrots: (Do this at least one day ahead and up to 3 days)
1. Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot, fitted with a steamer basket. Add
carrots, cover and steam until barely tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Combine broth, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, garlic powder and paprika in a
sealable plastic container Add the carrots and refrigerate, keeping the carrots
in a single layer, for at least 1 day, turning at least twice.
1. Preheat grill to high or heat a grill pan over high heat.
2. Remove the carrots from the marinade (discard the marinade). Grill the carrots,
turning once or twice, until they are hot and have grill marks on all sides, about
5 minutes total.
To prepare buns and serve:
3. Lightly toast the buns on the inside, about 1 minute.
Serve the carrots, in the buns, and let your guests choose their toppings. Personally, I like mine “Fancy Chicago Style”, the “dog” with cornichons, sliced tomatoes, relish, deli mustard, and ketchup.
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
2 cans navy beans, washed and drained
1 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large onion, chopped
2 tblsp. dry mustard
1 tblsp. salt
1. Place beans in a slow cooker.
2. Stir ketchup, water, onion mustard, salt and brown sugar into the beans until well mixed.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, stirring occasionally, if possible, although not necessary.
4.Serve hot.
Oven Baked French Fries
8 large baking potatoes
Spray oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place a Silpat on a baking sheet. Cut potatoes into fries. (I use a Potato Chipper,
available at Bed Bath & Beyond, Sur la Table or Culinary Architect Catering.)
3. Place “fries” on Silpat, spray with spray oil. Salt and pepper according to taste.
4. Bake 35-45 minutes in preheated oven.
Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 35 year-old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties. Need help making your parties delicious and stress-free, CALL 516-484-7431and you will be a guest at your own party!
