Sunday, April 12, 2009

Hot Diggity Dawg!

Long ago my favorite after school "snack" was a big fat juicy Nathan's all beef hot dog. The crunchy pop that would occur between my teeth with that first head on bight would send flavor dancing in my mouth. Man, I loved a good hot dog. It follows then that the first vegetarian faux meat I would enjoy would be a hot dog. My go to hot dog is the "Smart Dog" brand. Although I must say that by far the best veggie dog comes in a can from Loma Linda California. These are bit spendy on my part time budget though.
In my continuing effort to make quick nutritionally sound meals I have revisited the hot dog as major staple food. Now, although I love the dog itself I really only see it as an opportunity to pile on as many amazing toppings as I can imagine and because I never keep hot dog buns in the house I am not limited to the tiny surface area they afford. I serve my dogs on whole wheat pita breads. They end up looking more like hot dog tacos. Recently I have broken with another seemingly self-imposed hot dog rule and I put two dogs in my pita. One hot dog is never enough for me but making a whole other one is always way too much. Problem solved! Tonight I made a wonderful apple citrus chutney and piled it high atop my double dog with a dollop of zucchini relish. Enjoy!

Barbecue Apple Orange Chutney:

1 cup finely dice yellow onion
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped peeled apple (I used a pink lady)
1/2 cup supremed orange slices chopped
pinch of salt
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (your choice)

In a sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the pinch of salt. Saute until fragrant and then turn heat down to medium low. Stir occasionally until the onion turns a dark brown color. Deglaze your sauce pan with vinegar. Add the apple and cook 2 minutes. Add the orange and stir a moment and then remove from heat. Add your barbecue sauce. Serve over your double dog!

2 comments:

Cal Orey, Author-Intuitive said...

Hi Nicole,
Couldn't help but notice olive oil and ACV...author here...The Healing Powers of Olive Oil and The Healing Powers of Vinegar...Check 'em out. Just released in mass market edition. Recipes will wow you and inspire you with other healthful vinegars/oils.
www.calorey.com

Justice said...

This hot-blog rulz:) This dish rivals those served at Freeman's! http://www.fnhotdog.com/