Carrot Dogs (no really)

Before I was a whole food, plant based eater, I remember my daughter stating that they were having company over and that they would be serving carrot hot dogs.  I could not help but think that I hoped the guests were going to have a bite to eat before they come to their house to eat the carrot dogs.   That just sounded terrible to me.

Well, I am still hesitant to recommend this recipe to anyone who is new to the plant based world.  It wasn't that we didn't like them.  We actually liked them a lot.  I just think they might have blown my mind a bit when we first started this journey.  

I knew hot dogs were terrible, but for my husband and I, a special meal once every three to four months was to have a couple of Nathan's hot dogs.  Man, we loved those things.  If someone would have offered me that or a steak, I would have picked the Nathan's hot dogs.  Now I have no desire to eat a real hot dog.  That sounds terrible to me.  However, we kind of missed having a hot dog type food every now and then.  I have not tried the packaged, "faux" hot dogs.  I just don't generally love the "faux" meats and don't believe they are healthy either.

We tried these hot dogs out on Super Bowl Sunday.  Maybe it was just the festivities that made them taste so good, but I am ready to cook them again. 

 
CARROT HOT DOGS

4 large carrots, peeled, with ends cut off to make them the size of the bun

¼ cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. dried ginger
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. granulated onion powder
4 whole wheat hot dog buns
Hot dog toppings- relish, sauerkraut, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, etc.

Boil carrots for approximately 6-8 minutes, or until fork tender but not mushy.  After boiling, plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking process.

Mix the liquid aminos or soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, garlic, ginger, pepper, and onion powder. 

Combine the cooked carrots and the marinade in a ziplock type bag.  Shake until carrots are coated with the marinade.   Place in fridge for about 24 hours, turning several times to move the carrots around in the marinade.

Heat a skillet, (I like to use a cast iron skillet) until quite hot.    Place the carrots, along with about ½ cup of the marinade, into the skillet.  Cook the carrots for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until warmed through, turning them around in the marinade several times. 

Before anyone says, "Hey, what's with the devilled eggs on the plate?", they were plant based deviled "eggs".  I wasn't crazy about them, but I am going to work on the recipe and see if I can make them tastier.  I will report back on them another time.

Once again, our daughter was right.  The carrot dogs were well received.
(Husband's note: In fact, I received about 3 of them!)

 

 

Butternut Squash Mac and "Cheese"

It took me a long time to get up the nerve to try some of the recipes for plant based "cheese type" sauces.  It just didn't seem right.  I used to make a baked macaroni and cheese casserole that was incredibly delicious.  It was also incredibly unhealthy.  That is not what I was going for here.  I felt that if I had a recipe that just had some of the qualities of a great mac and cheese, that I would be very happy.  Well, I think this one fit the bill.   The
                                                                        recipe is based on one from a blog                                                                           named Oh She Glows.

It has a hint of cheese taste from the nutritional yeast, and it is very creamy.  I was worried about the amount of Dijon mustard and the amount of lemon.  I love both of those ingredients, but I was afraid they would take over the flavor of
the dish.  They did not, and the dish has a very balanced flavor. 

I only made the old style of mac and cheese once or twice a year because of how unhealthy it was.  I feel like I can make this recipe often and not feel guilty. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC N “CHEESE”

2 Tbsp. vegan Earth Balance or other non-dairy butter replacement

1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups unsweetened & unflavored almond milk, (hold ¼ cup to see if needed)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
¾ cup nutritional yeast, or more to taste
3 tsp. Dijon mustard, to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
pepper to taste
2 cups roasted butternut squash
12 ounces small shell or elbow macaroni
frozen green peas, thawed

Prepare the cheese sauce in a pot on the stove.   Add the butter replacement and melt over low heat.  In a bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch until clumps are gone.  Add into pot and whisk.  Stir in the nutritional yeast, Dijon, garlic, onion powder, lemon, salt and pepper. 

Whisk over low heat until thickened,
                                            (about 5 minutes or so).

Cook pasta according to package directions, leaving it
al dente.

Add the butternut squash to a blender, along with the sauce.  Blend until very smooth.  Return the sauce to the saucepan.  Add the additional almond milk to get to the desired thickness of sauce.  Add the cooked pasta and the thawed peas. 

NOTE:  For best results, use a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec.

Husband's thoughts:  Don't expect this to taste like the traditional Mac-N-Cheese, but it is very good. I would recommend it to anyone. 

 

It's time for Pumpkin Bread!

I took an old recipe that I have used for years and converted it to a plant based recipe.  I could not discern much of a difference in texture, and there seemed to be no difference in taste.   I was so glad it worked out so well, since pumpkin bread just seems to scream "Fall". 

PUMPKIN BREAD

2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
6 Tbsp. warm water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins, optional

In a small bowl, combine the ground flax seeds with the warm water.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

Combine sugar and flax seed mixture in a large bowl; beat at medium speed until well blended.  Add pumpkin, oil, applesauce, and water; mix well.

In another bowl, combine flour and next five ingredients; stir well.  Add to pumpkin mixture, mixing well.  Add chopped nuts and raisins, stirring well. 

Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. 

Yield:  One loaf