Inspired by ‘the Edgy Veg’ – www.theedgyveg.com
MAKES: 4 DOGS / PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
MARINATE: MINIMUM 1 HOUR / COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES
I grew up in Chicago and love the hot dog tradition of the city. Of course, as I got older, I wanted the great taste of Chicago style hot dogs but didn’t want all the fat and unhealthy ingredients. This recipe brings it all together, using a carrot as the dog. Some people say they cannot even tell it’s a carrot! Enjoy and stay healthy.
INGREDIENTS
4 large carrots, peeled and scored
¼ cup tamari or soya sauce
¼ cup water
4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp liquid smoke
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
Serves 4. Nutritional information per serving: Calories 72; Fat 0.1g; Carbohydrates 15.6g; Protein 2.6g
TOPPINGS
Yellow mustard, diced onions, sliced tomatoes, celery salt.
DIRECTIONS
1. Peel the carrots, shaping them as uniformly as possible, then score the surface using a fork length wise top to bottom along the carrot. This creates a great surface area and allows the carrots to absorb more of the marinade.
2. Add carrots to a pot of boiling water, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until fork tender but not soft. Remove from heat, drain and cool the carrots by dipping them into a bowl of ice-cold water to stop them from cooking. They should still be slightly firm.
3. Make the marinade with the remaining ingredients, and place in a shallow dish or large reusable bag. Add cooled carrots into the dish or bag to marinate for at least one hour, or overnight to get even more intense flavour!
4. To finish the dogs, place carrots in a pan along with all the marinade and cook until most of the marinade has evaporated and carrots are coated with the yummy marinade. Alternatively, grill on the BBQ, basting until nicely grilled.
5. Place carrot dog in a bun and top with mustard, diced onions, sliced tomatoes and lightly sprinkle with celery salt.
Enjoy!
