Veggie Carrot 'Hot Dogs'

Okay... I know this sounds crazy and you may be saying to yourself, "carrot hot dog? Really?" But it was delicious!! It tasted BETTER than a meat hot dog. I was pretty skeptical to try one too, but boy, I sure have missed eating a hot dog since cutting down on meat. It's like a traditional American dish. I thought I would never be able to eat one again - so now I've found a recipe I love, I am so thankful.

Here's a photo of what mine looked like! I made homemade gluten-free buns that were great, too.

Doesn't it look great? Yummy. I remember the first bite I was so surprised at how great it tasted. It's like the flavor is still in my mouth (probably because I just finished eating it like 10 minutes ago.. Ha!).

Ingredients:

4 large carrots, peeled, with the ends cut off (I cut mine to the size of the hot dog bun)
1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (you could use regular soy sauce)
1/4 cup water
1 TB seasoned rice vinegar
1 TB sesame oil
1/2 TB apple cider vinegar
dash liquid smoke (I used brand name 'colgin' as it didn't have added sugars)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp granulated onion powder
olive oil cooking spray
4 gluten-free hot dog buns (or buns of choice)
desired hot dog toppings  (as you can see I used organic mustard, un-sweetened ketchup and un-sweetened relish).

Directions:

1. Boil carrots for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, or until fork tender but not mushy.  After removing the carrots from the boiling water, run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.

2. While the carrots are cooking, whisk together the Bragg’s, water, vinegars, sesame oil, liquid smoke, garlic, and seasonings.

3. Combine the carrots and the marinade in a zipper gallon-size bag (I actually used two in case of a leak), or in an air-tight container.  Shake gently until the carrots are coated with the marinade.  Place the carrots in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

4. To cook the carrots, spray a medium skillet with olive oil cooking spray.  Turn the heat to medium and place the carrots and about 1/2 cup of the marinade into the skillet.  Heat the carrots for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm.

 Picture to the right shows them during the middle of the process. By the time they are done, they will be browned a little bit more and will look like actual hot dogs.

5. Serve your carrot “hot dogs” in a bun and top them with your favorite hot dog toppings.

These are so yummy. You don't even taste that much of a difference between regular hot dogs.

Enjoy!