If you saw a lady in the produce aisle last weekend spending way too much time looking at bags of carrots, that was me.
I was trying to pick the one that had the most carrots of the size and shape of hot dogs. Not too fat, not too thin and not too tapered.
My objective was to meet Carolyn Steuer’s request for Carrot Dogs. "When I was at a farmers market in upstate New York in July, one stand was selling Carrot Dogs. They were really roasted carrots in a hot dog bun and then you added relish, etc. It was good and healthy besides."
That was a new one by me. But I poked around and found a couple of recipes online, on sites catering to vegan cooking.
I figured it was worth a try. The ingredients were cheap and the process was simple. I didn’t think I would get anything that actually tasted like a hot dog — at best I’d get some good cooked carrots; at worst, bad cooked carrots.
Trials of various combinations of the marinade ingredients and various cooking techniques yielded one batch that was like pickled carrots, another like teriyaki carrots. A final batch was pretty good.
Did it taste like a hot dog? Not at all. But I figured, what the heck. I put it on a piece of bread, squirted it with ketchup and mustard and … dang, what a surprise. Light, tasty and just a bit hot-doggish. It was either the power of positive thinking or the magic of ketchup and mustard.
Try these at your next barbecue. Serve them straight as a grilled vegetable, or go ahead and dress them as hot dogs. Those who don’t eat hot dogs will appreciate the effort. Others might appreciate the novelty.
CARROT DOGS
4 carrots, hot dog size, peeled, ends trimmed
4 hot dog buns, toasted
Garnishes, as desired: mustard, ketchup, diced or grilled onions, relish, sauerkraut, chili
» Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (see note)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-2 drops liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add carrots and reduce heat. Let simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until carrots can be pierced with a fork but are still firm (very important that they not get mushy). Drain.
Combine marinade ingredients and stir to dissolve garlic powder. Pour over carrots. Let marinate 2-4 hours.
Grill carrots or sauté in a skillet, brushing with marinade until nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
Serve in toasted buns; garnish as desired. Serves 4.
Note: Seasoned rice vinegar is a sweetened Japanese vinegar used for making sushi rice and is easy to find in the Asian aisle of supermarkets. Or substitute 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per "dog" (without garnishes and assuming half the marinade is absorbed): 80 calories, 2 g fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol, 750 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 6 g protein
Variation: For a more tangy marinade, swap the amounts of vinegar and soy sauce. Carrots can marinate longer (overnight is OK), but be aware that the carrot will be very tangy (for the variation) or very salty (for the basic recipe). Once placed in a bun, however, the taste will mellow out.
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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. Write "By Request," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.
