What was on the menu for lunch yesterday?!… Nope, not hot dogs…

Carrot dogs!!! I know that was corny but I just HAD too 😆 Omg were these bunnies delicious and nutritious!!! Ever since I was a little girl, my mom has always said I eat like a rabbit. The body knows what it wants at a very young age. It’s just a matter of tuning in to its language. My body language has been craving a carrot dog since the summer of 2016 at Dandelions Communitea Cafe and I decided… Hey, I’m going to make my own, how hard could it be? Man I am so glad I did. Well worth the planning and the wait. With a little research I found out the staple ingredients and low and behold I had them all! There is a process to it, but if you like to cook you will love the challenge. And they seriously taste JUST LIKE regular hot dogs! I got my meat loving mother to eat one and she loved it! 

So the first thing you’re going to want to do is find the biggest, thickest, straightest carrots in the bunch for you to work with. Peel and cut them hot dog bun length. Put to boil for about 10-15 mins or until you can stick a fork through them easily. Try not to over cook, you don’t want them to break. Meanwhile, make your marinade… Directly into a large ziplock bag add about a quarter cup each of veggie broth, liquid aminos or soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Then add a splash of liquid smoke (tsp), yellow mustard, fresh clove of minced garlic, and 2 big spoonfuls of maple syrup. Massage the bag with your hands to mix up the ingredients. Set aside. Remove carrots from heat when ready and strain while rinsing under cold water so they stop cooking. I recommend having a sauce pot or big mixing bowl near by full of ice water so you can just dunk them in the bowl after you strain out the water. Add the carrots to the ziplock bag, shake it up, put them on a plate in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours (mine went overnight). 

Gather your topings and have them ready to go before you start grilling the carrots. I chose to grill the carrots in order to achieve that nice smoky charred flavor of regular grilled hot dogs.  The toppings I used were frozen peas, organic canned corn, and radishes. In the picture of the toppings you’ll see onions, but as I was building I opted out of them b/c they really didn’t need them. I also prepared a balsamic glaze on the stove using balsamic vinegar and cassava sweetener. I just eye bawled both ingredients, turned on the stove and let it simmer for at least 15 mins. 

Then I took my bunnies outside and onto the grill. I was basting with the marinade as I cooked and I just sat and waited until the grill marks were made. It was tough, but I managed to get some pretty good ones on there. To me, it’s all about the grill marks! 

Once they were ready, I dressed them up making sure I drizzled some balsamic glaze on there and gobbled ’em down. I beat my “hot dog” craving! Not a bad way to eat your veggies huh?!