Crunchy Little Lentils

I know I have posted about Three Farmers before... their Camelina oil and their Roasted Chickpea snacks, I believe. I stumbled across this, their Crunchy Little Lentils. These are a great snack and I love them lightly sprinkled over a salad for some added crunch. They are high in fibre, low fat, nut and peanut free, gluten free, Non-GMO, Vegan, a great source of energy and offer about 7 grams of protein. A healthy alternative that is surprisingly filling.    

To find out more about Three Farmers click *here* 


Hope everyone had a nice and relaxing weekend. It's Spring Break, so spending some much needed time with the kids. - JD 

Haute Dogs

Hot dogs were and still are reserved for fairgrounds and baseball games However, restaurants and cafés becoming specialized in one menu item motifs seems to be the trend.   

It is an all American classic that has endured over the years to include street vendors and backyard barbeques. Whether you like a traditional hot dog wiener, a smokie, a sausage or a bratwurst; how you dress your dog says something about your personality and your environment and ultimately where you live. Haute Dogs are American classics, Modern America, South and Central America and are European, African and Asian. Hot dogs are global. This book has every hot dog possibly imaginable... including a waffle dog? 

Yes, a waffle dog for breakfast or brunch. Oooh fancy dipping that into maple syrup! Which now I have an idea for a breakfast dog... A bun, toasted, filled with a sausage, some grated cheese, salsa and scrabbled egg on top. Or ditch the salsa and add maple syrup because maple syrup is fantastic with everything!  

My favourite is the vegan or vegetarian dogs. Plenty of options to get your veg on! 

Cooking methods vary from open flame, grill or boil, flat top or pan fry, deep fry, simmer or boil, roast, roller, steam, barbeque or smoke. This cookbook has it covered and smothered in anything your taste buds can imagine. Unique and delicious for something so basic and well known is how I would sum up this cookbook. Plenty of recipes for condiments, sauces and toppings. The one that stood out was the pineapple relish. Which I have to make because this would be great on burgers too.

Pineapple Relish

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Makes about 1 cup

3/4 cup pineapple, fresh and finely chopped or from 1 can crushed

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients. Store in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Here in E-town there is a vendor called Fat Franks which offers a variety of hot dogs. I usually opt for the jumbo vegetarian dog which is a jumbo soy veggie dog. However this time I gave the turkey jumbo dog a try because it was low in fat and sodium. I loaded it with ketchup, mustard, onions, zesty relish, if only I had pineapple relish instead, hot banana peppers and two pickles. It was delicious! 

Hope everyone had a great weekend and a good start to the week. Go get your Haute Dog on!  - JD 

   

Zesty Barbeque Sauce

Barbeque sauce is easy however some like it sweet, some like it smoky while others like loads of garlic. This sauce borders on something with a bit more zing. The ingredients are simple and you probably already have them in your pantry. 

Zesty Barbeque Sauce

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1/2 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped onion    

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1 clove garlic, crushed

Place all the ingredients into a medium sized saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil; stirring constantly. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Notes: The recipe can easily doubled if need be. Try adding different ingredients like, lime zest, crushed chilies for something spicy, more garlic, or finely diced shallots.  

These chicken drumsticks were a big hit and it all had to do with the sauce. I brushed the zesty barbeque sauce over the drumsticks and baked them in the oven. This sauce would be great over burgers, pork ribs, ham, beef, and even tofu. 

The warm temperatures are hanging around... not for long I presume. Still, with weather like this it is easy to get into a barbeque mood. Hope everyone had a good weekend. - JD   

Barbeque Sauce

For some reason I felt the need to make a sauce, barbeque sauce and it isn't even grilling season. The snow is beginning to melt however the brisk cold lingers in the air. To make my sweet... and I say sweet because I was trying to make it a general as possible... not everyone likes their barbeque sauce how I do. Heavy and rich with smokey flavour. To make this sauce and feel free to tweak the ingredients to your liking.

1/2 cup to 1 cup ketchup, tomato paste or tomato purée, I used ketchup

1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon or 2 of paprika, the smoker the better

2 tablespoons brown sugar, the darker the better

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

pinch of salt
* If the sauce is too thick just add a bit of water until you get it to your desired consistency.  

Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and mix together. Turn the stove on to medium high heat. Heat to boil and then remove from heat.  

You can also change up the ingredients by adding honey, maple syrup, molasses, herbs or seasonings, chili powder, curry paste, garlic or finely chopped onions. - JW