Banh Mi Dogs with Asian Peanut Slaw

Day two of our playing with hot dog toppings is a combination I've wanted to try for awhile now, a dog with all the toppings of a banh mi. Banh mi can be made with lots of different meats, pork, chicken, ham so, why not a hot dog?!

We started with a nice hoagie roll smearing one side with mayonnaise and the other with homemade pate. Then we added some pickled carrots and sliced jalapeno. Topped that with a good 100% pork dog (though any good hot dog will work) & a good handful of fresh cilantro. It really worked as a sandwich though, for our dogs, it really required a lot of toppings otherwise the seasoning in the dogs overpowered everything else. A good way to have a banh mi if you don't have any other cooked meat on hand.

We served the dogs with an Asian Peanut Slaw. I adapted Alton Brown's recipe by having it, leaving a few things out like mint & adding Sriracha. It is very peanuty & we ended up adding more soy but next time I think I'd also add a little more vinegar for a touch more tang. It makes for a really colorful side dish with the red peppers, carrots & onions.

Asian Peanut Slaw
(adapted from Alton Brown's)

1 small head napa cabbage, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
1 carrot, grated
1/4 c thinly sliced red pepper
1 T minced jalapeno
1/4 c sliced red onion
1/4 c rice wine vinegar (I would use a little more next time I make this)
1/4 c peanut butter
2 1/2 t soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
1 1/2 t lime juice
dash of Sriracha
pinch of dried ginger

Mix the cabbage, carrot, peppers & onion together in a bowl.

Whisk the remaining ingredients together until smooth. Stir into vegetables until coated. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Makes 2 - 3 servings.

Ok, we have a couple dogs left, what unusual toppings do you suggest?

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Oh, La, La French Dog

It's the opening of baseball season. Now Matt & I could really care less about the sport but, we do appreciate the food most associated with it, the hot dog. With the temps warming up & grilling season upon us, Matt thought this was a good week to play with hot dog toppings.

His first creation was inspired by a jar of cornichons in the fridge. He decided to make a dog with a decidedly French twist.

He started with some nice hoagie rolls (though any hot dog bun will do). He smeared them with a good amount of Dijon mustard. Then he added some slices of brie & cornichons. Topped off, of course, with the hot dogs. The dogs we used were 100% pork (they were part of the last 1/4 of a pig we bought) but any good hotdog will do. Since our buns were big we put two dogs in each.

Ok, this was surprisingly good. Matt said a cheese dog but, a really good cheese dog, one with that funky kick from the brie. The texture of the brie is great especially when it gets all warm & melty from the hot dogs. We were a little afraid the cornichons would overpower everything but instead they added a nice tang against the creaminess. We would totally do this version of the dog again!

Tomorrow another international twist on the all-American hot dog....

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

All The Good Stuff Cookies

The other day we were at Sun Street Bakery for lunch & picked up two of Solveig's crisper cookies. We were lucky to get the last two that day. The cookies had pieces of pretzel, sugar cone & chocolate chips in them, I think. Matt & I both loved them & immediately started thinking about our own version because, you know, what if we go one day & they're sold out?!

I thought the base of the cookies should be the same as a chocolate chip cookie & Matt agreed. Then it was just about choosing the add-ins. I wanted pretzels for sure & Matt suggested potato chips for even more saltiness. Chocolate chips were the next item on my list but Matt said no, he wanted malted milk balls which should add enough chocolate. Lastly, we decided to add caramel bits.

The resulting cookie was a great mix of salty & sweet, crunchy & chewy. The only thing I would change is the caramels I used. I had an open bag of caramel chocolate swirl chips so, that's what got used. They were just not caramel enough (& really not good caramel either). Next time I'll use caramel bits or chop up some bigger caramels. I thought a little extra salt sprinkled on top would be good but Matt thought they had the perfect amount of saltiness.

All The Good Stuff Cookies
(adapted from the Original Toll House Cookie Recipe)

1 c + 2 T all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt
4 oz (1/2 c) unsalted butter, at room temp
6 T white sugar
6 T packed brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 c mix of malted milk balls, pretzels, potato chips & caramels (Malted Milk Balls cut into quarters, pretzels cut into 1/4" pieces, potato chips broken up & either caramel pieces or larger caramels cut up)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix the flour, baking soda & salt together.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, sugars & vanilla together. Add the egg & beat in completely. Beat in the flour mixture in three additions. Stir in the candy, chips & pretzels.

Scoop 1 oz balls onto ungreased baking sheets (I got about 6 per sheet). Bake for 9 - 10 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely. These are best eaten at room temperature instead of warm.

Makes 2 dozen.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Weekly Menu 4/4 - 4/9/11

After a long, record-breaking winter we are finally starting to see the light of Spring here in Minnesota. Forget the first crocuses coming up or the buds on the lilacs, here is the real first sign of Spring.

Yes, that is still snow behind Matt but, the piles were so high this year we think some of them might be here until June. Matt was almost giddy at being able to get back to his grill & summer foods while making us fajitas last night so, we will be doing a lot of grilling this week.

On to Menu Planning Monday....

Potato Leek Soup

Banh Mi Dogs

Grilled Salmon

French Dogs

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Tequila Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice

Sorry for the blogging silence over the last couple of days. Matt is off in Silicon Valley for work again & I'm home alone eating leftovers or grabbing a burger out. Last night though I figured I better cook up the chicken breasts I had in the fridge. A little more foraging found half a lime & some cilantro that needed to be used as well. I grabbed a bottle of Matt's tequila & made it all into a meal.

This made for a tasty, light dinner with very fresh flavors. I topped it with a little sour cream for a some creaminess. I can see Matt adding some hot sauce or salsa for extra zing. As good as this was on its own, I think it would even be better wrapped in a tortilla.

Tequila Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c tequila (don't bother using the good stuff)
1 T honey
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 t ancho chili powder
2/3 c rice
juice of 1 lime
1/2 t lime zest
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 T vegetable oil
optional toppings yogurt, salsa, hot sauce

Put the chicken into a small sealable bag. Mix the tequila, honey, salt & chili powder together. Heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Stir to mix everything together well. Pour the tequila mixture over the chicken. Seal the bag getting out as much air as possible. Let marinade in the refrigerator for 30 - 60 minutes.

Cook the rice according to the directions adding the lime juice & zest with the water. When finished cooking stir in the cilantro.

When the rice is just about done, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the chicken & the tequila marinade (careful it will splatter). Sauté until the chicken is cooked through & the sauce has cooked down some.

Serve the chicken & sauce over the hot rice with optional toppings.

2 servings.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski