Stuffed Veggie Dogs

One of my co-workers, who is absolutely not a vegetarian, was telling me about the stuffed hotdogs he was going to make the other day.  They sounded really good, so I decided to try a vegetarian version  Veggie dogs are much thinner than a regular hotdog (at least the ones I was using were), which makes them very difficult to stuff, so with this recipe each person gets two dogs per bun.  They're only 50 calories a piece, so why not?

8 veggie dogs
4 cheddar cheese sticks (like string cheese, only cheddar and not as stringy)
1 jalapeno, diced
2 slices tempeh bacon, crumbled (bacos or another veggie bacon would be fine too)
4 hotdog buns
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 tbsp. honey

Make a lengthwise slit in the veggie dogs, trying not to cut them completely in half (don't worry if you do).  Place cheese sticks in the middle of 4 veggie dogs.  Sprinkle with jalapeno and tempeh bacon.  Top each with remaining veggie dogs.  Wrap separately in foil, so you'll have 4 little packets to put on the grill.  Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. 

Meanwhile, melt the butter and whisk in the honey.  Spread over the inside of the hotdog buns.

When you think the veggie dogs are almost done, carefully open one of the foil packets to make sure the cheese is melty.  Place the buns on the grill, butter-side down for a minute or two, until lightly browned.  Remove veggie dogs from foil and gently place on toasted buns.

One of the nice things about this recipe is that you can get the veggie dogs ready and wrapped in foil ahead of time.  Also, since they do get wrapped in foil this is a great thing to bring to a BBQ where meat will be cooked on the same grill.  You get to protect your food from the meat juices without looking like a vegetarian prima donna!

Pasta Sauce

One of my favorite childhood memories is coming home from school in the winter to the smell of homemade pasta sauce cooking on the stove.  The house would be cozy and warm, with delicious scents emanating from the kitchen.  Homemade sauce is still one of my favorite meals.  This is my go-to recipe.  It's the meal that I'm most likely to make for people when I have them over for dinner the first time.

The sauce is comprised mainly of canned tomatoes, so it is important to buy fairly high quality.  I like Wegman's Italian Classics, Muir Glen or Trader Joe's the best.  Unless you use Wegman's Kitchen Cut tomatoes, you should get whole tomatoes.  Diced or crushed will be too watery.  I plan for one can of tomatoes per person that I'm serving, and adjust the seasonings accordingly.  This is the first time I've actually written this recipe out, so hopefully the measurements are correct!

3 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans whole tomatoes
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp dried parsley
3 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
10 fresh basil leaves, torn

Heat olive oil in large pot.  Add garlic and cook for a minute or two.  Add tomatoes and their juices.  Cut them up with a wooden spoon (or this from Pampered Chef).  Add dried herbs, crushed red pepper, sugar, salt and pepper.  Simmer uncovered until liquid is mostly evaporated, about two hours, stirring occasionally.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Stir in torn basil about 5 minutes before serving.

Here's the sauce, served with homemade pasta from "The Pasta Bible" cookbook and homemade cheese, using this kit...

Buon Appetito!