By Donna Zitter Bordelon
A teeny wienie bit of Hot Dog Humor:
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic school for lunch.
On the table was a large tray of hot dogs. A nun had posted a sign on the hot dog tray that read, “Take only one, God is watching.”
At the other end of the table was a huge pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child whispered to his friend, “Take all the cookies you want.
God is watching the hot dogs.”
Jump into the pool, walk along the sand at the beach, sit in the shade of the maple tree, ride your bike, walk through the sprinkler, and turn on your grill to roast some hot dogs.
It’s summertime!
In our neck of the woods, this food column, published on June 21, marks the day of the summer solstice, the official beginning of summer that brings the shortest nighttime and the longest daytime of the calendar year.
Fire up the grill on these long evenings to relish the opportunity to ketchup on summer’s favorite fun food — the hot dog.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that Americans will eat 7 billion hot dogs from this Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Although there’s nothing like a grilled wiener, it’s easy to cook hot dogs in the crock pot set on high for two to three hours or low for four to five hours (turn dogs once halfway through cooking time).
Don’t add any water — just the dogs. As for condiments, the perfect hot dog has exactly what you like on it — mustard, ketchup, relish, pickles, onions, sauerkraut, cheese, chili, bacon, and the list goes on.
The following is a different way to do a dog, which you may also enjoy.
CRISPY HONEY DOGS
1 package of hot dogs (8–10 dogs)
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup brown mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and add a metal cookie-cooling rack to the baking pan.
Slice into each hot dog at about ¼-inch thick intervals, and go about ¾ of the way through the dog but do not completely sever the pieces, leaving the hot dog attached along the bottom.
Combine the preserves, mustard, honey and pepper. Brush one-half of this mixture on the dogs, making sure the mixture coats between the slices (gently — use hands, if necessary).
Place the hot dogs on the rack to cook for 45 minutes, but baste with the remaining marinade after 20 minutes.
Serve the hot dogs on buns or cut up to serve as appetizers.
Eat well, live long, enjoy!
(Questions or tips can be sent to Donna Zitter Bordelon at [email protected] or in care of the Times, 2 Executive Campus, Suite 400, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002)
Recipe winner
Congratulations to Ronald Virgara, who submitted this recipe, and was chosen in a random drawing. Ronald is the May winner of a $100 Shop Rite gift card.
Here is Ronald’s recipe.
HOT DOG LASAGNA
Ingredients:
5 pounds of Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 Packages of Beef Franks (8 in each pack)
1 can of Bush’s Grillin Beans Bourbon and Brown Sugar (28 oz.)
3 Tbsp. oil
½ cup chopped Vidalia onion
½ cup chopped mushrooms
½ cup baby sweet peppers
½ cup Mexican Shredded Cheese
Rinse, peel and slice 5 lbs. of potatoes (¼ inch thick).
Put potatoes into a large pot and cover with water and boil.
Slice franks into ¼-inch pieces and cook in boiling water.
Heat up beans.
Fry vegetables in pan on medium heat, using the oil.
Use a lasagna pan and layer the bottom of the pan first with potato slices, then add a layer of beef franks, then a layer of fried vegetables, then a layer of baked beans. Repeat layers.
Cover the top of the lasagna with ½ cup Mexican shredded cheese.
Put in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
The recipe submissions have been wonderful. Please remember to include exact measurements in your recipes. You could be June’s lucky winner. Send your recipe to:
Readers’ Recipes
c/o Northeast Times
2 Executive Campus
Suite 400
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Or email your recipe to [email protected].
Please include your name, home address, and telephone number. ••
