I am a HUGE fan of Hot Dogs.  Yes, I know they are not so good for you, and that I probably don't want to know what all goes into them.  I don't care.  Every once in a while I really need to/gotta have a hot dog! When I first moved over here to the UK, it was really difficult for me to find hotdogs. In fact I remember being really disappointed when we were in London and I saw a hot dog cart and the hotdog ended up being a sausage.  Bleh . . . thankfully things have improved greatly since then and you can find hotdogs all over the place. My favourites are the All Beef Hot Dogs you can buy at Costco.

 

Growing up we always had hot dogs for supper on Friday nights. My mom made the best hot dogs.  She had a special grill that she would do them on, and the hotdogs would get all crispy and browned on all sides. (Boiled hotdogs don't do it for me, I like 'em grilled!)  She also toasted the buns on the grill and they were fabulous. My favourites were when she split the wieners and they got all toasty brown in the middles also. YUM!   Yes, I am somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to hotdogs!

 

Which is why when I found this recipe for Korean Slaw Dogs, I knew I had to make them!  I am also a HUGE fan of coleslaw so this was right up my alley.  Slaw and hotdogs, you can't get much better than that!

 

Oh yes you CAN!  Especially when the slaw has been infused with Korean flavours . . . Sriracha sauce, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, ginger, mustard and brown sugar . . .  seriously tasty and filled with lovely crunchy vegetables!   So good with the smokiness of the hotdog!

  

But that's not all . . .  there are two delicious homemade condiments as well  . . .  a rocking spicy tomato ketchup and a hot and spicy mustard . . .  Korean style!!

 

I like to toast the buns and I use a brioche bun because I really, really like Brioche Buns!

 

The grilled wiener gets laid in the bun on a bed of spicy Kimchi pickle . . .  and then topped with that gorgeous slaw  . . .

 

And drizzled with those fabulous condiments  . . .  which are really delicious in their own right.  Trust me on this.

 

So what did I serve them with?  Tater-Tots of course! MMMM . . .  a feast!

 

 

If you want to try a really really REALLY great hotdog, do yourself a favour and try these!  Magnifico!  Bon Appetit!   즐거운 식사

 

This recipe is one of the simplest ones going, and one of the most delicious ones.  I got it from my friend Pam who writes the Blog, On The Bright Side.   She is a little ray of sunshine and, like me, posts every day.  Beautiful messages of positivity that we can all use in these modern times! 

 

She also posts a recipe every day and as soon as I saw this one I knew it was one I was going to have to make myself!  Cowboy Beans.  Exactly as it sounds.  Simple, easy and delicious.

 

A wonderful mix of three kinds of beans, with a few bits and pieces added, chopped onion and smoked sausage  . . . (I adore smoked sausage) all  cooked together all day in the slow cooker. No fuss, no muss  . . .

 

There are two tins of baked beans . . .  and one each of cannellini and pinto beans . . .

 

A mix of tomato sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar, dry mustard and some mild chili powder  . . . chopped onions  . . . and of course the sausage.  On this day I didn't have a ring of smoked sausage, but I did have a pack of frankfurters.  I used them in its place with fabulously tasty results . . .

 

I had some brioche buns leftover from the other night and so I toasted them, and we ladled the beans over top  to eat  . . .

 

And I added a smattering of grated cheese.  Because  . . .  just because . . .

 

They were fabulously tasty.  I could have eaten more, but had to stop myself.  A nice dish of coleslaw would go wonderfully with these.

 

 

 

These make for the perfect Saturday night supper.  We used to have baked beans every Saturday night when we were growing up.  They were a maritime constitution/habit.  Baked beans and brown bread on a Saturday night and then for breakfast on Sunday morning.  This recipe is simple and easy and leaves you free to enjoy a Saturday out with the family doing whatever you want to do, knowing that when you are done, you are coming home to a delicious supper cooking in the crock pot/slow cooker. You can't lose!  Bon Appetit!  

 

We are huge fans of Turkey Burgers in our home.  In fact I would go so far as to say that we actually like them far more than we like regular burgers. We especially enjoyed this version that I cooked recently on our Space Grill. We sure are enjoying the beautiful weather and are taking advantage of this grill whenever we can.  It will be winter soon enough! 

 

Another reason we have been using it a lot (aside from the weather) is that is it just so darned easy to sue and to clean.  I could never get Todd to start up our old BBQ. He did not enjoy all the faff involved. This one, I just flip it out and turn it on.The patented automatic fold-down drip-tray means NO MESS, Perfect for all home types from small units to luxury homes, 3 separate individual ignition burners means fast starting. 

It has multiple cooking plates with reversible flat / grill designs. Open flame grill plate option included for healthy cooking. The sleek modern design that adds value to your home. It folds away in seconds, saves room and reduces clutter.  Composed of chef-grade, stainless steel  it is also rust resistant for longevity. The lid also doubles as a splash-back to protect your home. No other BBQ can do all of this! When you are done using it, just let it cook, clean the burner plates/grills, wipe out the fold down drip tray, and fold it all back, neat and tidy in wait for the next time. We love it!  You can find out more about it here.

 

These are really delicious turkey burgers.  I saw a lot of recipes floating around that used apple and spring onions to flavour the burgers.  I expanded on that a bit by using some grated honey crisp apple, minced red onion,  along with some  finely grated orange zest for plenty of flavour.

 

I only used the ends of the apple in the actual burgers, the rest of it was sliced thinly and grilled along with the burgers.  I shaped the burgers and then chilled them for several hours so that they really took in the flavours and firmed up nicely.

 

They grilled up lovely. When the burgers were almost done, I brushed the apple sliced with some honey mustard and popped them onto the grill plate.    I didn't want them to get soggy, but preferred them to retain some of their natural crispness.

 

I thought the grill lines would look lovely and enhance their flavours a bit. The honey mustard also added a bit of a tang to work with the sweetness of the apple. 

 

Once I had them the way I wanted them, I popped them onto the grilled burgers and piled on the grated cheddar, leaving it just long enough to melt down over those apple slices and the burgers.  Oh boy  . . . were we in for a real treat!

 

These were fabulous served on toasted brioche buns along with  some baby rocket leaves, which added a peppery touch.  (Baby Arugula if you live in North America.)  Altogether these were pretty wonderful!  I served them with some coleslaw for a really tasty supper!

 

 

  

I wonder how much longer we are going to blessed with this fabulous grilling weather!  It hasn't been quite as hot this week, but we still haven't had a lot of rain and its been really quite pleasant sitting out in the garden . . .  cooking, eating and reading.  I hope it keeps up for a while longer!!  In any case, if you are looking for a deliciously different turkey burger this weekend, look no further. You are going to love these.  I guarantee!  They're splendiferously tasty! Bon Appetit and Happy Weekend!

 

I had in mind the other day to make some Fish Finger Tacos.  I got everything ready to go and realised I didn't have any flour tortillas, and so I did what every capable cook does, I improvised.  I had some finger buns in the house and so I turned them into sandwiches instead, with most excellent results!!  We both really enjoyed these and they made a change from our regular fish finger sandwiches, The World's Best Fish Finger Buttie!

 

We liked them every bit as much which is saying a lot, as my other ones are plenty delicious, let me tell you!

 

I like to use Cod fish fingers, made from sustainable cod.  I also like to use the larger ones versus the smaller ones as you get more cod per finger and less breading/coating.  You also don't get as many in a pack, but that's okay with us. If you would rather use the smaller ones, then by all means do so! 

 

I popped them onto a baking sheet and sprinkled them with taco seasoning to give them a bit of a spark.  This works great for anything like that which you want to add extra flavour to.  Just sprinkle on your favourite seasoning mix . . .  for tacos, (and these sandwiches) I used taco seasoning. You can make your own, or use a purchased mix. 

 

I had made a spicy coleslaw for use in the tacos, so I thought, why not use it in a sandwich?  I use coleslaw in my Crispy Chicken Sandwiches, and my BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, so why not here! Coleslaw on a sandwich is a very good thing!

 

This coleslaw is flavoured with a spicy mayo . . .  this is where some of that taco seasoning comes in handy again. I also added lime juice and zest for a bit of a punch/tartness.  YUM! 

 

I also added some spicy guacamole.  You could use already made, but its very easy to make a simple one yourself by mashing together some garlic, avocado pear, chopped tomato and some more of that lime juice.

 

Once the fish fingers are done, I sprinkled them with some grated cheese and popped them back into the oven briefly to melt the cheese while I toasted the buns on the cut edges. 

 

I piled the coleslaw and guacamole onto the toasted buns and then topped them with the cheese coated spicy fish fingers.

These were fabulous!!  We both really enjoyed them a lot.  I was really happy that didn't let myself become daunted by not having any tortillas to fly with my original idea, and Todd was happy that I didn't make him go to the store to get some. (In all truth, I have pretty much given up on sending him to the store for anything but simple things like milk and bread. He always comes back with the wrong thing. No lie.)

 

We couldn't wait to tuck in and we were not disappointed in the least.  Each mouthful was more delicious than the last.  I found myself wishing I had made a few more.  (I only made two. I do that a lot because there are only two of us.)

 

I think we both could very easily have enjoyed a second helping of one of these tasty sandwiches!

 

You could of course serve some potato chips or tortilla chips on the side with dips, and you could spoon salsa on top of these sandwiches if you were so inclined.  We were happy with them just as they were, and I think you will be too!

 

 

 

Fish fingers are one of those things I always have in my freezer. They come in really handy for things like this, for last minute impromptu meals when you just can't be asked to cook, and children really love them.  We happen to love them too. (Don't judge me, lol)  Something new for Fish Friday??? Why not!  Bon Appetit!