Wednesday, May 18, 2016

What's Up Dog, and Midweek Munchies on a Budget!

I started my day yesterday with some potato wedges dipped in a combo of FYH vegan ranch, and Trader Joe's Carolina gold BBQ sauce. They taste really good  mixed together.
Before I went to pick up some more stuff, I had a bowl of raspberries. Man have I missed berries!
I went to Safeway to get some rice, and beans and whatever else I could find to fit my budget.

Bulgur wheat, lentils,onion burger buns, onion, garlic, russet potatoes, parsley, carrots and Basmati rice

I forgot to show the cucumber!

I was actually worried that I was going over my budget, and I'd have to put something back, but I was pleasantly surprised to be well under budget. I'm rounding this up to seventeen dollars, so I have now spent twenty seven dollars, leaving me with eight dollars to still play around with! The bulgur was more than what I should have spent, at four fifty or so, but I really, really need to make tabbouleh salad. And, the bulgur will be an excellent binder for lentil burgers, so it was worth it.
For dinner, I decided to try to make carrot hot dogs! These were super trendy at some point on the webz, and I always meant to try to make them, and I forgot. Carrots are inexpensive, even organic so what better time to experiment! For some reason, I feel more creative when I'm on a budget, or when I have to whip something up with limited ingredients. I just made up my own marinade for the carrots, and they turned out way better than I ever imagined!
Soaking up all that flavor!!
First, I steamed the carrots for about twenty minutes. They need to be softened in order to soak up the marinade.
Marinade
1/4 C.soy sauce
1 1/2 T. vegan worcestershire sauce
1T. liquid smoke
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

I let the steamed carrots marinate for about three hours or so. I'm sure it's like tofu, the longer the better. To cook them, I just sauteed them in a non stick pan for a few minutes, added the leftover marinade and covered the pan with a lid until the sauce was absorbed, and the carrots were kind of caramelized. To be honest I was somewhat skeptical, because it's a carrot. I really wish I would have gotten sauerkraut to go on top! The carrots are soft, but firm, obviously they aren't "meaty", but the texture is very nice and the flavor!!! So, so good. I served mine on onion burger buns, because when you're on a budget, you make it work! I slathered yellow mustard and some banana peppers on one, and Dijon and banana peppers on the other. I really loved these. I will be making these again for sure.
Close up!

Full plate, with some potato wedges and a bite taken!
I felt really great after eating this meal. I felt full, but not at all weighed down or heavy. Just really satisfied. The carrot hot dog trend is one of the good ones! I bet these would be most excellent on a grill!
This is also my budget MidWeek munchies post! I guess I should have mentioned that up top, but better late than never!
Happy Wednesday!

                                                                 

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing on MWM...I have a giveaway today, too! Make sure to comment!! Woot! Have you tried the Liquid Smoke that The Raw Food World sells? LOVE that stuff!!!!

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    1. No, I haven't tried theirs, but I do love liquid smoke so much!

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  2. Oooh you are doing great with the challenge! I've been weary of carrot hot dogs but yours actually look great. And you know I'm all about those potato wedges! I'm taking a break from them tonight though but I'm sure I'll enjoy some tomorrow :)

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    1. I was so scared to take that first bite, because i just had a hard time imagining a carrot as anything other than a carrot. But I promise, it's really good! They aren't crunchy, just firm and it's just crazy how satisfying it is!

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  3. I've heard a lot about carrot hot dogs but not tried then. I must give them a go.

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    1. I was scared to try them for so long, and they're surprisingly delicious, and filling. It sounds so weird, and even now it sounds weird to me and I've tried it, but I swear it works!

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  4. There is a place in South Jersey that does carrot dogs as a vegan option, and my friend really liked them. I should give them a try. I remember when I was little I hated hot dogs (still not a big fan) and I went vegetarian while at camp and went NUTS for the fake hot dogs. So weird right? I wish I knew what brand they were so I could try them again as an adult. lol

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    1. Before going vegan I hated ranch and thousand island, and now I can't get enough, so I know what you mean! Some of the fake hot dogs are really good, and some are not. I know I love tofu pups. I think they're the first vegan hot dog I ever tried.
      Carrot hot dogs sound really strange, but they really are so good! And a lot cheaper than the soy dogs!

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