Hot Diggity Dog

I’ve been meaning to go to HD1 (Richard Blaiss’s gourmet hot dog joint) for a while but always forget about it because who realllllyy wants a hot dog for dinner? So thanks to Scoutmob we decided to make a night of it and walk around the Highlands for, well, ten minutes after before we went home. So before I get into the food, my one rant about this place is that it’s at a great spot (old San Fran Coffee location on N. Highland and Ponce) and there’s maybe 3 outdoor seats.  It was a perfect night to sit outside but we didn’t – who wants to look at a parking lot?

Ok, so the food.  It’s tough to order healthy when all you want is a gooey chili cheese hot dog and fries but alas, it’s doable. 

My Order:

• Garden Chili Dog: Veggie dog with veggie chili (hold on the walnut mayo and fried shallots). The chili was good but a little spicy. They don’t give you a choice of a bun so you get it on this huge piece of white bread toast which is truly delicious but not so healthy. Clearly I ate the whole thing.
• Spinach Salad: Spinach (obvi), raspberries and gorgonzola. They went a little overboard with the cheese but it was good, you can't really mess this salad up.
• Optional Drink: Bluegrass sunset – bourbon, ginger ale, basil and orange.  This drink was gross but I liked the idea of basil and orange. Can't win 'em all I guess.  Instead of this opt for a light beer or glass of vino.

They also have an option of a carrot dog.  I figured it was just another version of a veggie frank but no, it’s literally a big sauteed carrot for six bucks.  No thanks. I can make that at home.  Stick with the veggie or even turkey dog.

All-in-all, am I dying to go back? eh. But it was a nice experience, our waitress was adorable and super attentive and the food was good.

XO,

zo

Ring My Bell

Get it? Ring my bell el el, ring my bell! Anyone? Ok I tried.  Disco may be over but how full I am from this amazing stuffed pepper recipe is not.  Before I go into any detail, let me just say, when buying the peppers for this recipe, buy small peppers, for the love buy small peppers. I obviously went for the biggest most dramatic peppers in the store and I could barely freakin' eat one (although the BF had no problem demolishing the entire thing, I'm not sure if that's a salute to my tremendous cooking or that he was just famished. I'll take it either way).

So here's the deal. I'm trying to make less trips to Whole Foods so I can pay off some of my credit card (my organic, free range, cage free, grass fed, local food issue has gotten quite out of hand). I can get ALMOST as good produce at a regular grocery store even if I don't feel as cool.  That being said, I'm trying to make healthy recipes on a budget and found a cheap, very delicious Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe. I clearly made some skinny modifications but I think it came out pretty damn awesome. Here's the Betty Crocker original recipe.

SP Stuffed Bell Peppers:
- 4 Green Bell Peppers
- 1 lb of the most lean ground beef you can get (prolly could use turkey too)
- 1 cup Homemade Brown Spanish Rice (See this first step in this recipe for the recipe - ha)
- 2 finely grated carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 can of tomato sauce (NOT pasta sauce)
- some sprinkles of your favorite cheese

Directions:

- Pre-heat oven to 350.
- Cut the tops off of each bell pepper (a thin cut) and gut and rinse them.

What's up Action Shot!?!?!?

- boil water in a big ass pot and make sure the water is JUST above the peppers. boil those bad boys for two minutes. (make sure the water is boiled first before you put the pepps in).

- Brown beef with onions. Once cooked add all the other ingredients and 1/2 the can of tomato sauce.

- Stuff peppers with the goodies. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on them. Cover with some foil and cook for 8 minutes. Take the foil off, sprinkle some cheese then cook for another 15-18.

These bitches are hot so be careful taking them out and eating them.

xo,
zo