Let’s Talk Dogs – Hot Dogs, That Is

Summer is quickly approaching, which means more face time with the grill. And, I don’t know about you, but I love a good ol’ hot dog, hot off the BBQ with all of the fixin’s. It should be noted, that not all hot dogs are created equal, so I wanted to share with you my two favorites… one, which is beef and the other one, vegetarian. Both are delicious.

Beef: My absolute favorite “real” hot dog is Hebrew National’s 97% Fat Free Beef Franks. There are NO fillers, by-products, artificial flavors or color. Score! And with only 40 calories and 1 gram of fat, how can you go wrong with this top dog?

Vegetarian:

These veggie hot dogs should receive awards because they’re so amazingly good. They’re Smart Dogs by LIFELIGHT and have a mere 45 calories and 0 fat, plus provide you with 8 grams of protein. With those numbers, why would you just have one, right?

Finally, I want to talk buns 😉 I realize that a lot of you are concerned about carbs, etc., which is why I favor (and love) these… Orowheat Sandwich Thins. They are only 100 calories and are fantastic to use with your hot dogs!

Don’t forget the ketchup, mustard and relish!

Getting Corny!

There are tons of different ways to cook corn on the cob… here are my two favorites.

On the Grill
Peel back the husks from the corn & remove the silk. Butter the kernels and sprinkle with salt & pepper and any other seasoning of your choice. Fold the husks back over the corn and grill over low heat for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

In the Oven

Remove the husk and silk from the corn. Get a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and add 2 tbsp of melted butter to the middle of the foil. Place corn on the foil, add salt, pepper and garlic and roll the corn so it spreads the spices. Fold in half to keep all of the butter in the foil and for it to cook evenly. Cook for 25 minutes at 425F.

Grilling No-No’s

Everyone loves to grill, so I wanted to share with you a few tips that you may or may not be aware of.

1. NO fork – tongs are the ticket when you BBQ; turning your food with a fork lets the juices escape.

2. Never toss ice-cold meat or seafood on the grill; it reduces your grill’s temp and prevents tasty juices from getting seared in. Meat needs about an hour out of the fridge.

3. Getting sauced too early – talking about the food 😉 don’t slather on the BBQ sauce until the last few minutes of grilling. Most BBQ sauces contain sugar, which will burn if put on too early.

Grilling & Beer

If you love to grill and are a meat eater, then this tip will be most helpful when you fire up that grill next time.

To keep meat moist & add flavor while roasting or grilling with a closed grill, place an open can of beer over the hottest part of the fire. The beer will boil and saturate the air inside the grill with water vapor, beer flavor and the alcohol!

My recommendation is to consume close to 1/2 of the can before placing on the grill. A win-win situation!