Hot Dog Salad

The original recipe came courtesy of Rachael Ray, but thanks to me not having some of the items (granulated sugar, cabbage, yellow mustard) I decided to improvise it and make it more paleo-friendly (although the original recipe is pretty close!).

My version came out pretty good, the dressing was tangy, but not too tangy, and the addition of the sauerkraut really helped add some flavor.  I didn't even realize that the original one called for salt and pepper, but I don't think you need it.  As far as the hot dogs, I used Coleman Natural Beef Hot Dogs, no added chemicals :)  Although you might want to rinse them off first, they were kind of goopy, gross.  My recipe is below:

Hot Dog Salad (Serves two)

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons deli style mustard (I just had the brownish, tangy stuff on hand, but you can use yellow mustard too)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk the above ingredients together until blended.  Set aside.

Salad:

• Romaine lettuce (I just used up the little I had left, maybe 2 loose cups, shredded)
• 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
• Banana peppers (just toss in what you think you want)
• 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 hot dogs, sliced

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients but the hot dogs.  In a skillet over medium heat, arrange the hot dogs in a single layer (you can cook these in two batches as well) and cook until browned on both sides.  Drain on a paper towel and add to bowl and toss with salad.  Top with dressing and enjoy!

Meatza!

Call it what you want, fancy meatloaf, bunless burger, but like many others, I call it meatza.  Very simple, get yourself some meat, some veggies and anything else you want and assemble.  Below is my recipe.

Base

• 1 pound ground beef (I used an organic 80/20 that I got from Costco)
• Your choice of seasoning (I did garlic powder, crushed red pepper, Montreal steak seasoning, a little bit of salt, and a few sprinkles of shaved parmesan cheese)
• Mix seasoning in with beef and spread out into an 8x8 baking dish (I didn't have one that was clean so I used a rectangular dish)
• Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes, then stick under the broiler (on hi) for a few minutes until it is cooked to your desired doneness and set aside while you work on your toppings.

Toppings
You could really use anything you wanted, but I did the following:

• 8 ounce package of white mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
• 1/4 red onion sliced thin
• Handful of spinach, shredded
• Minced garlic
• Double cream gouda cheese
• Shaved parmesan cheese

In a pan melt some butter and coconut oil (I probably used a tablespoon total) and saute the garlic, mushrooms and red onion until the onions start to caramelize and the mushrooms are tender.   Top the beef with the mushroom, garlic and onions and saute the spinach until wilted then add to the rest.  Top with cheese and bake at 450 for 5-10 minutes (or until the cheese is melted)

The combination of coconut oil and red onion made it just sweet enough to give it a really pleasant flavor, plus, you can't go wrong with mushrooms, beef and cheese!

Serves 4 (or two if you're really hungry)