Fall is always a busy time of year for us. Since our schedules have been so crazy, I want this month’s meal to reflect that. You can’t always make an entire meal from scratch; sometimes your time becomes a greater priority.
So this month’s meal is based around hot dogs. The simplest of foods, hot dogs need only be boiled for a few minutes until they’re hot and ready to serve. I’ve included a few sides, though, because a meal of JUST hot dogs sounds gross.
MAIN DISH
Hot Dogs
There is a very good selection of different hot dogs available today. You can get turkey, chicken, or beef, all of them nitrate-free and organic. This month I bought the large beef franks from Whole Foods’ meat department, because it was just that kind of month.
Boil several cups of water, and once the water is boiling add your hot dogs. For regular sized franks, I boil them for a few minutes. For the large beef franks, I add a couple of minutes to the boiling time, just so they’re thoroughly heated.
While the hot dogs are boiling, I toast a few hot dog buns because I like them that way. I serve the beef franks with raw sauerkraut and dijon mustard, which makes my Czech genes throw a little party.
SIDE DISH
365 Tater Tots
The Whole Foods brand, 365, makes excellent tater tots. I follow the instructions for the oven, baking the little potato wonders to crispy perfection. Serve them with organic ketchup for dipping.
SIDE DISH
Brussels Sprouts
Remember when I wrote about Brussels sprouts and how good they can be? Well, it turns out that they’re a perfect compliment to this meal. I really like how they turn out when I make them, so I’m going to re-post that recipe here. You know how I said at the beginning that I’ve been pressed for time lately? I wasn’t lying.
“Rinse the sprouts and cut off the bottom stem slightly, remove any hard leaves. Place the sprouts in a pan with about 1″ of water, and a few tablespoons of butter. (My mother-in-law said to add a little caraway seed, which gives them good flavor). Steam for about 8 minutes, give or take a couple minutes, lifting the lid a few times to release some steam (this gets rid of the sulphur flavor). Once water is absorbed and Brussels sprouts are soft, they’re done.”
DESSERT
Dr. Oetker’s Organic Brownie mix
Dr. Oetker makes a passable organic brownie mix. Just follow the directions on the box. It says to use butter, which I think produces better brownies, but sometimes I use coconut oil (just be sure to melt it and mix it in thoroughly).
Of course, you can always make the brownies from scratch, which will yield better flavor and texture. But if the point of the meal is to save time, why make it complicated?
MUSIC
Album: Yo La Tengo, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
This album from Yo La Tengo is a classic. It came out in 1997, and I’ve been loving it ever since my college roommate Greg Ahlbach started playing it in our house my senior year. It feels like the perfect autumn record. Of course, I like their new album, too. But I never tire of listening to “I Can Hear the Heart”, and maybe you won’t either.
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