I Only Miss Hotdogs

Okay, confession time.  As a new vegetarian I don’t miss a lot of meat.  My body absolutely loves me for eating vegetables because it’s forced me to eat even healthier than I already had been.  I do find it annoying to eat at previously loved restaurants (hello Boston Pizza!) and having a hard time finding a vegetarian option but that has not been my biggest obstacle.  I have to admit, between all the roast chickens, steaks and pulled pork the thing I miss the most is, well, HOT DOGS.  I know their meat source is pretty questionable to begin with, but I miss them.

What do you eat along side mac n cheese?  Hot dogs.  What to you grab when you’re in a rush and need a cheap meal downtown?  Street Meat!  What is the staple of every ball game?  Hot dogs.  And what is the delicious summer BBQ favourite?  That’s right my friends, HOT DOGS!!!  Needless to say, I have had to fill a hot dog sized void in my life this summer (minds out of the gutter please!) and let me tell you, it hasn’t been easy.

I have tried just about every veggie dog and veggie burger option out there, and I gotta say, I’m not impressed.  However, my mom did recently find a delicious quinoa burger recipe, so I feel that there is hope.  While my first attempt did not come out as delicious as my mom’s (when does it ever come out as good as moms?) it was still a preeeeeeeeeetty good alternative to burgers and dogs for your average backyard BBQ.

We got the recipe from Chatelaine and it was super easy.  It is mainly cooked quinoa, and shredded carrots, mushrooms and zucchini.

I feel that this recipe can be pretty versatile depending on the flavour combination you choose.  The original recipe basically used salt and pepper, but the mild flavours of the veggies make it a pretty blank canvas.  My mom used red peppers and chili powder while I chose a little bit of cumin and a handful of fresh cilantro.  I even kicked it up a notch by cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water, yum!

I am going to play around with the flavours to find my perfect burger replacement.  Serve on a flat bread bun with traditional burger toppings and  potato salad and you have yourself a lovely summer BBQ meal!

While my quest for the perfect hot dog replacement continues, I think I found my go-to veggie burger.  Try it out for yourself, and let me know if you find any winning flavour combinations!