Plant-based Hotdogs

I used to love Loma Linda hotdogs, but not only were they so very expensive, they were also full of ingredients that I questioned. So, you already know what I did. I started on a mission to research and make hotdogs so that I can make my own. Oh! What a journey!!! It took me years and years for finally find a recipe with the texture I wanted. I wanted a soft-textured hotdog and not one that tasted hard or sausage-like. Then, I put in my own seasonings, which I love! I praise God for the wisdom. The journey truly makes me know it was Him.

As I always say, if you don’t like mine (meaning the ingredients that I use), then make it yours. This is how I like it. If you don’t want to use the oil, substitute about two to three tablespoons of cashews (blend first w/ the water and the seasoning at the beginning of the recipe but you may need to use some additional water) or simply leave it out (soybeans have oil in it). Don’t have my dried mustard green sprouts? Not a problem but you will lose a bit of flavor (Though I haven’t tried it, they say turmeric is a great substitute for mustard in a pinch). For me, unless I truly like a recipe, it is only a suggestion. This is how I think of scripts. I used to do event programming for the place I used to work at and would write whole scripts, but we would veer off script often because you have to adapt to the audience responses. You may veer off of this recipe to adapt it to your family’s needs and likes. Don’t use agave? Honey is fine. Don’t like sweet in your hotdogs, leave it out! Make the hotdogs your way!

Now, anyone giving a side-eye to my nutmeg substitute, please understand that this blog is full of non-stimulating spices. I try to provide substitutes for all of the non-stimulating spices. I have a guide I did a few years back under resources, but [stay tuned!] I will explain how I make my seasonings or “spice substitutes” later in a book. For now, I will stay that nutmeg is a stimulating spice, which I rarely use and never in large quantities. Tomorrow, I may upload a few pages from my upcoming book on how to make a substitute for nutmeg. Again, stay tuned!

Before I share the recipe, I must comment on why I make plant-based hotdogs. Well, I can honestly say that conventional hotdogs are one of the nastiest foods under a microscope you can eat. Just about everything goes in one. They have even found animal hair in these things. However, with the way vegan meats are going today, I don’t trust that the chemical processes will not harm us. Therefore, it behooves us to make our own. I advocate the plant-based diet but I am sharing this article because it shows you the good, bad, and the ugly of both animal and vegan variety hotdogs (Read the article: “Things You Don’t Want To Know About Hotdogs”).

And, here I also want to mention that animal-based hotdogs are primarily made of swine. Biblically speaking, most Christians avoid eating snakes because of the curse God placed upon them in Eden. In Matthew 8 (verses 28-33), the devils in the demoniacs of Gergesenes actually asked to enter a herd of swine. Just based upon that alone, I would not want to eat that animal, but there are tons of health reasons why the filthy swine must be left alone. Just something to consider.

The recipe below is the closest I have ever come to a homemade hotdog that I liked, but they are not pink, but a brown hotdog. If you desire a pink hotdog, you may need to experiment with adding beet powder and a bit of lemon juice because the acidity is what causes the color to remain during the cooking process. Oh! One me thing. When I make these, I usually make two batches, one after the other, because I try to reuse the parchment paper twice before throwing it all away. I have not been able to save the foil, for the second round, but the parchment paper is usually salvageable. Also, I hope to release a video on this in the near future. My skills at forming hotdogs are improving. However, I am open to any suggestions on how to form them better. [smile] Now, without further ado, enjoy the recipe! …

Plant-based Hotdogs

Ingredients:

• Quarter-size pinch dried mustard green sprouts (or mustard substitute)
• 1 c. water, divided
• ½ tsp. nutmeg substitute [or ¼ tsp. nutmeg]
• ¼ tsp. celery seed
• ½ block of extra-firm tofu or compressed tofu
• 3 Tbs. liquid aminos
• 1 Tbs. raw agave nectar or to taste
• 2 Tbs. avocado oil (or 2 Tbs. soaked cashews)
• 1 Tbs. onion powder
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. no-chicken broth powder
• 1 tsp. no-beef broth powder
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 tsp.  molasses
• ¼ tsp. pure salt or to taste
• 1 ¼ c. vital wheat gluten, leveled.

Instructions:

1. In a high-speed blender, blend 1 cup of water with a quarter size of mustard green sprouts, nutmeg substitute, and celery seed, until seeds disintegrate. If not using oil, add cashews in this step.
2. In a food processor, place tofu with all of the ingredients with about ½ cup of water/sprout mixture in step 1 and process, pouring in the rest of the mixture as it processes. Dough should appear loose and sludgy at first but be sure to process until a silky and smooth dough forms about 2-4 minutes. It should be a bit spongy with a bit of stretch. I will release a video to show the texture.
3. Divide dough equally into 10-12 plump hotdogs.  Roll first in parchment, being sure to twist the ends of the parchment before securing with foil. Be sure to twist the ends of the foil.
4. Using a pressure cooker filled almost halfway with way with water, steam the hotdogs for 30 minutes.
5. Once time is up, you may release the steam immediately under cold water. You may allow to cool or unwrap right away. Be careful not to burn yourself if you can’t wait! Enjoy!
   
   NOTE: Also, to help you with the seasonings, I have uploaded two pages from a book I have been working on regarding spice substitutions. The pages will show how to substitute allspice and nutmeg. The allspice substitution recipe is used to make the nutmeg substitute. The book will be a guide regarding non-stimulating spices. It is almost complete, and by God’s grace, will be available soon!