VeggHead BeerCyclist 2.27
Vegan Dawgs
I’m excited to receive a t-shirt that I ordered earlier this month, today! It is the very first FatBike shirt that I’ve come across. Thanks, Teespring. Hopefully it’s delivered before the mail as the mail always comes around
3:00 pm. The USPS always has me guessing. We will see.
I had a really good Sour beer last night. It wasn’t just any Sour, it had great complexity and it is the closest local brewery to me being 50 some miles south in Bloomington, IL. It is the third Sour I’ve had from Destihl brewery that was at least very good. It was pricy and I’m poor so I probably won’t enjoy another, but it was well worth it.
I’ve always loved hot dogs. I ate them as a kid. I always ate them at Wrigley Field either before or during many upon many of Old Style’s. Before magically transforming into vegetarianism to save the world, I found the best Dawg that I have ever had. And it just took some time, but I dug up the only picture that I have of this amazing delight, Chicago-Style Char Dawg from Gold Coast Dogs inside the Chicago Union Station.
Ever since experiencing this greatness of a Dawg, I’ve been trying to recreate it and make it better. Since I’ve taken the vow to save the planet by establishing an Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian lifestyle, it has been a bit more challenging. I’ve created quite a few different dawgs from the basic Dawg to elaborate and creative as possible. I always use Smart Dogs by Lightlife. They have smaller Dawgs and jumbo Dawgs. I like the jumbo Dawgs better, just because they have a greater gravitational pull to keep all the ridiculous toppings close by that I throw on them.
While I’m at it, I’d just like to share a discovery that I’ve made involving Dawgs and sandwiches. I like pickles and relish, but unpickled raw cucumber is where it’s at! I haven’t used relish or pickles in a couple of years. I haven’t even eaten them. And catsup or ketchup is baby food. Which most isn’t even safe for babies with all of the tomato flavoring with the sugar. Tomatoes are so much better and healthier. I could talk bad about catsup or ketchup for a very long time. If you don’t have tomatoes, donate the catsup or ketchup to a diabetic who can’t find their insulin and throw some Sriracha on there and grow some balls. Why is there two different spellings for the same product that is basically the same pronunciation. The whole idea of IT, buying, writing about IT, smack-talking about IT, even consumption, kills my brain cells and is ultimately mentally challenging. I’m done.
I’m sharing 5 different Dawgs that I have pictures for so I can Strava #ProveIt. I seriously accidentally hashtagged ProbeIt. Haha. “LOL” belongs with IT. It’s dumb, overused, and so 2000. I have a basic Chicago Char Dawg, Experimental Mexi-Chicago Char Dawg, Italia-Chicago Char Dawg, Lentili Char Dawg and the 333 Halsted. I am and have been Vegan on Fridays for a few months now. #VeganVriday. I promise that I’m done hashtagging. It won’t be long before the actual hashtag finds its way into the dictionary and/or the bible.
I’ve made numerous varieties of Lentili. It’s my usually Vegan awesome creation. Really I just use Lentils instead of beans. But the name, Lentili, rocks and makes me want to do a shot every time I say it or type Lentili. I drank a little Jameson last night. I’d have a pretty good buzz after this paragraph. I usually make Lentili without oil, but in this case I used leftover Back Burner Ragu Marinara that I used for some Chicago Stuffed Pies that was made with a bit of oil.
Back Burner Ragu Marinara ingredients:
-Oil, not too splashy
-Garlic, diced
-White or Yellow Onion, diced
-Celery, diced
-Carrots, whole and then diced
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Sugar/Oregano
-I usually throw a little cayenne in
-Tomato Paste
-Canned chopped Tomatoes or be a chef and chop your own
-Water or Veggie Broth
-Time to simmer down now
Steps:
-Sauté Garlic in oil
-Sauté Onion
-Sauté Celery and Carrots
-I usually add a few splashes of Balsamic Vinegar after the veggies are sautéed
-Add Tomatoes and Paste and Water or Broth
-Season
-Bring to a very brief boil without scorch torture
-Simmer while stirring for hours.
-You want it to cook down. Things are better with time. Cheese, Wine, Beer… The consistency you want to start out with is a little runnier than chunky as it will thicken and swell upon timely simmering.
Vegan Lentili ingredients:
-Back Burner Ragu Marinara
-Oil
-Bell Pepper assortment, Deseeded and diced
-Hot Peppers, deseeded and diced
-Carrot and Celery, diced
-Garlic and Onion, diced
-Go Veggie! “Cheese”
-Balsamic Vinegar
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Garlic Powder
-Lentils!
-Water or Veggie Broth
-I used mush that I saved from previously deseeding tomatoes and cucumbers. Why not.
-Time
Steps:
-Oil
-Sauté Garlic
-Sauté Onion
-Sauté Celery and Carrot
-Sauté PEPPERS
-Add Balsamic Vinegar
-Add Back Burner Ragu Marinara
-Add Water or Broth if needed
-Season
-Simmer for 60-90 minutes
-Add Lentils
-Simmer 30 more minutes
-Add “Cheese” and turn off your simmer contraption
-Probably hot, but ready to serve or save for your Lentili Char Dawg.
Vegan Chicago Char Dawg ingredients:
-Good Buns
-Smart Dog
-Cucumber
-Tomato
-Organic Mustard is the shit.
-Onion
-Pepper
-Hot Peppers or Sport Peppers
-Do not disgrace me with IT (Rhymes with Fetch Crup)
Steps:
-Char your Dawgs by grilling, broiling or baking
-To somewhat imitate that Gold Coast Dog, I cut the end like they do. It’s not necessary and Smart Dogs are grillable. That is a recent change they’ve conquered. They can withstand more heat. They still bubble a bit, but don’t explode (that I’ve seen).
-Char your bun now or later. One it adds flavor. And two it gives ya a stronger platform, host, boat or Bun as most would say.
-While keeping your charring on your mind, get your veggies prepped.
-Build your Dawg and top with Mustard and a few dashes of Pepper.
-Add a side and a good Beer and enjoy!
Vegan Mexi-Chicago Char Dawg ingredients:
I experimented by slicing the Smart Dogs before charring. It is not necessary.
-Smart Dog, charred
-Go Veggie! “Cheese”
-Serrano Peppers, sliced (deseed if you want)
-Avocado, sliced (seared if you want. I did it in the pic, just to do it.)
-Onion, diced
-Tomato, diced, sliced or whole?
-Guacamole (store bought or homemade)
-Cucumber, anyway you’d like
-Mustard, if it’s Organic, all over my face
Steps:
-I charred the Dogs and then melted “Cheese” on them.
-Prepare all of your veggies.
-Spread the Guacamole on the Bun and lightly char/toast
-If you build it, he will come eat it.
-Add a side and a beer and enjoy!
Vegan Lentili Char Dawg ingredients:
-Good Bun, charred
-Smart Dog, charred and “Cheese” charred
-Go Veggie! “Cheese”
-Vegan Lentili, heated
Steps:
-Get your charring inferno completed and don’t toast the Bun too much as you’re gonna double char that punk.
-I charred the Bun the first time with a little “Cheese” on it.
-Throw that meatless tube steak on the cheesy Bun.
-Add some more “Cheese” on top and find a way to balance it for the additional charring. I used a shallower bowl.
-When charred, plate your work.
-Does it look good?
-Throw some Lentili on it add a Beer and a side and you’re good to go! Enjoy!
Vegan Italian-Chicago Char Dawg ingredients:
-Good Bun, charred
-Smart Dog, charred and “Cheese” melted/charred
-Go Veggie! “Cheese”
-Garlic, sliced
-Cucumber, I cut them into strips
-Tomato, sliced or diced
-Onion, diced
-Serrano Peppers, sliced
-Organic Mustard is worth it.
-Parsley, if you’re gonna take a beautiful picture to share to your friends. It is also edible 🙂
Leaps:
-Char your Dog. I believe that I baked the Dog first before broiling. I achieved great color with these.
-Melt/Char the “Cheese” lightly
-Put sliced Garlic on the “Cheese” EVER so carefully and then go nuts and char the Soy out of it.
-Also, char your Bun
-In the meantime, listen to some Helmet. Yeah, from the 90’s!
-Your favorite thing, veggie prep, should have already been done during the Edible Vegan Charcoal process.
-Throw it all together. Distance gets you much more points. Have a beer, take a pic and enjoy. Then go for a bike ride!
333 Halsted:
This one is my baby. It took some time to name and complete with the awesome sense of success it gave me.
Chicago, IL 60661. It is a National Hellenic Museum. It is in Greektown in Chicago in Illinois in the United States of America found in the Northern America on Earth’s Northern Hemisphere inside our Solar System in the enormous Milky Way Galaxy. Just a tiny dot in the vast universe.
My thought process was to infuse Greek-Style and Chicago-Style into one Dawg. Greektown is an awesome area in Chicago, by the way. This is a Vegan Dawg, but I did leave the “Cheese” away. Add it if you’d like. I’ve been a fan of different types of tapenade for quite a few years now. Maybe not the correct name, but it should have an elaborate name for the awesome ingredients in it. It’s basically a Greek-Style relish. Tapenade is an assortment of capers, olives and oil originated in Provence. Which is France. I’ve never been. I am not an expert and I guess they like anchovies in theirs.
Greek-Chicago-Style Tapenade ingredients:
-Chicago Hot Giardiniera, super diced
-Capers, super diced
-Garlic, super diced
-Roasted Red Pepper, skinned and super diced
-Hot Peppers, super diced (I used Serrano)
-Onion, super diced
-Cucumber and Tomato, deseeded and super diced
-Green and Kalamata Olives, diced superbly-Pits not allowed
-Red Wine, drink a glass as well
-Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Paprika/Poppy Seed
Steps, Wino:
-I hope that’s good wine.
-Mix everything together just don’t drown everything with a waterfall of flavor. You just want this tasty concoction to swim and relax, having fun with their friends.
-Let marinade at room temperature for a while.
333 Halsted ingredients:
-Greek-Chicago-Style Tapenade
-Smart Dog, charred
-Good Bun, charred
-Organic Mustard
Voyage:
-I actually forgot to char the Bun in the picture. Too much wine. It was still delicious.
-Char the Dog and Bun if the wine lets you.
-Throw it together
-I recommend trying those potatoes
-Slice and bake for hourish at 400* F seasoning is always good
-Keep drinking your wine or crack open a 2013 Destihl Saint Dekkera Reserve Sour: Excommunie Trois. The best Sour that I’ve ever had.
Man, writing these posts are time consuming and make me hungry and make me thirsty. On another good note, it’s super sunny outside and I’m gonna take my Trek HulkRip out for an in town road ride. Thanks for reading this, if you did. I bought all of you readers flowers at Aldi!
VeggHead BeerCyclist 