Healthy Hot Dogs?

Everyone who knows me well is aware that I love hot dogs. I’ll take all different kinds, from the so-called gourmet dogs to those big boys that they sell at 7-11. Hot dog eating doesn’t come without guilt, however, as most franks are laced with bad stuff like nitrates and filler. So I was intrigued when I tried a sample at Trader Joe’s of their Uncured Beef Hot Dogs, which according to the package are nitrate free, with no fillers, gluten, msg, antibiotics or hormones. Not only that, but my sample tasted great!

They’re not cheap, four bucks for a package of eight, but I brought one home and tried them today. The best way to cook hot dogs is to grill them, but I chose to steam mine. I like having two dogs because I can dress them up differently. On one I put Dijon mustard, red onion, sliced dill pickle, and halved cherry tomatoes. I also added a few Tai chilies I keep just for this purpose. On the other I put some grainy mustard, onion, and sweet pickle relish. Both were marvelous, and the flavor of the dogs stood up to all my additions. They went great with one of my favorite chips, Kettle Chips Yogurt and Green Onion.

Guilt free hot dogs? Well, it ain't health food, but it's a step in the right direction.