Ingredients:
For the Hot Dogs:
1 package of whole-wheat or Brioche hotdog buns
1 egg white for egg wash
3 tbsp of poppy seeds
1 package of Spicy Italian Beyond Sausages
2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced and seasoned
4 dill pickles, sliced in half
Country Dijon mustard
For the Caramelized Onions:
2 tbsp of butter
2 Sweet Yellow
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
For the Potato Salad:
12 oz Kale
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 ¼ pound of baby potatoes, boiled, cooled, and sliced in half
4 stalks of celery
2 tbsp dill
¼ C Parsley
6 Shallots, peeled and sliced
4 C of oil for frying
For the Potato Salad Dressing:
2 tbsp Country Dijon Mustard
1 C of Mayo or Vegan Mayo
2 fat pinches of salt
2-3 tsp of pepper
2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
For the Coconut Cake:
2 C All-Purpose Flour
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 tsp double-acting baking powder
1 Stick of European Style butter
1 ¼ C of Sugar
2 Egg yolks
2 tsp of Vanilla Extract
2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
1 ¼ C of non-dairy milk, I use Ripple Milk in the video
3 egg whites
3 drops of red food dye
3 drops of blue food dye
Non-stick cooking spray
For the Coconut Buttercream Icing:
1 Stick of European Style butter
3 ¾ C of Powdered Sugar
6 tbsp Coconut Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
A small dash of salt
Parchment paper for decorating
Instructions:
Potato Salad
The night before or earlier in the day: Boil 2 ¼ pound baby potatoes until tender enough to pierce with a fork. Strain the potatoes and let them chill whole overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place 12 ounces of chopped kale on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oven is hot and ready, place the kale in the oven for 10 minutes.
Slice the boiled baby potatoes in half and place in a large bowl. To the same bowl, add 4 stalks of chopped celery, 2 tablespoons chopped dill, ½ cup chopped parsley, all of the roasted kale, fried shallots (see a. 4.1 for details), and potato salad dressing (see b. 4.2 for details). Mix the potato salad very well.
4.1: To fry shallots, add 2 -3 inches of frying oil to a cast iron or dutch oven. Place a candy thermometer in the oil. While the oil is heating up, toss 6 sliced shallots in flour. Shake off extra flour. When the thermometer in the oil reads between 350-375 degrees, begin to fry the shallots in batches, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Once the shallots become golden brown, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon or fry basket and place the shallots on a paper towel to drain. Repeat until all the shallots have been used.
4.2: To a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of country dijon mustard, 1 cup of mayo or vegan mayo, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Mix well with a whisk.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the potato salad for at least four hours or overnight.
Serve alongside hot dogs or have the potato salad on its own! Bottoms up!
Hot Dogs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut two sweet yellow onions in half through the root end and place the flat edge of the onion down on the cutting board. Cut thin slices of onion until you reach the root end.
Place a pot over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of butter.
Once the butter is melted and hot, add the onions and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the onions and mix. Once the onions are translucent, lower the heat to low and cook the onions for one hour, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Give hot dog buns a brush with egg whites and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Place the hot dog buns on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 4 minutes.
Place a skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add your preferred meatless sausages to the pan and heat according to the package’s instructions. NOTE: I prefer to crisp all sides of the sausage rather than doing one flip.
Setting up the condiment bar: Slice heirloom tomatoes thinly and season with salt and pepper. Place on a large cutting board. Slice dill pickles down the middle lengthwise so they fit in the buns. Place alongside the tomato slices. Place the finished buns alongside the tomatoes and pickles. Place mustard, mayo, and ketchup on the condiment bar as well. Place the dish of caramelized onions on the board. Finally, place the finished sausages on the cutting board. Let guests assemble their hot dogs! Bottoms up!
Coconut Cake
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
To a large bowl, sift 2 cups of all purpose flour, ½ tsp salt, 3 tsp double acting baking powder and mix well.
To a stand mixer or using hand beaters, cream ½ cup (1 stick) of European style butter and 1 ¼ cup of sugar. Once the mixture is a pale yellow and fluffy, turn the mixer to low and add egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon juice.
With the mixer still on low, begin to add ⅓ of your dry ingredients to the mixer. Once incorporated, begin to add ½ of your non-dairy milk. Alternate these steps making sure to end with the dry ingredients.
Once the cake batter has incorporated, split it as evenly as possible between two bowls. NOTE: You only have to split the batter if you are dying your layers like I did. You do not have to split the batter if you are skipping the dying process.
In the same stand mixer or again, using hand beaters, beat egg whites until they begin to form stiff peaks, about 3-4 minutes on high.
Split the egg whites between the two cake batters and fold in the egg whites gently using a rubber spatula. NOTE: You do not need to split the egg whites if you did not split your batter.
To one cake batter add 2 drops of red food dye and fold in gently. To the other batter, add 2 drops of blue food dye and fold in gently.
Prepare two 9 inch cake pans with non-stick spray. Add the cake batters each to their own cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted into the cakes and comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from their pan and let cool for at least one hour before icing (to make icing, see a. 10.1)
10.1: To a stand mixer or in a large bowl with hand beaters, add ½ cup (1 stick) European style butter and mix with 6 tbsp coconut cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt, and 3 ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar. Once fully incorporated, turn off the mixer and place the icing in the fridge until ready to use.
To decorate the cakes, cut a piece of parchment paper into three strips. Place each strip around a cake stand to create a triangle in the middle. Place the first layer of cake onto the cake stand in the middle of the triangle, making sure the strips of parchment are underneath the cake and none of the cake stand is exposed. Add icing onto the top of the cake. Place the second layer on top and give the cake a gentle press to secure it to the layer below. Add icing to the top and work from the center toward the edges. Let the icing flow over the edges of the cake to help ice the sides of the cake. Once the cake is covered in icing, apply shredded coconut. Let rest for as long as you can handle. The longer coconut cake sits, the better it tastes! Bottoms up!