Hot Diggity Dog!

For a long time now, I've been wanting to do what I did last night:  make a whole mess of hot dogs -- all different kinds -- and stuff my face with every type.  Believe me, I really had to work up an appetite to take down these boys and I gotta tell ya, I wouldn't recommend making all three then proceeding to eat them all...talk about a brick in your stomach.  But all worth it for the sake of ChowGals....

So basically, crazy-topped hot dogs are all the rage this summer.  I've seen them creeping around the web and the magazines in the past but in the past few months they have been in every magazine.  I decided to really go for it -- what I love about these dogs is you can pick a theme and just roll with it -- mix up the ingredients like you would top a pizza!  

Today I have three really special dogs for you -- The BLT-Dog, The Lowcountry Dog and The All-American Dog!  
Feel free to get crazy and home-make all your ingredients {pimento cheese, pork bbq, coleslaw} or go ahead and get the store-bought stuff to make the preparations a little more manageable.  

The BLT-Dog: top your hot dog with chopped lettuce, tomato, cooked and crumbled bacon and drizzle with buttermilk ranch dressing

The Lowcountry Dog: top your dog with pimento cheese and pickled okra

The All-American Dog:  top your dog with shredded pork BBQ and top with creamy coleslaw

Grilled Panzanella Salad

Summer has finally arrived in South Carolina!!  The weather here has been so murky lately -- clouds and rain -- totally atypical of springtime in the South.  This past week has been a total change -- sunshine and in the 80s!  This kind of weather gets me in the mood to fire up the grill!  My husband is in charge of the grill in this house and he does an amazing job -- but I'm always looking for unique recipes that include grilled food -- and this recipe fits the bill perfectly!  

I love panzanella salads because they incorporate my favorite things -- fresh veggies, meats, cheeses and bread, all in one fabulous bowl!  And this salad is particularly fabulous with it's tangy dressing, sliced salami and grilled veggies.  Yum.  This is the perfect side dish to your weeknight or weekend grilling!  

Grilled Panzanella Salad (serves 6-8)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper

3 medium tomatoes, halved

6 scallions 

2 large bell peppers, any color, quartered

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

one 10 oz loaf ciabatta, halved lengthwise

1/2 c. fresh torn herbs (basil, parsley)

1/4 lb thinly sliced salami, cut into 2 inch ribbons

1.  Preheat grill to medium high.  Make the dressing: whisk extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.  

2.  Brush grill with extra virgin olive oil.  Put tomatoes in bowl; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill about 2 minutes and transfer to baking sheet.  Oil and grill all veggies and bread.  Cool.

3.  Cut up veggies and bread into bite sized pieces.  Add herbs, salami, dressing and any veggie juices.  Toss and serve.

Red, White and Blue Cheese Wedge Salad

When you’re planning a Fourth of July party {or any party for that matter} it’s important to have some quick and easy items on your menu so that you can throw them together on the fly then head outside to enjoy your party with your friends and family.  That’s why I’m putting this salad in the mix for my July 4th party.  The dressing can be made ahead of time as well as the bacon -- all you have to do is assemble!

This fork and knife salad is made with iceberg lettuce -- which I think is completely under-rated.  I love how crispy iceberg is; there really is nothing better than crunching into this hearty wedge. I also went ahead and lightened up the dressing by using a combination of fat free sour cream and greek yogurt - it’s creamy, tangy and delicious!  As for serving these wedges for a BBQ -- just plate them all up on a big platter, already dressed and let people grab a wedge with a pair of tongs!

Red, White and Blue Cheese Salad Wedge (makes 6 wedges)

1 head of iceberg lettuce, cored and sliced into 6 wedges

6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/3 c. crumbled blue cheese

1 recipe Chunky Blue Cheese Greek Dressing

1 clove garlic, grated

4 oz fat free plain greek yogurt

4 oz fat free sour cream

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until 

needed.  If you think the dressing is too thick, thin it out with a little milk 

until you reach your desired consistency.

1.  Place all iceberg wedges on a large platter.  Drizzle with blue cheese dressing and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and crumbled blue cheese.  Finish with fresh ground black pepper.