[1] Field Roast Stadium Dog: vegan and delicious (all photos © Field Roast).

[2] Serve them on a bun…or how about skewers?

[3] Bánh mì-style hot dog toppings. Here’s the recipe.

[4] Look for the blue package.

[5] Sure, we like a plain dog; but we love creative toppings (photo © Vermont Cure).

We’re not vegan: We’re omnivore. We like everything.

It was love at first taste when we discovered the vegan line from the Field Roast Grain Meat Co.

We were offered a taste of “grain meat.” Not knowing what grain meat was, we thought it might be a mixture of grain and meat. Whatever it was, we loved it.

When we found out it was 100% vegan, we knew we’d found something that would enable us to enjoy meat flavor in a sustainable, plant-based form.

Whether you’re vegetarian, looking to give up meat a day or two a week to help the environment or your health, or simply looking for a new and delicious food, check out the line.

It has everything: breakfast patties, brats, burgers, deli slices, dogs and corn dogs, pepperoni, roasts, sausages, and wings.

Plus, under their Chao Creamery brand, sliced and shredded cheeses, cheese blocks, and mac and cheese.

Let us assure you: It’s so delicious we keep buying more and more.
 
 
THE SIGNATURE STADIUM DOG

Just in time for summer’s baseball and grilling culture, this plant-based addition to the grill brings a new level of flavor exploration to the plant-based hot dog category.

They’re our Top Pick Of The Week.

The Field Roast Signature Stadium Dog was inspired by the flavors of premium, kosher-style beef hot dogs.

And unlike other dogs that use liquid smoke for flavor, Field Roast’s dogs are smoked in a real smokehouse.

It’s the first plant-based hot dog that’s double-smoked using maple hardwood chips.
 
 
STADIUM DOG MEETS KOGI TRUCK

The Stadium Dog is also the first plant-based hot dog to be sold alongside traditional beef dogs on the famed Kogi Truck in California.

The Kogi Truck is the creation of Chef Roy Choi, one of the founders of the gourmet food truck movement.

The creator of the gourmet Korean-Mexican taco truck will be serving the Field Roast Stadium Dog through the late September.

It’s topped with Chef Choi’s own spin:

His signature Kogi slaw; cilantro-onion lime relish; salsas roja, verde and naranja; roasted sesame seeds; smothered with melted Chao Creamery dairy-free cheese and nestled in a toasted bun.

Here are two more topping ideas from Field Roast:

 
Or use whatever you like, including the classics: mustard, ketchup, relish, sauerkraut or chili.
 
 
WHAT’S IN THE DOGS?

The Field Roast Signature Stadium Dog is the first plant-based hot dog to be made from pea protein, rather than soy.

It delivers the same amount of protein per serving as most traditional hot dogs while containing less sodium.

The skinless dogs are double-smoked using maple hardwood chips and a combination of steam and dry heat.

They deliver a flavor and a texture experience that you’ll crave, whether you’re feastomg indoors outdoors.

The entire Field Roast line is vegan-certified and Non-GMO; all natural with no added nitrites or nitrates
 
 
GET YOUR DOGS

The Field Roast Signature Stadium Dog is currently available for purchase online and in retail stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Wegmans and Sprouts. It’s $6.99 per 10-ounce package (six dogs).

For more information, visit FieldRoast.com.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF HOT DOGS

July 5th is National Graham Cracker Day.

For those who enjoyed s’mores over July 4th weekend, here’s another recipe that combines graham crackers and chocolate.

“These bite-sized treats,” says recipe author Julie B., “include two sticks of butter and TONS of candy bar flavor. They include gooey caramel, peanut butter, and rich chocolate on top of a buttery graham cracker base.”

We think they’re like Snickers (chocolate, caramel, peanuts) on a graham cracker base; hence the name Candy Bar Cuties.

Thanks to Go Bold With Butter for the recipe. It took second place in a recent Holiday Cookie Recipe Contest—but there’s no reason not to enjoy them all year long.
> The History Of Graham Crackers
 
 
RECIPE: CANDY BAR CUTIES

You’ll need mini muffin tins and cup liners.

Prep time is 1 hour, cook time is 15 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 2 Dozen Cookies

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.

2. CREAM the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

3. COMBINE the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix with mixer until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

4. SCOOP rounded balls of dough using a cookie dough scoop (approximately 1-1/4 inches in diameter), and place one in each muffin cup, pressing evenly into bottom of cups.

BAKE for 12 -15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies in the muffin pans on a wire rack. Do not remove the cookies from muffin pans.

5. MICROWAVE on HIGH in a microwave-safe bowl the caramel squares, peanut butter and 1/4 cup of the cream. Heat for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. When the caramels are completely melted when stirred, add 1/4 cup chopped peanuts and stir to incorporate.

6. TOP each cookie in the tins with 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons of the warm caramel-peanut butter mixture, spreading it almost to the edges with back of spoon. (If the caramel does not spread easily, stir in additional cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable, reheating as needed).

Set aside until the caramel is set, about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime…

7. HEAT the semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips in a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving, stirring every 10-15 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and can be stirred smooth.

8. SPOON about 2 teaspoons chocolate over the caramel layer, spreading to the edges, completely covering the caramel and cookie layers. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining chopped peanuts.

9. REFRIGERATE 25-30 minutes or until the chocolate is set. Carefully pop the cookies out of pans one at a time, pushing up from the bottom of each muffin cup.
 
 
MORE GRAHAM CRACKER RECIPES

[1] These cookies are like Snickers crossed with graham crackers (photo © Julie B. | Go Bold With Butter).

[2] You can buy graham cracker crumbs, but the best flavor comes from using better graham crackers. We like the ones from Trader Joe’s (photo © Go Bold With Butter).

[3] You can buy ready-made graham cracker crumbs, but you may want to crush your own (photo © Keebler).

[4] As with the graham crackers, higher quality chocolate delivers better tasting cookies (photo © Bella Baker [now closed]).

[5] Roasted, salted peanuts (photo © Jirkaejc | Panther Media).

[1] Chocolate raspberry swirl ice cream pops, made creamy with mascarpone (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).

[2] Mascarpone, the “Italian cream cheese, softer and creamier than American cream cheese (photo © The Nibble).

[3] Vanilla bean paste adds full vanilla flavor without adding liquid (photo by Claire Freiermann | © The Nibble).

[4] It’s worth it to invest in a set of ice pop molds (photo © Fun Care | Amazon).

July is National Ice Cream Month, so you can expect some new ice cream recipes from us.

Thanks to Wisconsin Cheese for today’s recipe: chocolate and raspberry ice cream pops.

Ice cream pops are made with some type of dairy, as opposed to ice pops, which have none.

Note: They’re not Popsicles!

Popsicle® is a registered trademark of Unilever, which owns the brand.

Any other frozen juice on a stick is a generic “ice pop”; “ice cream pop” if it includes dairy or substitute.

Here’s more about Popsicles.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY SWIRL ICE CREAM POPS

Instead of using milk or half-and-half, these pops are even richer thanks to the substitution of mascarpone and ricotta cheeses.

If you don’t know mascarpone—sometimes referred to as “Italian cream cheese”—we urge you to get to know it. It’s softer and richer than American-style cream cheese.

Prep time is about 25 minutes, and 6+ hours freezing time.
 
Ingredients For 10-12 Pops

 
Preparation

1. GENTLY CRUSH the raspberries in a bowl with the back of a spoon; set aside.

2. PLACE the mascarpone, ricotta, milk, sugar, honey and vanilla bean paste in blender; cover and process until mixture is combined.

3. DIVIDE the mascarpone mixture evenly into two bowls. Stir the cocoa into one bowl. Fold the raspberries into the other bowl.

4. FILL the molds or disposable cups alternating layers of chocolate and raspberry mixtures. Top the mold with its holder (or fill the alternatives).

5. FREEZE for at least 6 hours or overnight.
 
 
MORE ICE CREAM POP RECIPES

 
 
ICE POP RECIPES

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*Vanilla bean paste is the way to add vanilla flavor to a recipe without adding additional liquid. But you can replace vanilla bean paste with equal amounts of of vanilla extract. If you have vanilla powder, you can use that as well (equal amount). Here are the different types of vanilla.

†Whole milk ricotta will freeze better.
 
  

[1] Pineapple slices on the grill (photos #1, #2, #3 © Hello Fresh).

[2] Start with a ripe pineapple. (Note: Pineapples are typically picked when ripe and don’t ripen further, but smell the pineapple for an aroma).

[3] While only Diamond Jim Brady could dig through this stack, use the same toppings for a single slice.

[4] Add a slice of grilled pineapple to a BLT, other sandwich, or burger. Here’s the BLT recipe from Half Baked Harvest (photo © Half Baked Harvest).

Grilled pineapple has so many uses, from salsa, to salads (chicken, crab, green, shrimp) to skewers and the recipes below.

It’s a delicious with breakfast sausages or bacon, at lunch on a burger or sandwich, and as dessert at dinner.

One of our favorites: a pineapple ice cream sundae with a scoop of vanilla atop a grilled pineapple ring, caramel sauce, a bit of whipped cream or mascarpone, and some macadamia or pistachio nuts.
 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED PINEAPPLE

Thanks to Hello Fresh for the recipe.

Ingredients

 
Garnishes

You can use more than one of these.

 
Preparation

1. LAY the pineapple horizontally on a cutting board, and use a sharp cook’s knife to remove the top by slicing about a quarter-inch below the base of the leaves.

2. STAND it upright and peel skin side by side, slicing down from the open top of the fruit. The sweetest parts are closest to the skin just behind the brown “eyes” you’ll find along the perimeter, so try to keep your slices clean to preserve all that flavor. Once peeled…

3. LAY the pineapple horizontally to chop off the base and cut fruit into rings by slicing straight down width-wise, thickness to taste. The fiber-rich core is edible, but lots of people remove it because it isn’t as flavorful or sweet. Use a small paring knife to cut it out of your rings, if you’d prefer.

4. OPTIONALLY MARINATE the pineapple. Place the rings in a big plastic bag a few hours before you plan to grill them, add a teaspoon of honey, tablespoons of melted butter, a dash of hot pepper sauce and a dash of salt. If you don’t want hot sauce, add a dash of cinnamon and a squeeze of lime juice.

5. SHAKE the bag to coat the rings evenly, and pop it in the fridge until ready to grill.

6. TURN the grill to medium heat. Use tongs to remove the rings from the bag and lay them on the grill, spreading so they don’t slip through the grate. Grill until char marks appear, about 2-3 minutes per side.
 

13 MORE GRILLED PINEAPPLE RECIPES

Start with a ham, turkey or other sandwich with a slice of grilled pineapple and honey mustard. A slice of grilled pineapple is also great on a burger. Then, move on to these:

Our friend’s daughter is largely vegetarian, but she’ll eat an occasional piece of fish (which makes her a flexitarian—here’s the difference of these terms plus pescatarian, vegan and others).

So for July 4th weekend, we picked up a box of SeaPak Alaskan Salmon Burgers, which are available frozen at stores nationwide.

It takes time to make salmon burgers from scratch, but these frozen patties are just the thing for a busy occasion like grilling with guests.

Cook them for 2 minutes on each side on a pre-heated and oiled pan or grill. The goal is a crispy outside and juicy interior.

We like salmon bugers “rare.” Remember that the burger will continue to cook for a minute or two once removed from the heat source—and there’s nothing worse than overcooked fish.
 
 
MORE USES FOR SEAPAK ALASKA SALMON BURGERS

In addition to salmon burgers, decked out with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, cole slaw, and condiments of choice (that’s yogurt-dill sauce in photo #1), you can use the burgers:

[1] Dress a salmon burger like a beef burger. Ketchup works, but a yogurt-dill sauce is better. Here’s a recipe (photo © McCormick).

[2] Keep a package of salmon burgers burgers in the freezer, for family and guests (photo © SeaPak).

In addition to great salmon flavor, salmon burgers bring the numerous health benefits of salmon.