BLT Hot Dogs With Caraway Remoulade. Kale Caesar With Rye Croutons And Israeli Couscous. New Music From Vasco Da Gama.

Hey everyone, come on in!

This was a different kind of dinner. Two classics changed up to make them out of the ordinary.

The Hot Dogs got the special treatment with a topping of crispy bacon, fresh tomatoes and crunchy lettuce all drizzled with a creamy caraway, caper, pickle mayonnaise.

I love Caesar Salad in any form. This modern take has kale standing in for the romaine and rye croutons for the usual herbed ones. The dressing is plenty garlicky, with tofu used in place of egg. And the coolest part of all? The salad had a scattering of Israeli couscous in it. Different and delicious.

BLT Hot Dogs With Caraway Remoulade

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons chopped capers
1 tablespoon chopped dill pickle
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, toasted
8 hot dogs, cooked
8 hot dog buns, toasted
8 slices of crisp, cooked applewood-smoked bacon
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/3 cup small basil leaves

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the shallot, capers, pickle and toasted caraway seeds.

2. Put the cooked hot dogs in the buns; top with the bacon and tomatoes.

3. Toss the lettuce and basil with some of the caraway remoulade. Top the dogs with the slaw. Serve any remaining remoulade on the side.

Serves 8

Recipe from Food & Wine Magazine

Kale Caesar With Rye Croutons And Israeli Couscous

Kosher salt
1/3 cup Israeli couscous (the original recipe called for farro, but I couldn’t find any)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 1-inch-thick slice of rye bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
12 ounces Tuscan kale, stems discarded and leaves shredded
8 ounces red or green kale, stems discarded and leaves torn
6 ounces silken tofu, drained
5 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
1/2 teaspoon finely grated garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the couscous and cook according to package directions, until tender. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the rye bread and cook over moderate heat until crisp and golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a plate to cool.

3. In a large bowl, toss together all of the kale.

4. In a food processor, pureé the tofu, anchovies, garlic and mustard. With the machine on, drizzle in the oil and 2 tablespoons of water. Add 2 tablespoons of the cheese and pureé. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the dressing to the kale and toss; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter or plates. Top with the couscous, rye croutons and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese and serve.

Serves 6

Recipe from Food & Wine Magazine