Blog

Recipe Category: Lunch & Dinner


Seattle Hot Dog

A hot dog with red sauce, onions and jalapenos on it

The Seattle Dog is quirky, unexpected, and honestly, kind of genius. Cream cheese? Bold. Grilled onions? Classic. Add jalapeños, sauerkraut, or sriracha if you’re feeling spicy, and you’ve got a blend of flavors that are, somehow, just a bit, edgy. We’ve added a little local flavor and bacon to the classic recipe…just for fun. 

Ingredients

  • 4 hot dogs 
  • 4 buns, warmed/toasted 
  • 4 slices cooked bacon 
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil 
  • 2 medium yellow onions, halved/sliced  
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • 1 tsp Local Spicery Bayou BBQ seasoning 
  • ¼ tsp salt 
  • Splash of white wine 
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened 
  • 2 jalapeños 
  • Optional ingredients: 3 slices bacon 
  • Toppings: Sriracha, stoneground mustard 

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add bay leaf, onions and salt. Sauté until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.  
  2. Lower heat and cook for 50-80 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft, brown and caramelized. Add splash of white wine to deglaze pan slightly, and then BBQ seasoning. Allow wine to absorb/evaporate, remove from heat and remove bay leaf. 
  3. If using bacon, roughly chop and fold into cream cheese.  
  4. Cook hot dogs and toast buns. Cook jalapeños – about 8 minutes on a grill or 8-10 in a 350° oven, turning every few minutes. Let cool, slice into rings. 
  5. Spread cream cheese on toasted bun, then add hot dog. Top with caramelized onions, jalapeños, sriracha and mustard. 

Tokyo Hot Dog

Close up of a Japanese style hot dog wrapped in brown paper.

This Tokyo hot dog is a new and different way to serve hot dogs. Put away the boring ketchup, mustard and relish and try this!

Count the late Anthony Bourdain as a huge fan of these hot dogs. Lots of umami possibilities with this one! 

Ingredients

  • 4 hot dogs 
  • 4 buns 
  • 1 large white onion, peeled/sliced 
  • 1 Tbsp butter 
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil 
  • 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce 
  • Dash toasted sesame oil 
  • 1/3 cup ketchup 
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce 
  • 1 Tbsp mirin 
  • 1 Tbsp sugar 
  • 1 tsp dry mustard powder or 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder 
  • ¼ tsp onion powder 
  • 1 cup mayonnaise 
  • 1/8 tsp dashi powder or ¼ tsp Local Spicery Bada Bing Bouillon Ooh-Mommy Umami 
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard 
  • ½ Tbsp rice vinegar 
  • Pinch of sugar 
  • Crumbled nori 
  • Optional toppings: Japanese mayo, bonito flakes, furikake, green onions, pickled ginger 

Directions

  1. Make Japanese mayo: In a small bowl, mix dashi powder, Dijon, vinegar and sugar. Add regular mayo and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with additional dashi powder/vinegar or sugar as desired.  
  2. Make tonkatsu sauce: In a small bowl, stir together ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, mustard and onion/garlic powder.  
  3. Add butter and oil to a small saucepan and once warmed, add onion. Cook over medium heat until onions have lost half their volume. Lower heat and add teriyaki sauce, cooking/stirring until most of the liquid is evaporated and onions are almost caramelized. Remove from heat and stir in a dash of toasted sesame oil. 
  4. Cook hot dogs and warm/toast buns. Put onions on buns and then dogs. Top with tonkatsu sauce, crumbled nori and any of the other optional toppings. 
  5. Note: Japanese mayo and tonkatsu sauce can be stored in fridge for about 2 weeks. 

Brazilian Hot Dog

Close up of a hotdog in a brioche bun smothered with cheese and corn. Topped with crumbled potato chips.

Brazilian Hot Dogs – Cachorros Quentes – are cooked in a tomato and veggie sauce before emerging from the pot and jumping into buns. Load them up with corn, parmesan cheese, potato chips and a saucy goodness for a mouthful of “wow!”.

Aproveite a refeição!

https://howtosayguide.com/how-to-say-buen-provecho-in-portuguese

Ingredients

  • 4 hot dogs, with a lengthwise slit cut half-deep 
  • 4 hot dog buns, warmed/toasted 
  • ½ cup thinly sliced white onion 
  • ½ green bell pepper, seeded/sliced 
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 1 Tbsp butter 
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • ¼ tsp oregano 
  • ½ tsp cumin 
  • 1 cup marinara sauce 
  • ¼ cup water 
  • Salt/pepper to taste 
  • Toppings: Ketchup, mustard, mayo, corn, grated Parmesan cheese, crumbled potato chips 

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, oregano/cumin/bay leaf and sauté until onions are transparent. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes more.  
  2. Add marinara and water, stir. Submerge hot dogs in sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust salt/pepper. 
  3. Remove hot dogs from sauce and place in buns. Add additional sauce as desired, and whatever combo of toppings you crave. 

Grilled Deviled Eggs

Give your already heavenly deviled eggs a summer grill glam up! After peeling and halving, brush the cut sides with a little oil, then grill for a minute or two. The added hint of smoky flavor will get the perfect nice kind of side-eye at all those backyard BBQs and pool parties you’re invited to, you social butterfly, you.

Ingredients

  • 6 hardboiled eggs, halved
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp champagne vinegar
  • Dash of your favorite hot sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Paprika
  • Optional garnishes: fresh dill, chives, parsley, etc.

Directions

  1. Blend yolks and remaining ingredients, beating with hand blender or mixer until smooth.
  2. Season to taste.
  3. Pipe into grilled halves, sprinkle lightly with paprika, garnishing with your choice of accoutrements.

Tips for Perfect Deviled Eggs

Boil Like a Pro: To avoid rubbery whites or chalky yolks, boil eggs gently and cool them in an ice bath. Pro tip: slightly older eggs peel more easily.

Smooth as Silk: Blend the yolks with your filling ingredients until completely smooth—lumpy deviled eggs are simply not pleasant. A hand blender makes quick work of this.

Season Smartly: Balance is key. Use mustard for tang, vinegar for brightness, and a touch of hot sauce for heat. Salt and pepper bring it all together.

Pipe, Don’t Scoop: For a polished presentation, use a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off to fill the whites. It’s faster, too.

Get Creative: Elevate those ouefs with garnishes like crispy bacon, smoked salmon, pickled onions, or fresh herbs. Or, go bold with sriracha or wasabi, curry powder, or truffle oil in your filling.

Super Pro tip: If you have an electric kettle, place eggs in kettle with water, set to boil. Turn off and leave in hot water for 10 minutes.

Rolla-Rolla-Rainbow Spring Rolls

Colorful rainbow of spring rolls with carrots, peppers, red cabbage, cucumbers and greens served with hoisin dipping sauce. Sesame seeds accenting sauce and rolls.

Eat the Rainbow and dip it in Hoisin Sauce!

Be sure not to stand between anyone and the plate of fresh spring rolls, you don’t wanna get run over!  

Bright, fresh, and packed with raw veggies, these Rainbow Spring Rolls are a refreshing way to bring some color to your mealtime. They’re light but satisfying, perfect for cold prep meals, and an easy way to use up any colorful produce you have on hand. Rainbow Spring Rolls packed with colorful, crisp veggies and paired with a sweet dipping sauce.

Ingredients

  • ½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips 
  • ½ yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips 
  • 1 small-medium carrot, peeled/cut into thin batons 
  • 1 cup butter lettuce leaves, cut into 1-inch strips 
  • 2 Persian cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin strips 
  • ¼ cup mint leaves 
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves 
  • 1 cup red cabbage, cut into thin shreds 
  • 8 rice paper wrappers (plus a few more if some break) 
  • ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds 
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce 
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar 
  • ¼ cup sesame oil 
  • Sugar or honey to taste 
  • Squeeze of lime juice 
  • Dash toasted sesame oil 

Directions

Dipping Sauce

  1. Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice and toasted sesame oil. Add desired amount of sugar/honey. 

Rolls

  1. Boil carrots in water 1-2 minutes and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Let cool for 3 minutes, drain. 
  2. Get a pie plate or bowl that’s big enough to lay rice paper wrappers in and have hot water on hand for re-hydrating. 
  3. Gather veggies and sesame seeds to assemble rolls. 
  4. Add hot water to pie plate and submerge a rice paper wrapper. Once softened, remove from water and lay on a plate or other flat surface.  
  5. Add a rainbow of veggies in a compact pile at the center of the wrapper and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Fold sides snugly towards the center without veggies piercing wrapper. Fold bottom flap over the center and roll tightly with a gentle hand in the direction of the top wrapper flap until you have a fully encased roll. Place on a plate lightly oiled with sesame oil to prevent sticking. Repeat with other wrappers.  
  6. Once all rolls are complete, cut in half and serve with hoisin dipping sauce. 

Open-Faced Avocado and Smoked Tinned Fish Sandwiches

Three open-faced sandwiches of toasted artisan bread with avocado and smoked mackerel. Garnished with green onions and lime slices. On a wooden cutting board.

Smorrebrod are open-faced sandwiches usually served on a hearty Danish bread full of rye and whole grains. 

Here’s a smorrebrod-inspired recipe that uses simple ingredients but comes off as a deluxe nosh, perfect accompaniment to a glass of your favorite summer beverage. Grab your knife and fork and dig in! You’ll need more than your two hands to eat this one. 

Ingredients

  • 4 large slices of artisan bread 
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened 
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
  • 2 tins smoked mackerel or sardines – about 4 oz each 
  • 1-2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced 
  • 4 scallions, green parts sliced into thin rings 
  • 1 lime, thinly sliced 
  • Several pinches Maldon Sea Salt 
  • Several grinds fresh black pepper 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Toast bread for several minutes, flipping over after about 4 minutes and toasting for about 4 minutes more. 
  2. Put toasted bread on a plate to cool slightly. Holding each piece on one end, rub the garlic cloves over the bread so the toasty edges act like a grater and each gets a nice layer of garlic. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each slice.  
  3. Spread cream cheese on the same side of each slice as the rubbed garlic. Top with sliced avocado and tinned fish, followed by lime slices and sprinkles of scallions. Optional: Drizzle the oil from the tinned fish over each slice.