Carrot Dogs

Cooked whole carrots soak up tons of flavor from a smoky marinade. Though these carrot dogs need four hours to marinade, this recipe requires only about 20 minutes of active prep time.

Ingredients

8 large carrots

Marinade

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dry mustard
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
Dash ground cloves

Optional Add Ons:

8 whole wheat hot dog buns toasted if desired
½ of a red onion finely chopped (¼ cup)
3 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
½ of a medium cucumber spiralized or shredded

Instructions

Peel carrots and trim to 6 inches long or length of hot dog buns. Trim wide end to make a consistent thickness.
Place carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Cover pan and bring to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cook carrots 8 to 10 minutes, until just tender. Drain well. Place carrots in a large resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.
For marinade, in a bowl combine the next 11 ingredients and ½ cup water. Pour over carrots; seal bag. Chill 4 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. Drain and discard marinade.
Grill carrots, covered, over medium-high 5 to 8 minutes or until grill marks start to appear, turning occasionally. Or place carrots in a foil-lined baking pan and bake at 450°F 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned on edges.
Place grilled carrots in buns. Top with red onion, mustard, and cucumber.

Notes

By Forks Over Knives/Nancy Macklin