Colombian hot dogs just might be the perfect late-night junk food, but let's be honest: They're a heart attack on a bun. So with our arteries in mind, I tried last night to make a healthy version. Or at least somewhat healthier.
Hot dogs from Colombia are all about the toppings -- fatty, sweet, and salty toppings. Here's how to make them at least relatively healthier:
* For the "pink sauce," I combined low-fat mayo, ketchup, salt and
pepper, and a bit of sriracha for
heat. With all the other toppings, it'd be easy enough to skip the sauce
altogether.
* Instead of the blanket of cheese you get at
Colombian hot dog joints like Los Perros, I used cotija. Going with a
Mexican cheese isn't exactly authentic, but the crumbly cotija is made
from cow's milk, decidedly healthier than whatever that gooey stuff is
on most Colombian hot dogs.
* It's hard to replace diced
pineapple with anything that'll add the same sweetness without the
calories. But most Colombian dogs come blanketed with the stuff, so
instead, I added just a few, which is really all you need.
*
Crunched-up dehydrated vegetable chips rounded the whole thing off. I'll
admit that dehydrated veggies sound a whole lot less appealing, but
they're crunchier, more flavorful, and added an amazing amount of color.
Out of all the substitutions, this one actually worked the best.
The
dogs pictured here are the low-fat variety, and with all those
toppings, you couldn't tell the difference. They're sitting on toasted
whole wheat buns, my final attempt to make things healthier.
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In
the end, these dogs aren't exactly health food, but after a few too many
Aguila, they're a good way to finish the night without finishing off
your arteries.
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