Dinner 20: Michigan

Menu

Detroit-Style Coney Dogs
Michigan Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette
Mackinac Island Fudge

Review

I chose Michigan next because it starts with 'M' like Minnesota did and because the state is split into two parts, which is kind of neat. For the food, I chose a kind of hot dog with sauce called a Coney Dog. It's funny because it's named for a place in New York, even though it's from Michigan. I also chose a salad with cherries and apples and fudge for dessert.

I liked everything except for the salad dressing. The hot dogs were good - they look kind of like the hot dogs we had from Rhode Island, but I liked these ones a lot more! I liked the salad part of the salad and the cherries and apples were yummy, but the dressing was too much flavor and a little bit sour. The fudge was really good, though. We got to have big pieces, too, and there was lots left over, which was good, too!

Recipes

Detroit-Style Coney Dogs

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

4 hot dogs with natural casings
4 hot dog rolls
1 small onion, diced
10 ounces Detroit Coney Sauce (recipe follows)
yellow mustard, to taste

Grill hot dogs to taste.

Place hot dogs on buns, top with Coney sauce, onion and mustard.

Detroit Coney Sauce

(original recipe from Great Lakes, Better Food)

1/2 pound ground beef
1 hot dog, casing removed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy margarine
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup beef stock
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown the beef and hot dog in a large Dutch oven. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Using the same Dutch oven, melt butter, whisk in flour to create a roux. Once the roux turns lithely brown, slowly add the stock, whisking constantly. Add all remaining ingredients and the beef mixture. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has a thick consistency.

Michigan Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette

(original recipe from Loaded Kitchen)

1 1/2 cups frozen unsweetened tart cherries
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup dried cherries
3 tablespoons honey
1 large shallot, quartered
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

1 bag mixed greens
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
dried cherries
shredded soy cheese

Put the frozen cherries in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries and juices are reduced to about 1/2 cup.

Combine the cooked cherries with the remaining ingredients, except the olive oil. Blend until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil, blending continuously, until the sauce thickens. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, toss the salad ingredients together, drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Mackinac Island Fudge

(original recipe from GroupRecipes)

1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup soy margarine
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa

Mix soy milk, margarine, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt in a heavy pan. Cook at medium heat until boiling. Boil for exactly 6 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and thick.

Pour into a greased pan and freeze for 20 minutes.

Cut into pieces.