Aloha Dogs:We’ve had a few friends visit the island paradise of Kauai and return with stories and photos of tropical flowers, jade-colored pools of water, copper-colored feral island chickens, and great big vegan hot dogs from a little food stand in Poipu called Puka Dogs. So when we were choosing where to go for our babymoon, Kauai was the clear winner.
As I type this I am still a little tan from our week on this beautiful island and still very much in love with the time we spent there. Although this recipe isn’t exactly like those famous Puka Dogs, we created it to bring a little piece of that nirvana back home with us and to share it with you.
MAKES 4 HOT DOGS
$2.95 PER SERVING
Ingredients for Aloha Dogs recipe
Pineapple Salsa
1 (4-ounce) can sliced pineapple, drained (reserve the juice for the hot dogs, below)
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (more or less, depending on how hot you like it)
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Hot Dogs
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 favorite vegan sausages (we recommend Tofurky Beer Brats or Field Roast Sausages)
3 tablespoons pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple slices)
Dash of vegan liquid smoke
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 whole wheat hot dog buns
How to make Aloha Dogs ?
Make the pineapple salsa: Combine all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl, adding the jalapeño a pinch or two at a time to gauge how hot you want your salsa to be. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
Make the hot dogs: In a cast-iron skillet or your deepest frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Gently place the vegan sausages in the pan and pour the pineapple juice over the top. Add a dash of vegan liquid smoke and sprinkle with cumin. Roll the vegan sausage in the oil a few times to give it a light, even coating.
While the vegan sausages are cooking, toast the hot dog buns.
Once the vegan sausages are tender and have a golden brown crust, you’re ready to eat!
Serve the vegan sausages hot in their buns with a few heaping scoops of pineapple salsa on top.
It might sound funny to hear that there are safety precautions you should take when handling jalapeños, because they’re so little and cute. But it’s all an act. These little buddies pack a punch. The first thing to do is get some plastic gloves. I know this sounds like I’m overreacting—but anyone who’s ever rubbed their eyes an hour after cooking with jalapeños can testify that the pepper’s oil stays on your hands even after washing and can make your eyes feel like they’re on fire. If you don’t have plastic gloves, use a paper towel or sandwich bag to hold your jalapeño. Just be careful—this’ll make it harder to see what your knife is doing. Start by cutting the stem and tip off your jalapeño, and then slice it in half the long way. Using a small knife, cut the seeds and white parts out of the center and throw them away. Now go ahead and dice up your jalapeño into small bits. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
