National Hot Dog Day!

{Happy National Hot Dog Day Everybody! Our Leisure Arts Food Editor, Celia, is guest blogging today in celebration of National Hot Dog Day, and she’s sharing a free recipe for Easy Hot Dog Relish from our Leisure Arts’ Family Living Hooray for Cookouts.}

Every food has their day and summertime is the perfect time for a hot dog.  Now really, do you ever eat your hot dog plain? I just can’t imagine a picnic with a plump, juicy, grilled wiener that isn’t loaded up with hot dog relish, mustard, chopped onions, even some slaw or chili – can’t you just taste it? We even have something in the South called “Dixie Relish” loaded with chopped green cabbage, onions, green and red peppers, seasoned with mustard and celery seed, then cooked in a sweet vinegar liquid until it is all you need to flavor-up your hot dog or even serve as a tangy side! 

With National Hot Dog Day officially celebrated on July 23, you have got to think about how you are going to “dress your dog” and what sides to serve. Whether on the patio or at a picnic, Hooray for Cookouts is the perfect collection of recipes to use all summer. You’ll really like each spiced-up sauce and flavored mustard for hamburgers and hot dogs, “Cowboy Barbecue Sauce” for those yummy smoked ribs, and salads including “Nutty Chicken-Broccoli Salad” and “Black-Eyed Pea Salad” (yes, we love our black-eyed peas). For those really hot days, serve a refreshing glass of “Caribbean Cooler Punch” or chill some “Fiesta Punch Mix,” then blend the mixture to cool off your guests when they drop.

Whether you are planning a picnic or an evening on the deck, make ahead an easy and tasty “Veggie Dip” and spicy “Salsa Supreme.” Add some bowls of “Barbecued Peanuts” for your guests to snack on and you have yourself a lazy summer day to enjoy thanks to Hooray for Cookouts recipes.

Now, to get your hot dog dressed up with this easy mustard relish and ready to join that picnic plate of goodness, here’s a recipe to try on me!

EASY HOT DOG RELISH

INGREDIENTS:

1 jar (16 ounces) dill pickle slices, drained
1 jar (9 ounces) prepared mustard

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped jalapeno pepper

PREPARATION:

Process pickles, mustard, onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper in a food processor until pickles are coarsely chopped. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Yield: about 2-1/2 cups relish

{For more picnic recipes to fuel your National Hot Dog Day celebration, download our Family Living Hooray for Cookouts eBook for only 50 cents or order the print version for $1.00 plus shipping!}