Slaw dogs with Mango

I do not get many requests from Mr. Simple Plates. He eats what he is served and hopes it's still hot after the photo shoot is done. However, the other day while we were in a checkout line at the grocery store he pointed to a magazine with three fabulous looking gourmet hotdogs on the cover. They each had a different colorful topping and I had to admit it was something I hadn't done before. I took some time searching for a sausage to use with the least amount of ingredients and the most natural ingredients. I also made an effort to serve a light salad topped with shrimp the night before and a vegetarian dish the night after. Balance. I topped the dogs with broccoli slaw and mango and served with a side of sweet potatoes. The sweetness of the mango with the salty sausage and the crispy slaw turned out to be a great combination. However, if I am going to recommend serving your family hot dogs I have to ask that you follow some rules:


*DO NOT use "wieners".
Yeah, you know the pink ones that are made up of the stuff that is left over in a meat packing plant. Do not use those.Try to find a good quality, natural sausage with as few ingredients as possible. A homemade deer or pork sausage would be perfect for you hunters out there. For you vegetarians, you can use a soy dog.

*Create a healthy topping.
Broccoli or cabbage slaw, mango, grilled pineapple, sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers. Use your imagination and use some color.

*Serve a vegetarian dish immediatly following the next night

Agreed? Great. This could be a really fun dish to serve for your Fourth of July cookout.


Natural Sausages (you promised!)
Whole wheat hot dog buns
Broccoli slaw
1-2 tbsp of Mayo
Mango, diced

Combine broccoli slaw or cabbage slaw (found in the produce section with the packaged greens) with 1-2 tbsp mayo, salt and pepper. Dice your mango into chunks. Grill your sausages and top with mango and slaw.

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