Chris' Gourmet Dogs & Baked Yam Slices

Last night I wanted something comforting, and relatively cheap.  I had $30 in my wallet and decided to make it work.  Unfortunately I failed - I had to buy a new jar of grated Horseradish which put me over by $3.00!!  Still - very close.  :)

Red Pepper & Cornichon Relish

I decided on some gourmet hot dogs.  Whole Foods carries some great all-beef, natural casing hot dogs, so I just started building from there.  One red pepper, one Vidalia onion, one mango - a package of potato buns (for hot dogs), some grated Horseradish, and two massive yams.  Actually, now that I think of it, I bought a couple of cans of dog food.  Since that doesn't count towards MY dinner, then I didn't actually go over my $30 budget.  Sweet.

Sweet Onion, Mango & Apple Relish

Once I had everything together, I opted for 2 different types of hot dogs.  The first had dijon mustard, ketchup, finely shredded cobly jack & cheddar cheese, and the sweet red pepper & cornichon relish I made.  The second was an open-face hot dog, with 2 dogs on the bun.  I put some dijon mustard on the bottom, and piled on sauteed sweet onions, mango & apple.  It was served with thick sliced baked yams, and a horseradish & paprika mayonnaise.  Quite comforting - and filling!!

Horseradish & Paprika Mayonnaise

Pepper & Cornichon Relish
1/2 Red Pepper, finely chopped
Small handful cornichon (or 1-2 pickles of your choice), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch sugar


Horseradish & Paprika Mayonnaise
2 Tbl. grated Horseradish
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbl. Paprika
1 tsp. pepper

Sweet Onion, Mango & Apple Relish
2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1/2 mango, cubed
1/2 apple, diced
Salt

Over medium heat, combine all the ingredients and cook slowly until they are all soft and well cooked through.  Do not caramelize the onions - the salt should help prevent that.  They should be sweated through and translucent.  Pile the relish on top of the hot dog and enjoy.