Grass-Fed Corn Dog Bites

This advertisement came in the mail yesterday, and I burst out laughing.  I am going to start collecting these prime examples of our country’s sickening problem with food.  We are equating the word “protein” with “corn dog”?  How did we let this happen?  Protein is one of the prime building blocks of life, I feel so sorry that the word has to appear so large alongside this abominable “edible food product”.

However, corn dogs are not inherently bad.  I believe that as long as you make a dish home made from quality real food ingredients, nothing is off limits!  Not even corn dogs.  Following is a recipe for mini corn dog bites – they are an excellent appetizer to bring to a superbowl party, or any other gathering under the sun (except maybe a vegan potluck).

Grass-Fed Corn Dog Bites

Yield: 36 mini-muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted grass-fed butter
• 1/2 cup organic, unbleached turbinado sugar
• 2 pastured eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 T vinegar or lemon juice mixed with 1 cup organic whole milk – let it sit 5-10 minutes)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8-10 grass-fed hotdogs, cut into 1″ bites
• ketchup (no HFCS) and mustard for serving

Now, contrast that list with the State Fair corndog ingredients:

When reading the labels on packaged food products, ask yourself the question: “Are these the ingredients I would use to make this item”?  If the answer is no, which it will be more often than not, do not risk it.  Remember, your body is not a garbage can.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375º
2. Whisk butter and sugar together, add eggs, then buttermilk, whisking them all together.
3. Whisk dry ingredients in a seperate bowl: cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
5. Spray a mini muffin pan with coconut oil.
6. Add a glop of batter to, then press a hot dog section into the center of, each cup.  Each cup should be nearly full but not quite.
7. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cornbread just starts to brown.
8. Let them cool for as long as you can stand it, and then transfer to a tupperware to bring to the party.
9. You can serve these at room temperature, or re-heat them in the oven for a bit at serving time.

Now that’s a fun source of protein I can get behind!

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats