FALLing in Love with Corn Dogs, Again...

Just as soon as I start seeing upcoming fall fashion in magazines, my head immediately goes to crisp, cool weather, and takes a sharp turn to the state FAIR! Growing up, the fair was something I looked forward to all year long. Was it the rides, pop-up shops in the expo, or live music? Nope, it was the food. All of the deep fried "goodness" the U.S. had to offer. Not only did I become fond of the Tulsa State Fair, I also was able to experience the Orange County Fair when I lived in LA, and the Texas State Fair when I lived in Dallas. Of course, there was inevitably a list of new concoctions to try, but the always classic corn dog was my mandatory indulgence.

Since shifting my lifestyle three years ago, I thought fair food would be a thing of the past, until I started doing makeovers on life-shortening foods, turning them into life-transforming foods!   

Last fall, my "clean creation" triumph was my non-GMO blue corn muffins. Quickly, after finding a clean hot dog option, it wasn't long before I put the two together and hoped to goodness blue corn dog muffins would be close to the real deal. Luckily, for me, my family, and (hopefully) yours, it's pretty dang legit!

Ingredients:
(Always try to use non-GMO, organic ingredients, if possible!)
- 1 cup blue corn meal, (I buy the Natural Grocers brand)
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 2 tablespoons + 2 tsp brown coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup, heaping, chopped & peeled green apple
- 1 cup, unsweetened almond milk
- 1 pack of all beef, grass-fed, nitrate-free hot dog franks. (Image of my favorite clean option below.)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Add chopped apple and almond milk to food processor and blend until liquefied. 
3. Blend all ingredients, minus corn meal, together in a food processor until smooth.
4. Then, add corn meal to mixture. Avoid over blending so that you don't lose all of its texture. (Unless you purchase Bob's Red Mill corn meal, which is a courser texture. In that case, add the corn meal with the other ingredients to create a finer consistency.)
5. Coat each muffin cup with non-stick spray or oil. I typically use ghee or coconut oil. Another easy option, great for people on the go, is paper liners.
6. Fill each muffin tin with batter- only half way full, add sliced franks (I cut each frank into 3 pieces), and then top with batter.
After topping off each cup, you may need to lightly force some of the franks down a bit more so that they are submerged in the batter. But be sure not to push them too low so that the frank is still centered in the muffin, to avoid a sloppy bottom. 
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
8. Enjoy!!!

These marvelous treats are even delicious after being frozen, stored in an airtight container. Simply reheat by placing them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. 

Also, if you have some family members who don't love hot dogs, you can always use this recipe, sans franks, for a wonderful corn muffin option! In this case, I usually add twice the amount of brown coconut sugar to the recipe but everything else is the exact same. Or, for all of the lovely vegans out there, replace the beef frank with your favorite option! 

The mustard in the image above is a wonderful organic and gluten-free option by Koop's.
 
Why blue corn? Read this article for the info: http://livehealthy.chron.com/blue-corn-healthier-2206.html