Mary Anne here. This concoction began percolating while on the cross-trainer at my local gym. As I sweated to Dr. Oz, a commercial for kidney beans appeared, the voiceover singing the virtues of these protein-packed legumes. Somehow the junk-food-obsessed devil in my brain translated this ad to a craving for hot dogs and maple syrup-sloshed baked beans, but the proverbial angel won withdrawal syndrome from zoloft out and offered up this heart-healthy, lo-cal, vegetarian spin instead! I used chorizo-flavored soy sausages, but I must warn, they’re an acquired taste. The texture simply isn’t up to stadium dog standards so I slathered them with a large dollop of quality honey-mustard, which provided just the right amount of sweetness. And if you can’t learn to love soy franks no matter what you douse ’em with, my bean recipe is so simple to prepare and so packed with protein, it really stands on its own. Here’s to healthier choices as we go full-boar into the holiday season!

Vegetarian “Franks” and Beans Serves 4 Makes 2 Quarts of Beans
Ingredients: 1-15 oz. can corn, drained – $0.89 1-15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained – $0.89 1-15.5 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained – $0.79 1 sweet potato (½ lb.) peeled, cut into ½ – inch dice, and boiled for 5 minutes until fork tender – $0.57 ½ red onion, diced – $0.52 1 jalapeno pepper, minced – $0.30 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped – $0.99 12 oz. package Chorizo-Style Veggie Protein Sausages (I used Light Life” Smart Sausages), cooked according to package directions – $4.49 For the dressing, whisk together: ¼ cup cider vinegar – stock ¾ cup olive oil – stock 1 Teaspoon dry mustard – stock ½ Teaspoon ground ginger – stock Grand Total Assuming a Well-Stocked Pantry: $9.44 Total Per Serving: $2.36 Directions: 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, corn, onion, sweet potato, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper. Toss with the prepared dressing. 2. Serve over a bed of spinach or arugula and garnished with cherry tomatoes if desired. Arrange sausage slices in a decorative fashion. Top each slice with a dollop of honey mustard.
I have tried so hard to like soy hot dogs! However, it has been a couple of years since I gave them a go. Perhaps I should try them again with this delicious bean accompaniment!
i want to like soy dogs, I really do but I seem to not be able to acquire the taste. Maybe slathered in some awesome beans would help? You make them look so tempting.
Oh, I’ll be trying this! I always look forward to try new vegetarian dishes.
Ladies, how have I been missing your updates? I found a recipe of your via Pinterest and realized that I hadn’t seen an update in awhile… I must have gotten unsubscribed! Terribly sorry. Hi again! 😉
Hi to you!! So glad to hear from you! 🙂