Carrot Hot Dogs with Roasted Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Go ahead and laugh—carrot hot dogs sound a little ridiculous. As in, "why mess with a classic BBQ fave, when everyone knows hot dogs are supposed to be made out of meat, and definitely aren't supposed to be ultra nutritious?"

But keep an open mind, take a bite, and you may just find these land squarely in your recipe rotation. Not only are they easy, nutritious, and kid friendly, they're also super fun to eat. Unlike many carrot hot dog recipes, these don't require specialty ingredients like liquid smoke or nutritional yeast. And there's no multi-step stovetop-to-grill cooking—they simply get roasted in the oven, along with the toppings. (Of course, if you happen to be barbecuing and want to finish the dogs on the grill, go right ahead!)

Ingredients:

• 8 large carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 2/3 cup water, or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 8 hot dog buns
• Crumbled goat or feta cheese, optional
• 1 tablespoon zaatar, optional
• For the Roasted Vegetables:
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• For Serving:
• 8 hot dog buns
• Crumbled goat cheese, optional
• Zaatar, optional