I grew up loving Wienerschnitzel as kid and adult, since I'm in Southern California they are pretty easy to find everywhere. My grandparents on my mother's side actually ran (or owned, or I'm not sure which exactly) when my mother was in high school. She used to tell me how she would have a cup of the chili and dip her fries in it all the time before chili fries were on the menu (not sure how accurate that story is, but it's a fun one). All her siblings would work there too, story goes one of them would always get "fired" a lot of the time but then "re-hired" by closing. Decades later my grandfather still loved to take his grandkids to a Wienerschnitzel for lunch when visiting. So, when I say I grew up eating chili dogs & chili fries I really did (albeit not that great for the waste line).
Flash forward to when in my early 30's I find out the extent of my food allergies and have to cut out a lot of things I ate. At first, I didn't miss eating fast food so much as the "convenience of it" but when Summertime rolls around, I find that I'm missing being able to have a chili dog (not to mention all the nostalgia that goes with it). I know what you're thinking, just go to the store and pick up a can of chili dog chili, but it's not that simple for me. For starters most store-bought chili contains wheat, soy, and or corn syrup. Since those are a major no for our household I had to come up with my own recipe (shocking, right?). I wasn't as easy as it seems, since I had a specific taste and texture in mind for the chili. I think it took maybe 4-5 batches with varying ingredients to get it right. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but with the cost of allergen friendly groceries it does add up. When I finally finished the recipe, I had the seal of approval from the whole family. Even our picky easter E loves it (the fact that he loves Sonic the Hedgehog helps too). Whenever we make it for dinner, I tend to make some extra because it freezes well. This recipe pairs very well with our "Accidently" Vegan Cheese Sauce, you can find both recipes in the Recipe section of the blog.
Kim
