Category Archives: Healthful Eating

July 15, 2025 · 2:08 pm

Fajita Burger

We love Mexican food yet we also love burgers on a bun. This is an opportunity to have fun with fusion cooking.

We prefer bison meat to beef, so when we’re able to buy ground bison, we freeze it in 4-oz. patties. It’s not necessary to thaw burgers before cooking, but it requires a different method of cooking. I use a screaming hot cast iron skillet, cooking the meat at two-minute intervals (flipping every two minutes) until the thermometer reads 160°.) At this point, season the burgers as desired. I like a sprinkle of taco seasoning, but it’s entirely your choice.

In the same skillet, sauté julienned peppers and onions for topping the burgers. Cheese is optional. Top with chopped cilantro (also optional) and serve on a toasted bun.

¡Muy delicioso!

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February 28, 2025 · 5:01 pm

Soda Cake

The bird flu outbreak in the past year has created an egg crisis. Not only are eggs expensive, but demand exceeds supply.

Across the social media universe I see recipe posts for egg-less cake recipes. Beware. Some work. Some are too good to be true. One such post showed a variety of flavors of soda, promising that 12 ounces of soda would replace the eggs, liquid, and fat when combined with a cake mix. With the exception of an angel food cake mix (which contains egg whites), it does not. Save your money and effort.

I write this from experience. I experimented with orange soda and yellow cake mix, which supposedly makes an egg-and-fat free creamsicle cake. I planned to take it to a potluck luncheon. I added food coloring to my fluffy white frosting and voila! A lovely orange cake was ready to dazzle my friends.

Fortunately, I wisely decided to pre-slice the cake. It wouldn’t slice. It crumbled. It had no structure or texture whatsoever. We ate it with spoons. It was tasty and pretty but unacceptable as a dessert.

Using soda to replace the water in a recipe is a good way to doctor your cake mix. But you still need fat for structure. I still have orange soda and still plan to try creamsicle cake again, but I will add at least one egg and will include the amount of oil according to the cake mix instructions.

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Tagged as cooking, eggs, social media

July 4, 2024 · 11:21 am

Jambalaya

I posted this recipe 12 years ago, and it’s still my favorite July 4th meal. I have tried adapting this to the multi cooker yet still prefer the stovetop pressure cooker for this recipe.

Jambalaya In A Jiffy
Makes 6 servings or 10 side-dish servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound Andouille flavored smoked sausage (cut in 1″ chunks)
1 cup uncooked brown rice (White rice will overcook)
1 10-oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 cups broth or stock
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Cajun Seasonings to taste
Hot sauce (optional)
1 Bay leaf
½ pound frozen shrimp, cleaned and de-tailed

Directions:

Heat the oil in the bottom of a 6 quart (or 6 Liter) pressure cooker over medium high heat. Sauté rice to brown, then add onion, celery, garlic, and sausage. Stir often until rice is browned, about 2 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the shrimp. Stir to mix.

Secure the lid to the pressure cooker and bring to pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cook under pressure 15 minutes, then remove from heat. Allow pressure to drop on its own for 10 minutes.

Release pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions then remove the lid. Caution: steam will be very hot! Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in frozen shrimp then return pan to medium heat. Cook just until the shrimp are pink (about 5 minutes). Remove bay leaf and serve!