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!

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.

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!

Happy Independence Day!

First, what is a clementine? It’s the smallest of the mandarin variety of oranges. Some are marketed under the name ”Cuties.®️”

A few things make Clementine Cake unique. First—and this first grabbed me as a hasty tasty feature—clementines are cooked in their peels in the microwave oven for three minutes then drained. They’re puréed whole, not peeled or zested.

Butter and sugar are creamed together before adding dry ingredients. Eggs are added one at a time.

All purpose flour is combined with ground roasted almonds (you could substitute almond flour but you’d lose some of the texture) and puréed whole clementines.

The cake is finished with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, or a glaze. I opted for a chocolate ganache (also prepared in the microwave oven).

This is not a figure-friendly recipe. However, it makes 12 servings so you don’t consume so many calories per serving. When you bite into a slice of the finished cake, it’s a delicious treat, mindful of those orange crème chocolates in the assorted candy boxes.

Recipe:

Clementine Cake With Chocolate Ganache Glaze.

Cake Ingredients:

• 3-4 Clementines, cooked 3 minutes in the microwave oven then puréed.
• Sliced almonds, roasted and ground into 1 cup meal, or 1 cup almond flour.
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 5 eggs
• 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened.
• 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar.

Ganache ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cream
• 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp. corn syrup

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare a 9” cake pan with oil and parchment paper.
• Combine almond flour and all purpose flour with the salt and baking powder.
• In a separate bowl, cream sugar with the softened butter until fluffy.
• With mixer running, add each egg separately and blend well.
• Gradually add the flour mixture until all is mixed in.
• Fold in the clementine purée until combined.
• Pour batter into a 9” round cake pan.
• Bake 50-60 minutes. Check for doneness.
• Cool cake at least an hour before glazing. Carefully loosen cake from pan and remove parchment paper. Move to a plate.

Ganache Directions:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, combine cream and chocolate chips. Cover and heat 75 seconds.
• Gently stir to combine chocolate and cream. Add corn syrup and whip until glossy and thick.
• Spread over the top of the cooled cake.

Enjoy!

Benedictine Spread or Dip

My favorite recipe for Benedictine Spread is the one published by Southern Living: https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/benedictine-spread

Derby Pie®️

If you like a custard pie with chocolate chips and walnuts, you’ll love Derby Pie®️! There are many copycat versions, but buy the real deal if possible. https://derbypie.com/

Mint Julep

There are variations, but basically a Mint Julep requires only fresh mint leaves, Kentucky bourbon (must be Kentucky bourbon!), a simple syrup made with sugar and water cooked ahead of time and chilled, and crushed ice. Virgin Mint Juleps are great, too. My favorite recipe is Paula Deen’s: https://www.pauladeen.com/recipe/mint-julep/ Her recipe starts with a mint-infused simple syrup. Yum.

Kentucky Hot Brown

In listing the essentials, I must include the Kentucky Hot Brown. It’s an open-faced sandwich eaten with a knife and fork. The KHB was created in the mid 1920s at the Brown Hotel to feed the late night dance crowds. Basically, it’s turkey on Texas toast topped with plum tomatoes and a cheese sauce browned under a broiler. An easy recipe is found at A Taste of Home: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/kentucky-hot-brown/

These are my favorite “essentials” although others might argue that I omitted Bourbon balls, Pimento cheese, and Horseradish Deviled Eggs. However you celebrate the Kentucky Derby, remember to wear your lavish bonnet if you’re a lady and your red rose boutonnière if you’re a gentleman.

In case you missed it, here’s the link: White Bean Chili.

Ingredients:

• One Krusteaz Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake & Muffin Mix
• One can apple pie filling (no HFCS*)
• Half tablespoon butter
• One serving egg substitute or one egg
• Three-fourths cup liquid (water, milk, or buttermilk)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Grease a 9X9” baking pan with butter.
• Cover bottom of the pan with apple pie filling.
• Remove the cinnamon sugar pouch from the muffin mix and sprinkle about one-third over the apples.
• In a large bowl, mix together egg and liquid. Add one-third of the cinnamon sugar and stir.
• Stir in the batter mix with the egg and liquid. Batter will be stiff.
• Drop spoons full over all the apple pie filling.
• Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over batter and gently press in until apple filling is completely covered.
• Bake 40-45 minutes. Rotate pan after 20 minutes for even baking.
• Allow finished cobbler to cool ten minutes.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, if desired.

As for dressing, don’t be tempted by jars of prepared slaw dressing. As with most dressings, you get ingredients you may not want. It’s easy to mix mayonnaise with vinegar, lemon juice, and sour cream for traditional dressing. But don’t be afraid to experiment.

This week I decided to experiment with other ingredients. That’s how I developed my new favorite slaw dressing. Give it a try and see what you think.

Recipe

Buttermilk Dressing For Coleslaw

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced or minced
• Other seasonings to taste (celery seed, dill, etc)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may prefer more vinegar or a squeeze of lemon. When you are satisfied with the taste, add cabbage slaw mix to the dressing. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Overnight is better. Toss again before serving.

Ham doesn’t have to be a laborious undertaking. I use a pressure cooker. This year I pulled out my oldest electric cooker, my trusty Power Pressure Cooker XL, because it still works great and its 8-quart capacity is perfect for my 6 pound, semi-boneless ham. (Unfortunately, Tristar stopped selling this model)

I borrowed a trivet from my Instant Pot 6 quart, added two cups water, and placed the ham on the trivet. That’s all that’s necessary, but I wanted to jazz it up a bit since, you know, it’s New Year’s Eve and I feel festive. So I inserted a few whole cloves and added some dried mango for a bit of sweetness to complement the savory pork. Any fruit works, especially pineapple and dried apples. Use what’s convenient for you.

Forty minutes later, the ham is hot and ready to serve (after the pot depressurizes, of course.) Plus the pot has a delicious broth* perfect for flavoring vegetables or soaking dried black eye peas.

I always use this method for cooking ham, and without any fancy additions. A good ham and a couple of cups of water for forty minutes in the pressure cooker is delicious on its own.

Happy New Year!

*Caution: don’t add salt until you taste the ham. It can be salty enough as is. Then season as desired.