Jeremy and his dad have gone back to the low-carb life and have been killing their arteries with lots of eggs, cheese, bacon, burger patties, and other fat-laden indulgences.

I've tried to explain to them that they could actually reintroduce themselves to a few vegetables, perhaps focus on low-fat protein rather than the greasy stuff. Wah Wah, Wah Wah WAH Wah Wah... to them, I just sound like the teachers in Charlie Brown cartoons!

So I promised to make dinner for them one night and prove to them that it would not be a cataclysmic catastrophe to find a piece of cabbage or a strip of pepper on their plates.

I mixed some pork, some shrimp and some sauces together in a wok, tossed in a prepared bag of cole slaw mix, and stood at the stove for maybe 10 minutes stirring everything together. And this dinner was devoured in even less time than it took to make! When I told the boys that there was a little bit extra left over, Jeremy immediately lay claim to it before his father could.

Vindication!

Pork 'n' Shrimp Stir Fry

1 tablespoon light oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 drops cayenne pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound thin cut pork chops, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1-1/2 cups small salad shrimp
1/2 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 14-ounce bag prepared cole slaw mix
4 large scallions, whites chopped fine and greens cut into 1-inch strips
rice, for serving

Heat the oils, pepper sauce and pepper flakes in a wok over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until the pork is no longer pink; add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and cook 2 minutes, until caramelizing a bit.

Combine the hoisin and teriyaki sauces; pour into the wok and coat the pork and shrimp with the sauce. Add the cole slaw mix and the whites of the scallions; stir to combine well, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the scallion greens.

Serve over rice, if desired. Makes 2-4 servings.

Mary Bilyeu has won or placed in more than 60 cooking contests and writes about her adventures in the kitchen. She was thrilled to have her post about Scottish Oatmeal Shortbread named as one of the daily "Best of the Blogs" by the prestigious Food News Journal.

Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — on which she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related. Her newest feature is Frugal Floozie Friday, seeking fun and food for $5 or less ... really! Feel free to email her with questions or comments or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.

The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers as they cook along with her ... may you always be happy here.