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Monday, May 31, 2021

Taste-bud Journey: Teriyaki Salmon, Bell Peppers, and Broccoli - served over Rice Pilaf

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for making Teriyaki Salmon, Bell Peppers, and Broccoli - served over Rice Pilaf. It was inspired by hearing my younger brother rave about the meal he and his family celebrated Easter Sunday at the Tokyo Restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee where they cook at your table. I'm certain their meals were delicious! I know for sure that mine was. Plus, I didn't have to drive anywhere. I cook pull items from my freezer and have a sit-down dinner in about 16 minutes (12 minutes + 90 seconds + 2 minutes prep).

Side-note: What a difference a year can make! Woe! It was about early February of 2020 that I last went to one of those Asian restaurants where they cook at your table. In Decatur, Alabama, my favorite restaurant of that type was Ninja Japanese Restaurant. Gazing at the very expensive bill, I remember thinking, "I should just buy some rice, some salmon, some veggies, and a teriyaki sauce I really like and make my own!" At that time, I hardly ever cooked and went out to eat a whole lot. I must admit, I feel so much more empowered in the kitchen thanks to all the cooking experiments I have carried out since early December of 2020. 

Little did I suspect that day that the thought of sitting down with a bunch of people I didn't know (or even if I did know them) would eventually feel like the riskiest thing ever to do! Sigh and double sigh! Like I said, what a difference a year can make!

By the way, I actually made this meal on Easter Sunday. Happy belated Easter, everybody! May we all have a much happier and safer and healthier coming year!


 















Recipe

  • Frozen Coho Salmon (or whatever type salmon you like)
  • Veggies of your choice - I chose Tri-colored Bell Peppers and Broccoli florets
  • About 1/2 cup of Teriyaki sauce - I used Mr. Yoshida's Marinade & Cooking Sauce - Sweet Teriyaki Original Gourmet































Procedure

  • Step 1: Using a microwave steamer, fill it with frozen salmon, frozen veggies, and about 1/2 cup of Teriyaki Sauce.











































  • Step 2: Add the lid. Microwave for 12 minutes.
















  • Step 3: Cook your rice. I used Rice Pilaf that can be microwaved and ready to serve in 90 seconds.
















  • Step 4: Dish out some rice. Top it with your salmon, veggies, and some of the sauce. For me, this was enough to make two servings. Eat and enjoy!

In case you're interested, this is where I purchased the Microwave Steamer. It has been a time-saver for some of the recipes I have made. Sadly, I did notice that the price has gone up $6 since I purchased mine. So, it is possible you could get it cheaper elsewhere.

Bene Casa microwave steamer, automatic draining steamer, microwave pasta cooker, microwave fish steamer, microwave rice cooker from Walmart.com



Cooking Sites that have inspired me:


Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Taste-bud Journey: Homemade Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for making Homemade Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker. It was inspired by watching Mary's Nest video tutorial that is included at the end of this blog.

Conclusion: This ice cream was creamy and absolutely delicious! I don't think I will ever make it using an ice cream maker again. For one thing, my little mini Dash ice cream maker can only make 8 ounces of ice cream at a time. Then, you have to let it re-freeze before you can make a second batch. Mary's Nest's three-ingredient recipe made more than six times that amount with hardly any effort at all. I am so grateful and excited! Plus, licking the bowl afterward was so much fun! LOL!
































Recipe

  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
















Procedure

  • Step 1: Chill a metal mixing bowl in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. In my case, I refrigerated the metal bowl that goes with my stand mixer.

  • Step 2: Using a stand mixer, whip up the heavy whipping cream until it reaches stiff peaks. This takes about 3 minutes or so.













  • Step 3: Stir in the entire can of sweetened condensed milk. Mix for another minute or so using the stand mixer.

  • Step 4: Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix for a few more seconds until that is incorporated.












  • Step 5: Feel free to add chocolate chips or cocoa powder or other flavorings to suit your particular taste buds. I added in mint chocolate chips to two of my storage containers. The other four I kept straight vanilla ice cream. By the way, next time I add the mint chocolate chips, I am also going to stir in some unflavored cocoa powder to make it be more chocolate-infused. I actually stirred in some, after having a few bites as is, when eating this. It reminded me of eating a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Yum!












  • Step 6: Store the ice cream in airtight, leak-proof containers. Freeze for a minimum of four hours before serving.













The recipe source and video will both open in a new window. The Easiest Way To Make Homemade Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker 65,627 views•Aug 10, 2019 by Mary's Nest


Cooking Sites that have inspired me:


Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Taste-bud Journey: Pourable Pizzas Round 2

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for my second round of making a Pourable Pizza. I used half the recipe for one 7" pepperoni pizza. I used the other half of the recipe to make a bell pepper and cheese pizze. It was inspired by watching several of the Pourable Pizza videos on YouTube. I will include the link to the first one that I watched near the end of this blog. 

Conclusion: This is definitely super easy to make. The only difference between my recipe and the recipe used in most of those YouTube tutorials is that I added 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder to each batch of pizza. I think it made it even better than the first time I attempted this recipe. The only other change I made is that I accidentally used a bit more than 1 egg (Egg Beaters) in each pizza instead of what was called for and then added a bit more flour. I think it made the results even tastier and more pizza-like.I may do this on purpose the next time I make these as I found the texture and taste quite improved.



 Recipe - This is half of the recipe to make a smaller, 7 inch pizza. I doubled it and made two 7" pizzas instead.

For crust:

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg (or 1/4 to 1/3 cup Egg Beaters)

For toppings:

  • As much meat toppings as you desire
  • As much pizza sauce as you desire
  • As much veggie toppings as you desire
  • As much mozzarella cheese as you desire

Procedure

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, mix together dry ingredients for the pourable pizza dough.

  • Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Stir. This will be the consistency of a pancake batter.















  • Step 3: Either use a cast iron pan or silicone molds, as I did. Butter the total inside surface of the pan you intend to use.

  • Step 4: Pour the batter into the pan. Make certain that it has spread out to cover all the bottom surface of the pan. It will be between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch thick.












  • Step 5: Add the meat distributed around the pizza dough.

  • Step 6: Place this pan into the oven on the bottom rack. Bake for 20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and crispy-looking.
  • Step 7: Leave the oven on. Remove the pan from the oven. Add as much pizza sauce as you desire.


















  • Step 8: Add any veggies you desire. Then, cover the pizza with as much mozzarella cheese as you desire.




























  • Step 9: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned a bit.

  • Step 10: Turn off the oven. Remove the pan from the oven. Place the pizzas on a cooling rack.















  • Step 11: Then, plate, slice, and serve. These microwave nicely as leftovers.


In case you're interested, this is where I got the two orange-colored 7-inch silicone cake pans. This Amazon link will open in a new window.

A Baker and Cook 3 Piece Round Silicone 7 ¼ Inch Cake Mold Baking Pan Set, Includes 5 Laminated Greaseproof Cardboard Cake Circles( 7.25" x 1.5", Orange) from Amazon


This video link will open in a new window.





Cooking Sites that have inspired me:


Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.



Sunday, May 9, 2021

Taste-bud Journey: Mom's Molasses Cookies

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for making my absolute favorite cookie in the entire world: My mom's molasses cookies. It was inspired by happy memories of coming home from school and finding Mom making up a huge batch of molasses cookies. I would always gobble down four of them and sneak another four to take up to my room to nibble on as I worked on my homework. LOL! She was such an incredible mother in so many dozens and dozens of ways. I love you, Mom! May she rest in peace! [Louise Hall Smith Dunn - October 1927 to January 2017] - I am posting this on Mother's Day! "I love you so much, Mom! I hope you are free of all pain and having lovely adventures on the other side! Someday, we will see each other again!"

Knowing how much my two brothers also love these cookies, they shouldn't be too surprised when they receive a surprise package in the mail. Surprise after the fact! 

[FYI - I actually made these cookies the third week of March 2021. So, by the time this recipe posts, I would imagine that all those yummy cookies have already been eaten by all three of us. By the way, these cookies are not everybody's cup of tea. I remember, while growing up, how some of my friends did not find them nearly so wonderful. I would, therefore, joke that you probably had to have grown up with molasses being basted on your pacifier, so to speak. If my dad heard a friend of mine complaining, I'm sure he would have thought or said, "All the more for me (or us)." LOL! I love you, Dad! May he rest in peace! [Malcolm Graeme Dunn - December 1929 to April 2018. By the way, my parents were married 63 years and 11 days. Quite an amazing feat, in this day and age!]






Recipe: Makes 6 to 7 dozen (FYI - I always make a double recipe; therefore, I doubled all those amounts)

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3 cup vinegar
















Procedure

  • Step 1: In large mixing bowl, blend until smooth butter and sugar.













  • Step 2: Beat in eggs and molasses. Batter may look slightly curdled, at this point.


























































  • Step 3: In medium bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, salt, and ginger together. Set aside.

  • Step 4: In small to medium bowl, stir baking soda into vinegar. Warning: Hold it over another container as it may foam over.


















  • Step 5: Alternate adding flour mixture or vinegar mixture into batter. Mix until smooth after each add.
















  • Step 6: Drop from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. No need to grease the sheet if you use a silicone mat. Bake at 350° F. for 15 minutes until edges are slightly brown.












Cooking Sites that have inspired me:


Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.