Our Top 10 Meals, Part 1

As new recipes grace the posts of Sweet B's Impressions, I'm sure most of you are wondering what Mr. B and I eat for dinner most nights. But I must confess. I am not a fan of the usual. I like variety and trying new dishes. So, it's quite the revolving door over here. However, we do have a few favorites, mostly because they fit in with our busy weeknight schedules, we turn to at least once a week.



And instead of overwhelming you with a bunch of recipe must-trys, I'm breaking the Top Ten into a few different posts.

*And these are in no particular order.


Baked Egg Rolls and Fried Rice

This dish makes an appearance at our dinner table probably three times a month, and that's a lot for my dinner table. (Like I said, it's a revolving door.) By the time my homemade egg rolls are coming out of the oven, my rice is ready. And it's pretty much a one pot kind of dinner. Well, one pot and one baking sheet.



And P.S. these egg rolls are better the next day, which makes for a perfect work lunch.

Baked Egg Rolls
Serves 6 (2 egg rolls each)

12 egg roll wraps
1 lb cabbage mix (coleslaw mix)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
dash of ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp minced garlic
olive oil

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Coat baking sheet with non-stick spray; set aside. In large skillet, over medium heat, drizzle some olive oil in pan and add cabbage and garlic. Saute 5 minutes but don't let it get soggy (keep it crisp). Sprinkle on soy sauce and ginger, mix and let cool. Once cool, mix water and flour, in a small bowl, to form a paste. Dab your finger in paste and wet the top point and sides of an egg roll wrap. Add 2 tablespoons of cabbage mix to lower center of wrap. Roll up the wrap, tucking in the sides. Lay on prepared baking sheet and continue with the rest. Lightly top with non-stick spray and bake 10 minutes until starting to brown. Turn on the broiler; broil egg rolls for 2 minutes more. Serve with sweet and sour sauce. (Meanwhile, start the fried rice.)

Nutritional Information
Per egg roll: 80 Calories, 1 Fat, 14.2 Carbs, 1 Fiber, 3.4 Protein

Fried Rice
*adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Serves 3-4

2 c brown rice, cooked
mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
peas, frozen or fresh
2green onions, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 c mushrooms, sliced
Carrots, celery, peas (optional)

In small bowl combine eggs and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Heat sesame oil in the same skillet the cabbage was in for the egg rolls over medium heat. Add egg mixture and garlic, and stir to scramble. When set, remove mixture to bowl and set aside. Add canola oil to skillet. Toss in mushrooms and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until crisp tender. (At this time I would normally stir-fry sliced carrots and celery in a separate pan because Mr. B does not like these veggies in his rice and I do. If you like them, feel free to add these veggies and whatever else you like at this time.) Add cooked rice. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Cook 5 more minutes until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture and green onions. Cook 2 minutes more. Serve with egg rolls. (At this time, I add peas to my portion because, you know, Mr. B....)

Nutritional Information
Per 2/3 cup: 141 Calories, 6 Fat, 18 Carbs, 2 Fiber, 5 Protein

Lemon Linguine/Pasta Primavera
I always try to limit myself to no more than two pasta dinners a week, at most. (We like our protein over here.) And if I'm running short on time, and ingredients, I throw together one of these simple pasta dishes using whatever veggies need my attention (for the primavera), and I always have lemons on hand for this light(er) linguine.

For this mouth-watering lemon pasta dish click here.



 

Nachos

Sweet B's Nachos

Of course nothing is faster than a tray of nachos. We can't even drive to a restaurant in less time than it takes to make this dinner. (And these ingredients are necessary pantry staples in my kitchen.) Toss on your favorite veggies, beans for the protein, a sprinkle of cheese, and some garnishes like plain Greek Yogurt, sliced green onions, homemade guacamole (which I always have in the freezer), or every-now-and-then sour cream. Delicioso. We usually have this dinner every other week. Sometimes we get into nacho cravings and have it every Sunday....usually during football season.



Snack Plate and a Big Chopped Salad



Hands down this is one of my favorite dinners. I LOVE a Big Chopped Salad, with all of the fixings, bring it on. I usually make this when I find our fridge jammed packed with fresh produce, usually after my weekly trip to the grocery store. After purchasing all the vegetables my bags can carry, I'm eager to taste a little bit of everything, and that's where my chopped salad comes into play. It's one simple and quick way to get a ton of tasty veggies into our bellies. Plus, it pairs well with a snack plate. If we're having a Big Chopped Salad, our snack plate consists of crackers, chopped fresh deli meat and cheese (my personal favorites are turkey and ham with Havarti and Munster), and grape tomatoes (God's candy is what I like to call them).



A Big Chopped Salad
(My must-have ingredients)

Romaine lettuce
Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Hard-boiled eggs
Shredded cheddar cheese
Green onions
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Carrots

Get out your biggest cutting board and sharpest knife. Chop up your veggies and combine in a huge bowl; sprinkle on a dash of salt and pepper. Toss. Drizzle on your favorite dressing. (My current favorite is Honey Mustard.)

Stay tuned for the next Top Ten post! Happy eating.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

A Lemonade Party

In June my friends and I had our Lemonade Party. We chose this particular beverage because an iced cold tall glass, with a nice pucker of course, is absolutely necessary on hot summer days. And let me tell you, we've had more hot days than my lemonade-making hands can keep up with.

That glass is full of summer refreshment. Isn't it just B-E-A-utiful?

Above is a picture of our glorious spread. We had lime tortilla chips with guacamole and sour cream, blackberries, crackers, and lemon blueberry cream cheese cookies (these weren't the best, so I'm passing on sharing the recipe. If you're in desperate need of a blueberry cookie, check out my favorite cookies in the world: Almond Blueberry Cookies).

These cookies had a hunk of cream cheese in the center. It was a mess trying to put the cheese in...the dough kept softening (quickly) no matter how long I kept it in the fridge. I lost my patience, so some of them had cream cheese and others didn't. They were my surprise cookies.

We also had various flavors of ice cream and this awesome Lemonade Stand Pie.

Jenny definitely brought the talk of the party. It had the perfect pucker. It was delicious. I will be making it soon.

I have a particular bond with the above picture.

Because tragedy struck, I no longer have my Paula Deen Lemonade Glass (that I bought at her store last year when we vacationed in Georgia). Somehow, towards the end of our party, it slipped out of my hands and shattered on the hardwood floor. I only had a few ice cubes left (so thankfully there was no staining or spillage), and I was sitting on the floor, so the glass was literally no more than 6" from the floor.

I have no idea how this incident happened and I pretty much just stared in shock at the mess for a good minute before reacting. Holding in my tears I helped clean up the broken pieces. Ai yi yi.

Can't have anything nice.


But to end this party post on a positive note, here is Jenny's recipe to her mouth-watering pie. Enjoy!

Lemonade Stand Pie
*courtesy of my friend Jenny

1/2 c cold water
1/3 c lemonade-flavored drink mix
2 c vanilla ice cream, softened
8 oz whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker crust (6 oz)

In a large bowl, add water to drink mix; stir until mix is dissolved. Add ice cream. Beat with mixer until well blended.  Whisk in whipped topping. Freeze until mixture is thick enough to mound. Scoop into crust. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.

*Ohhemmgee....is this pie amazingly good and simple!!!!

Make now. Thank me later.



With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Lemon Linguine

Pasta is one of my absolute favorite dishes. Whenever I dine out, my eyes find the pasta sections on the menu first. There are so many types of pastas, various sauces and numerous cheeses that there are truly endless combinations.

I have many favorites; gnocchi is at the very top of my list. This Lemon Linguine is right behind it.

The fact that I LOVE lemon is an understatement. And that is why this pasta dish is one of my favorite indulgences. The lemon-Parmesan-chives-sour cream combination is ideal.....and easy to throw together.

It's so simple it should be illegal. All of the ingredients are probably in your pantry right now, and it's almost a one-pot deal.

This pasta dish comes together so quickly, I advise you have all of the ingredients measured out and ready before starting.

Lemon Linguine

Serves 4-6

8 oz linguine
1/4 c minced onion
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter, melted
8 oz sour cream
4 Tbsp grated Parmesan, divided
1 Tbsp milk
1 3/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1 lemon, zested + 1 Tbsp juice
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp chopped chives

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and keep warm. In a skillet, cook onion and garlic in butter, stirring constantly until tender, not brown. Stir in sour cream, 2 Tbsp Parmesan, milk, seasonings, lemon juice and zest. Cook about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over linguine. Toss gently, adding parsley, chives and remaining cheese. Serve warm.

*NOTE: Mr. B likes his with caramelized onions and mushrooms.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Lemon Bread

When I stumbled across this Lemon Bread recipe a few years ago, I was extremely happy. I love anything lemon, and prefer a lemon dessert over a chocolate one any day. Although I'm not a huge bread person, I had a strong desire to become a bread-maker. Even though making bread from scratch intimidated me, I saw flashes of me baking up little mini bread loafs and handing them out around the holidays. (And I have since braved a few homemade pizza crusts, Fresh Strawberry Bread and Blueberry Zucchini Bread, both equally delicious...By the way, I can't tell you enough about this blog, My Baking Addiction. Added bonus: she's an Ohio girl, too. Awesome.)

I usually make this bread following the recipe exactly. However, I wanted to make it a little healthier this year, by switching some of the ingredients, because I tend to eat the whole loaf a few slices because it is sooooo lip-smacking scrumptious!

See that glistening glazed-crust on top of the bread? You must brush the glaze on as soon as the bread comes out of the oven! You wouldn't believe the difference it makes. Not so pretty and delightful if you wait until the bread cools. And don't skimp on the topping!

This bread is delicious both warm and at room temperature. The glaze is so perfect, you don't even need anything else with the bread. I promise!

Lemon Bread

*adapted from Better Homes and Garden

Makes 1 loaf (16 slices)

1 3/4 c flour

3/4 tsp Stevia sugar (or use 3/4 c sugar and omit Greek yogurt)

1/4 plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 c milk

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce (or use 1/4 c butter, melted. I tried both ways, and they're equally delicious.)

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 Tbsp lemon juice + 2 Tbsp

1/2 c chopped almonds

1 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Lightly grease bottom and half-inch up sides of 8x4" loaf pan. In medium bowl combine flour, Stevia, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl combine egg, milk, applesauce, lemon peel and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Make a well in flour mixture and add egg mixture along with yogurt (if using). Stir until just moistened (it's okay if it's lumpy!). Fold in almonds. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. NOTE: 10-15 minutes before done, check for browning, and, if so, cover with foil for remaining baking time. In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp sugar. While bread is still in pan, brush glaze over top of loaf. Cool in pan on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before serving? Yes, for best results. Honestly, I've never made it that far before slicing into this delicious, citrus bread.

Nutritional Information

Per slice my adapted way: Calories 85; Fat 2.2

(Per slice original way: Calories 147; Fat 6)

With Love and God Bless,

Brindi