Dani Spies

• I do NOT skip meals (I don't think I've ever skipped a meal in my life AND I'll never understand people that "forget " to eat).
• I do NOT compromise on flavor (this means even if I don't have time, am uninspired, or am in a rush - I ALWAYS manage to find a way to be sure that whatever I am eating tastes good! [I mean really... why eat a meal if it doesn't taste good?!]).

I LOVE Cookbooks!  I also love cooking and food magazines, blogs, and websites.  Oh who am I kidding?!  I love ANYTHING that has to do with learning more about food and cooking and NOT just healthy cooking ALL cooking (the healthy part is where I get to create my own spin)!

So when a friend of mine offered to send me a FREE copy of Gluten-Free Italian by Jacqueline Mallorca (say that name out loud... MALLORCA... is it just me or is that a really fun name to say!) with the measly agreement that I would try some recipes and if I liked them I would post about one on the blog,  you better believe I was happy and grateful to jump on board!

*From the archives.

Like all QuickBites, this is a seriously simple recipe that comes together very quickly! 

I wanted to shoot a video using leafy greens in one of the simplest ways I know how (which is a quick saute).  This recipe is the perfect demonstartion of how easy it can be to get power foods on the table in about twenty minutes!

As much as I love to cook, I'd be lying if I said I that I am always in the mood to cook.  On the other hand, I could count on one hand the seldom times in my life when I have not been in the mood to eat!  So what's a girl to do when she is in the mood to eat, but necessarily in the mood to cook? 

Although it is still 75 degrees and sunny here in So.Cal you can still begin to sense that fall is right around the corner.  The nights are a little cooler, the days are a little shorter, and the only place I want to be is in the kitchen whipping up some of my warm and comforting fall favorites like this Curried Black Bean and Sweet Potato Skillet!

With football season kicking off this weekend I wanted to give you guys a little game time meal that you could feel good about eating!  These Buffalo Chicken Butter Lettuce Cups are the perfect dish!

Yep.  You read it right.  Bacon Wrapped Turkey Mignons from Trader Joe's. 

Hello easy.  Hello D'lishes.

Never underestimate an egg.  Really.  They are so darn versatile!  I've become a big fan of eggs for dinner so when I was at my Yoga class last week and my favorite yoga teacher (Amy) in the whole world told me that she made my leek and potato tortilla (which is not posted) with the addition of smoked salmon I was not only flattered but I couldn't wait to get into the kitchen and give it a try!

Whew.  Other than packing my cooler, I haven't had a chance to do much cooking this week. I seriously need to get on top of those leafy greens!  Any chance you guys have come up with some good leafy green recipes;)?

Anyhow, this is a recipe that I made a few weeks ago but never had the chance to post.  It it was the first time I ever tried Opah and truth be told I didn't even do the cooking.

Spring time is naturally a very cleansing time of year.  After a long, cold winter of heartier, heavier foods, Spring rolls in with its fresh, light flavors that are designed by nature to help clean us out and lighten us up a bit!

Leafy greens are the number one ingredient missing in the American diet which is why I've decided to focus on Spring Leafy Greens this month!
 

Ever since the beginning of "Asparagus" month, I have had a stir-fry on the brain. I just wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do.  So I began searching around on some other food blogs for ideas (which by the way is about the only place I search for recipes online these days).

I found a recipe that caught my eye over at The Perfect Pantry and decided to give it a try. (if you have never visited The Perfect Pantry before you really must, you'll learn everything you'll ever need to know about items you can keep in your pantry)! 

I pretty much stuck to the recipe except I bulked up the veggie department a bit and added some tofu in order to get a little protein into the meal.  Speaking of tofu, let me give you a little tofu tip...

My initial plan was to make this salad using farro, but I couldn't get my hands on any so I turned to the cupboard for a convenient alternative.

I wanted to use a heartier grain or rice and thought Israeli couscous would do the job.  Couscous is really just another form of pasta (it's like really little pasta balls).  The only difference between Israeli couscous and regular couscous is the size. Israeli couscous is bigger and the size makes for a great texture (just be sure to cook your couscous like you would your pasta... al dente!).

Here is the fish that I served with my Napa Cabbage and Watercress Salad last week. 

I really liked the combination because while the fish was warm and spicy the salad was cool and crunchy!

I'm not really a winter girl. Although I love a good snow fall for the most part I'm not a huge fan of being cold... but with that being said, sometimes I like it. Which brings me to my point. If I had to choose one month that I most relate to it would have to be March.

Okay, so soup was not on my cabbage agenda this week. 

I was planning braised red cabbage with apples and goat cheese served with some type of protein; possibly experimenting with chicken or pork moo shu, and/or whipping up an asian style cabbage salad. 

What changed things you ask?

This is the chicken that I served with my Red Cabbage Salad the other night.  I found this recipe on a blog called "Good Things Catered", Recipes from a casual cook turned caterer turned back again. 

I just sort of stumbled across this blog while searching for Asian style chicken recipes and decided to give it a go, after all blog recipes are where it's at these days;). 

Four words:  SO GOOD, SO EASY!

I'm telling you guys, if you are looking for quick, healthy, weeknight food you HAVE TO add some fish to the menu.  I topped some wild salmon with a teaspoon of olive oil, dill, and salt and pepper and twelve minutes later, it was done!  DONE!

White fish (like Sole and Flounder) is one of the quickest dinners you can make.  You just sprinkle on a little seasoning, throw it under the broiler, and voila'... three minutes later dinner is served. 

I made this in a pinch the other night and served it with some Minty Pea Quinoa and steamed asparagus.  So simple, so yummy and so nutritious!

Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm am I loving Quinoa!! I made a big bucket of it over the weekend and have been throwing it in to just about everything all week long. 

When I saw this recipe over at Anticiplate,  I just knew I was gonna have to give it a go.   

It's cold and rainy here in So.Cal, so I was in the need of some comfort food.  I wanted to use up some Kale and so here's what I came up with...  Let me know what ya think!

When opting to use all white meat in this recipe, my fear was that the extra lean turkey meat could have the tendency of drying out. So the challenge was to find a way to keep these babies moist and tender.

And guys, I am proud to say, "Mission Accomplished"!

A friend of mine gave me the "South Beach Diet" Cookbook a few years back.  She wasn't that into it and thought I might get some use out of it... she was right!

I know that technically last week kicked off the New Year but for me this week is really the official kickoff.  This Butternut Squash Chili w/ Kale is the perfect meal to start off the New Year on the right foot!

Okay guys, here's the deal; I love you... I really do.  And I love eating.  I also love healthy food, cooking, and talking.  And although, I don't love, love, love writing I can deal with it in order to share with you all of the things I really do love.

Here's a little trivia for you guys...

What's the number one ingredient missing from the American diet?  Now I don't wanna give it a way or anything, but I'll give you a hint... look at the picture above. 

Yep... you guessed it, dark leafy greens or any dark greens for that matter.  Crazy, right?

I am a huge fan of Spaghetti Squash and I'm really surprised to realize that I have never posted a recipe using Spaghetti Squash before!  Huh... go figure:).

Only one week til' Thanksgiving and then the Holiday Season really kicks in (I love the holidays)!

I wanted to make a video showing an alternative dish for Thanksgiving dinner, so I chose a Stuffed Turkey Breast.  (If you want to see how to make a traditional holiday turkey, you can watch me make one here).

As much as I would love to post a recipe that would hit the spot on a crisp Autumn day, it just ain't happenin'.  "Why?", you ask.  Simply because I've yet to have a crisp Autumn day.  Here in SoCal. we're still warm... not hot... but definitely warm.  We're talking mid-seventies. 

Oh, how I LOVE the combination of salmon and dill!!  They are a match made in heaven, which is why I suppose it's a classic flavor combination!