Dani Spies

Gotta love the mango... sweet, hearty, creamy, cooling and overall d'lishes!  I mean really, what's not to like?! 

And it just so happens that I've got mangoes coming out of the wazoo...

Hey guys... I'M BACK!  Lot's of fun, long trip, happy to be home BUT most importantly... happy to be back in my kitchen with my knife and my cutting board!  Man oh man, did I miss cooking!

Don't ask me why, but it seems everytime I went to the grocery store this week I bought broccoli. 

Broccoli, broccoli, broccoli. 

So when I peeked in the veggie drawer last night to decide what was gonna be for dinner, guess what came pouring out?  Yep.  Broccoli!  Broccoli and a head of Napa Cabbage.

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 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!

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!

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.

When I was growing up we always had red cabbage in the fridge.  We didn't get too experimental with it, it was pretty much used as a staple in our "green salad".  That green salad made it to the table almost every night of the week and it was one of the only things that my sister and I were allowed to make (since there was no cooking involved).

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!

So, here we go... cabbage recipe numero uno!  This side dish is a very quick and simple one to make. 

Cabbage loves dill so I decided to pick up some dill when I was at the grocery store this week and let me tell ya, I'm happy I did because it really brought this dish to life.

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'... 3 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!

When it comes to finding a quick way to spruce up a side dish the key is ingredient is FRESH HERBS.

Fresh herbs are a small way to pack BIG FLAVOR, without needing a lot of time or additional ingredients.  Just chop up a few tablespoons of whatever herb you choose and you can completely transform your dish. 

Have you ever had a week when things just didn't go as planned??  Yeah, well welcome to my last week!

My family was in town... the whole gang; my Mom, Dad, Sis, and bro-in-law.  It was great to have them all here together and we had lots of fun, but I guess you could say I sorta got "distracted". 

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!

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:).

*updated from the archives.

As you may know, I am a big fan of "whole foods" and I think that whole eggs are a perfectly delicious and nutritious food.  I love adding them to just about anything; breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But anytime I am trying to pull back on my calorie intake a bit without pulling back on flavor, I skip the yolks and stick to the whites. 

Hey, did you guys notice the new box over in the top right hand corner of the page?? 

The one that is titiled "Food Focus"??  Let me tell you all about it... cause I'm really excited!

Basically, here's the deal:

I think I've mentioned it before but that won't stop me from saying it again, "I love fries".  Love em'!

What's not to love? Seriously, you tell me because I can't think of one thing.  

I also love sweet potatoes (what can I say, I just love food)... so needless to say, these fries really do it for me; they're the best of both worlds.

I just had to show you another way I like to eat the Veggie Brown Rice. 

I'm telling you guys, ya throw an egg on top of just about anything and you've got yourself a meal.  I usually have this for breakfast but it would definetely work for lunch or even a light dinner. 

This dish is a perfect example of how a little "pre-preppin'" can save you A LOT of time.

I always have a container of some type of rice or grain ready to go for the week so when I'm pressed for time I can still eat something that is clean, simple, and d'lishes!:). 

Talk about a feel good food.  Roasted roots satisfy on so many different levels.  They are warm, sweet, salty, savory, hearty and so, so satisfying.  This is one dish where you think to your self, "Could something so simple and d'lishess really be SO good for me?"

And the answer is Yes!  Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just two weeks away?? Just two weeks!

I don't know that I'll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year.  In all honesty, I have been experimenting with different Turkey Day dishes since September, so I kind have that, "been there, done that, and don't really need to do it again" feeling.  But then again who knows.  I've been known to change my mind.

Anyway, let's talk turkey, or in this case, stuffing!

If you haven't tried Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) I'd say, "now's the time".  It's clean, simple, and d'lishes (I know I'm a dork, but I couldn't resist).

Technically, Quinoa is a seed, but for all intents and purposes we'll keep things simple and group it with the grains.  And in the world of grains, it just doesn't get any easier than Quinoa.

I grew up eating lots of ground beef. My Mom's infamous meat sauce over a plate of spaghetti was a twice a week staple in our house.  Stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage, and yes... even a good old Manwich were some other ground beef staple meals I grew up eating.  I loved them all.

Yikes, I almost forgot... this is the Cumin Scented White Bean recipe that I promised!  I served them with my Simply Seared Tuna w/ Triple Herb Sauce. They literally take all of ten minutes to throw together!

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"  How many times have we all heard this?  Maybe there’s something to it...

Although I don't have a garden of my own bursting with veggies that are begging to be eatin' up, what I do have are glorious Southern California Farmer's Markets that are bursting with veggies (and fruits, nuts, breads, etc.) that are begging to be eaten up!! 

These Mediterranean Cod Pouches are the best of all worlds... they're quick, simple, AND there's practically NO clean up involved!!  Now what could be better than that? 

Hummus is very simple to make at home. This recipe only takes about five minutes to whip up and you can really taste the difference between home made and store bought.

Coleslaw is one of my favorite sides to eat with any kind of sandwich.  I especially love to pile it high on top of a sandwich... yum!! 

Try serving this Peanut Slaw with my Tuna Burgers, they're a match made in heaven!

When it comes to eating out, Mexican is my all time favorite food!  If I had to pick a last meal it would be margaritas with chips, salsa, and guacamole! Yum... just thinking about it makes me happy!

I love making guacamole when friends come over because it's a fun food! Plus everyone loves it and it's always the first thing to go!