Dani Spies

*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!

Here in Southern California, September is one of the hottest months we have so this Strawberry-Vanilla Smoothie is still on my menu.

Besides, I really wanted to sneak in one more summery QuickBite before we start cuddling into the warmer foods of fall.

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!

What makes this Turkey and Avocado Sandwich so super you ask?!  Well other than the fact that it is absolutely d'lishes and super nutritious, it only takes about four minutes to make and requires only three ingredients... pretty super, huh?!

I mean, tell me you don't wanna just take a bite of this thing!?

I wasn't planning on posting this recipe for Protein Pancakes this week, but after this conversation that I had with my Dad, I changed my mind!

It went something like this: 

What can I say, I've been making so many different types of Egg "Pizza's" lately, I just couldn't help but share another Egg "Pizza" flavor combination! 

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!

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.

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...

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!

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!

Can you believe February is just about over?!  Wow. Wow. Wow.  What can I say, time really does fly by when you're having fun!

So this will probably be my last Quinoa recipe of the month and I am hoping that you guys have at least given it a try by now.  I mean jeez, I've been eating this stuff all month and I haven't gotten sick of it yet... that's how good it is!  Not to mention, I haven't even made a dent in the quinoa recipes I would like to try!

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.   

Okay, so I got a little distracted with Valentine's Day (Chocolate Covered Strawberries can do that to me) but I haven't forgotten this months Food Focus... Quinoa!  

I've got more Quinoa recipes coming your way, starting with my Black Bean and Quinoa Pita Pockets! 

So this one isn't so much a recipe as it is an idea. 

Really you can use any veggies or any cheese that you have hanging out in the fridge, it's is less about the details and more about the big picture.

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!

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.

*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. 

Here's another simple and d'lishes way to whip up some oatmeal for breakfast.  Remember, I almost always make my oatmeal ahead of time,  so all I  have to do is reheat it with some yummy "add-in's" come breakfast.

I don't know about you guys but this was the first I had ever heard of this dish. 

I was doing my usual food blog perusing when I spotted this recipe over at Closet Cooking (if you have never stopped by this site you should, Kevin [the cook and author] seems to be forever trying new, exotic, and usually pretty easy recipes... I pop over there all the time, it's definitely worth a peek).

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).

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.

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. 

One thing that I find to be a HUGE HELP when it comes to sticking to a healthy game plan during a busy week, is a little pre-preppin'.  Although I sometimes opt to spend the extra hours at the beach or lounging with some friends, I'm usually pretty good about "setting up my week". 

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" 

How many times have we all heard this? 

Maybe there's something to it...

Oh how I LOVE the combination of salmon and dill.   

They are a match made in heaven (I suppose that is why they are a classic flavor combination!).