Dani Spies

Ever notice how fresh, nutritious foods not only taste great BUT also happen to be absolutely beautiful?

I mean honestly, I could walk circles around a good produce section or a local farmers market just ooohing and aaahing at all the beautiful colors and shapes that surround me.

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!

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!

Here's another great way to sneak some Quinoa into your diet... top it with some fruit and yogurt.

Once again guys, this is a meal you could make a million different ways!

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. 

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! 

New Quinoa recipe number two... Quinoa Porridge!

I've made this recipe a few times in the past but was recently reminded of it when I saw this post over at Closet Cooking (I love that site, Kevin is always trying something new).

Batters up!  Here is my first new recipe using Quinoa this month.  I must say, quinoa is one of those ingredients that just has my wheels spinning... there are so many things you can do with it.

For some reason my mind keeps going toward sweets like muffins, cookies, and puddings but don't worry, I'm determined to get some savory dishes in there as well.  As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about making a Butternut Squash and Quinoa Frittata for dinner tonight... I'll keep you guys posted.

I've touched on quinoa before, but I really wanted to take it a step further... so here's my  "Quinoa 101" video. 

I'll be posting recipes using quinoa all month, so if you are looking for some more ways to sneak quinoa into your kitchen, be sure to stay tuned!!  

 

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).

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.

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".