Clean & Delicious with Dani Spies

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Garlic

How-To Roast Garlic

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I am a garlic LOVER.

I strongly believe that all one really needs to make great food is garlic, olive oil, and salt.

If you’ve never tried roasted garlic before you are in for a treat.

It is an entirely different experience than eating raw or sauteed garlic.  Roasted garlic is sweet and creamy and buttery.  Nothing at all like it’s raw self.

Once you see how easy it is to make roasted garlic you are gonna become addicted.

I love adding roasted garlic into salad dressing, hummus, and as the star ingredient in these mashed potatoes.

How do you enjoy roasted garlic?  Any favorite ways of using it in your kitchen?

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Garlicky Kale

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Scroll down to watch the step-by-by step video.

This is my go-to recipe for making kale, and yes! even my kids will eat it this way (it’s that good).

What I like so much about this garlicky kale is how quickly it comes together.  Often, on a busy week night, quick is my number one priority, so when I find dishes that are quick and healthy, I consider it a serious win.

Try serving this along side some chicken or fish, mixed into your favorite grain bowl or pasta dish, or simply layered onto your favorite sandwich.

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5-Minute Lemon & Garlic Brussel Sprouts

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Lemon Brussel Sprouts
5-Minute Lemon & Garlic Brussel Sprouts -Clean & Delicious® 

I used to think that roasting was my favorite way to cook Brussel sprouts but these simply steamed brussel sprouts have pulled up from the rear and taken the lead.

You might think they are leading because I’ve gotten a little lazier with my cooking ever since having kids and so anything that says 5-minutes would win in my book BUT believe it or not it’s their clean, bright, light flavor that has really won me over.

Adding garlic, lemon, olive oil, and salt to just about anything is going to taste great and Brussel sprouts are no exception.

It’s recipes like this are constantly reminding me that often times it’s the simplest foods that taste the best.  No need to get too fancy in the kitchen to keep things Clean & Delicious my friends;).

The nutritional info below is based on 4-servings but, truth be told, my hubby and I usually polish these of between the two of us.  So adjust as you will and enjoy!

What’s your favorite ways to cook brussel sprouts?  Do you like them roasted, steamed, or both?

Ps – this is the recipe I demonstrated in my Brussel Sprouts 101 video – so if you want to see it done, you can find it here.

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5-Minute Lemon & Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. of brussel sprouts, stemmed and quartered
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place brussel sprouts in a steamer basket and cook for 5-6 minutes or until they are al dente (tender on the outside but firm in the middle).

Toss brussel sprouts with garlic, lemon and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Nutrients per 1/4 of the recipe: Calories: 82; Total Fat: 3.8g; Saturated Fat: 0.6g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 11.6g; Dietary Fiber: 4.4g; Sugars: 3.2g; Protein: 3.9g

Spicy Garlic Shrimp Over Garlic Spinach (Video)

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With all the ideas that swirl around in my brain it’s hard to believe that I have moments where my mind is blank.

No thoughts.  No words. Nothing particularly interesting or relevant to this delicious recipe.

At least not in this moment.

So instead of talking (or int his case typing) simply for the sake of talking, I simply present you with my latest video -> Spicy Garlic Shrimp Over Spinach!

Enjoy!!

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Spicy Garlic Shrimp Over Spinach

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 lb of baby spinach
  • 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
  • Fat pinch of red pepper flakes
  • The zest and juice of one lemon
  • A handful of chopped parsley

Directions:

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan.  Add half of the garlic along with a pinch of salt.  One the garlic is fragrant, add the spinach and toss until all of the spinach is shiny and beginning to wilt down.  Shut off the heat and place pan on the back burner (the residual heat in the pan will finish cooking the spinach while you make the shrimp).

Heat the rest of the olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet and add in the rest of the garlic along with a pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes.  Once the garlic is fragrant toss in the shrimp.

Stir periodically as the shrimp begins to turn opaque.  They cook quickly and will be done in about three minutes – once they all turn opaque, turn off the heat and finish them with lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley.

Plate up the spinach and top with the shrimp and garlicky sauce.  Enjoy!!

Serves 4.

Calories: 234; Total Fat: 12.1g; Saturated Fat: 1.4g; Cholesterol: 155mg; Carbohydrate: 12.9g; Dietary Fiber: 8.8g; Sugars: 0.2g; Protein: 25.5g

Broiled Sole Scampi

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Broiled Sole Scampi
Sole Scampi – Clean & Delicious®

Broiled fish is one of the most basic and useful cooking techniques to keep in your back pocket.  It’s a super simple way to get a Clean & Delicious meal on the table in a very short amount of time.

Sticking with a thin white fish such as Sole, Flounder or Perch will result in a beautifully broiled piece of fish in about five minutes, making this an ideal choice for a quick and nutritious weeknight meal.

Olive oil, salt and pepper would in-and-of-themselves deliver a tasty piece of broiled Sole but I decided to brush the filets with a combination of lemon, olive oil, garlic, parsley, and scallions.  Let’s just say that this recipe will be a keeper in my home:).

Are you a white fish fan?  What are some of your favorite ways to make Sole at home?

Print Recipe

Broiled Shrimp Scampi

Yield: 2-4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus a little extra to brush on baking sheet
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 chopped scallions
  • 1 lb sole (cut into 4-4 ounce pieces)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Pre heat the broiler and set top rack a couple of inches from the heat source.

In a small bowl combine olive oil, parsley, garlic, and scallions.

Place sole on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lightly brushed with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Brush each piece of sole with the olive oil and herb mixture making sure to have a nice thin coating on top of each piece of fish.

Pop the sole under the broiler for 4-6 minutes or until just cooked through.  You will know the sole is cooked once it has turned opaque.

Remove from the oven and serve with fresh lemon wedges.  Enjoy!

Serves 2-4.

 

One 4-ounce serving: Calories: 136; Total Fat: 4.9g; Saturated Fat: 0.9g; Cholesterol: 60mg; Carbohydrate: 1.8g; Dietary Fiber: 0.3g; Sugars: 0.3g; Protein: 21.3g

Garlic & Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries

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Rosemary and Garlic Fries
Rosemary and Garlic Fries – Clean & Delicious

If you’ve never tried making baked fries before you really must.  You’ll be surprised at just how good they are!!

They’re quick, simple, and packed with flavor and everyone from toddlers to grandparents enjoy them.

And as if Baked Sweet Potato Fries w/ just salt and pepper weren’t good enough just wait until you try them smothered with garlic and rosemary!  Let’s just say it’s a simple way to elevate this flavorful, nutritious side dish!

Garlic and rosemary are hands down one of my favorite combos to use when making just about “roasted” anything. The flavor is so savory and strong.  Couple them with some good olive oil and kosher salt and you’ve got a “to-die-for” winning combination!!

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Garlic & Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, peeled

1 tbsp fresh minced rosemary

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp olive oil

½ tsp kosher salt

Fresh black pepper

Directions:

Pre heat the oven to 425.

Combine rosemary, garlic, salt and oil in a large bowl until you have a heavenly scented paste.

Cut the sweet potato into “fry-like” strips and toss into the oil mixture.Using your hands, thoroughly coat each fry with the garlic and rosemary.

Lay the fries out on a rimmed baking sheet being sure to leave plenty of room between fries (if the fries start to overlap they will end up steaming instead of roasting!).

Bake for 12 minutes, remove, flip and bake for another 12 minutes.Sprinkle with one little kiss of salt as soon as they come out of the oven and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings.

Calories: 121; Total Fat: 4.6; Saturated Fat: .7g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 32mg; Carbohydrates; 18.1g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugars: 7.5g; Protein: 1.9g

Aarti’s Turmeric-Rubbed “Friday Shrimp” (Stuffed w/ Garlic and Cilantro!)

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Turmeric Rubbed Shrimp
Turmeric Rubbed Shrimp – Clean & Delicious

Have you guys been watching “The Next Food Network Star” this season??
If you have, then you may remember watching Aarti Seqeria knock the socks off of the judges when she served them her “Friday Shrimp” as a part of the Iron Chef competition!
I wanted to make this recipe since last week (when I originally saw the show) but moved it straight up to the top of my “Recipes To Try” list in celebration of Aarti’s victory last night (she is officially the NFNS!

I’ve got to confess.

I don’t only watch the NFNS, I study it.

Every word the judges say.  Every decision the contestants make.  I try to take it all.  It’s like a ‘101’ college course about “What it Takes to Cook on Camera” so I try an absorb as much information as I can.

I wanted Aarti to win from the very first day I saw the show.  I had been watching her fun and delicious cooking variety show online for some time, so when I saw her on the show I was really pulling for her!

She has such an original point of view… infusing Indian flavors into American dishes and is just so darn comfortable (and charming) in front of the camera.  It almost doesn’t matter what she is saying – the way she talks makes me want to listen!

I don’t use Indian flavors very often but Aarti makes me want to make Indian food (or at the very least experiment with Indian flavors). 

So here’s to Aarti and her new cooking show (I have a feeling she’s gonna have lots of success!).

This dish was right up my alley.  It’s simple, nutritious, and super flavorful.  The flavors just pop off the plate!

Indian cooking uses some of the most powerful health enhancing herbs and spices.  This recipe for instance, uses Turmeric and Coriander.
Turmeric is the leader of the pack when it comes it comes to health benefiting spices.  It has powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory abilities that have shown to protect against cancer, diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.
I have to admit though, the Italian in me is dying to try this dish with parsley and lemon (almost like a roasted scampi) instead of cilantro and lime.  I think it would be amazing this time of year paired up with some fresh tomatoes.

This technique will definitely be a keeper around here and for those of you who may also be new to Indian flavors this is a great dish to start with.

Do you guys cook with lots of Indian flavors?  Do you have any favorite Indian dishes?  AND most importantly…. were you tuning in to the NFNS and who were you pulling for??

Print Recipe

Aarti's Turmeric-Rubbed "Friday Shrimp" (Stuffed w/ Garlic and Cilantro!)

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

12 Large Mexican shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp ground coriander

1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil

10 large garlic cloves, chopped up

1/3-cup fresh minced cilantro

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Juice of 2 limes

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl combine turmeric, salt, ground coriander, and 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Toss the shrimp with the spice mixture until they are all evenly coated.

Mix the garlic with half of the cilantro with 1tsp of olive oil.  Slice a deep slit in the back of each shrimp from the head down to the tail being careful not to slice through to the other side.  Stuff each shrimp with the garlic mixture and lay on the baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for 10 minutes or until the shrimp have cooked through.

While the shrimp is cooking, toss the fennel with the rest of the cilantro and the limejuice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove shrimp from the oven and place a mound of fennel in the middle of the plate surrounded by three big delicious shrimp.  Enjoy!

 

Serves 2.

Calories: 340; Total Fat: 2.4g; Saturated Fat: 1.2g; Cholesterol: 232mg; Carbohydrate: 21.5g; Dietary Fiber: 4.2g; Sugars: 1.1g; Protein: 36.5g

Rustic Pesto Potato Salad

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Pesto Potato Salad
Pesto Potato Salad – Clean & Delicious®

When I was growing up both of my parents had very different takes on potato salad

My Mom, who is Irish and German, was all about a good old-fashioned potato.  Big chunks of potato, tossed and bathed with lots and lots of real mayo!  My Dad on the other hand, who is 100% Italian, traveled a different road. His potato salad was more of a thinly sliced potato, dressed with some red wine vinegar and some good olive oil.

While both versions are absolutely delicious, when all is said and done, my Dad’s potato salad is better aligned with my eating style these days.

So how could I make a potato salad that represented a little bit of the whole family?

Easy enough.

I cut the potatoes into big fat chunks (just like my Mom would) and dressed them with lots of good olive oil (just like my Dad).  Then of course, I had to some green veggies and some fresh herbs (just like me!).

The results?

An absolutely delicious potato salad that reflects all the fresh flavors of summer (and my Mom, Dad and me).

This is the perfect dish to bring to a 4th of July BBQ this weekend because it has no mayo and would be perfectly fine sitting out at room temperature all afternoon while you’re whipping up your drink and splashing around in the pool.

If you want to be sure to create a nice well rounded, balanced meal with your potato salad, don’t forget to eat it along with some form of protein!  This Simple Ginger-Soy Chicken would be a lovely partner!

Print Recipe

Rustic Pesto Potato Salad

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. small, thin skinned potatoes (I used red, white & purple, but any one of these would be just fine), rinsed and quartered
  • 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup basil, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring the potatoes up to a boil in a large pot of salted water.  Once the water is boiling allow the potatoes to cook for another five minutes or so or until almost tender.  Right before the potatoes are ready, toss the green beans in along with the potatoes. Cook for about two minutes, or until the greens are nice and bright and just tender, then drain the potatoes and beans into a colander.  Place everything back into the warm pot.

Stir in the garlic, basil, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper and mix together thoroughly. Taste for seasonings (this salad tends to beg for a couple extra pinches of salt).

Divide amongst six plates and enjoy!

Serves 6.

Nutrients per 1/6th of recipe: Calories: 190; Total Fat: 12.8g; Saturated Fat: 2.2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 8mg; Carbohydrate: 19.8g; Dietary Fiber: 3.8g; Sugars: 4.8g; Protein: 3.2g