Clean & Delicious with Dani Spies

Fuel your body. Feed your life!

Strawberries

Kale Quinoa Salad

by 1 Comment

If you are looking for a super nutritious, insanely delicious, seasonal salad; look no further.

Hearty kale, buttery avocados and light, fluffy quinoa pair perfectly with whatever seasonal fruits you have on hand.

This is a great time to buy the most beautiful produce at the store and then let it shine in this simple, tasty salad.

Want to learn more about kale?
Want to learn more about Quinoa?
Looking for some more easy kale recipes?  Check these out:
Looking for some more easy quinoa recipes?  Check these out:

[Read more…] about Kale Quinoa Salad

Peanut Butter + Strawberry Overnight Oats

by 10 Comments

Peanut Butter Strawberry OverNight Oats

Have you tried overnight oats yet?  I know they’re not a new trend but if you’re anything like me, it may take you a while to actually try something you’ve seen 1000x on Pinterest.

I find them to be perfect for warm summer mornings, especially when they’re topped with fresh seasonal berries.

Anything that can; 1.  be made ahead of time, 2.  is nutritious and 3.  tastes delicious, gets the green light in my recipe book.  And overnight oats cover all three!

Kids also love overnight oats, I think it may because they ultimately taste like pudding, and what kid doesn’t love pudding?  Plus the combination of fresh berries and peanut butter remind me of a peanut butter and jelly sammie, so if you (or your kids) are a PB+J lovers, this recipe is for you.

Try making these oats on the weekend so you have them ready to go for your busy week.

Note: This recipe was a part of my Strawberry 3x video.  You can watch video below.

[Read more…] about Peanut Butter + Strawberry Overnight Oats

Strawberry Avocado Butter Lettuce Salad

by 4 Comments

Strawberry Salad

I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to eat a healthier diet is to simply incorporate more seasonal ingredients into your kitchen.

Seasonal ingredients are like Mother Natures way of saying, “Oh, hi!  Eat this.  It’s delicious and good for your body.  You’re Welcome.”

Or at least, that’s what I envision her saying (lol).

The combination of butter lettuce with creamy avocados and fresh, seasonal strawberries is unbeatable and a perfect example of the perfection Mother Nature has in mind for us.  Top that with tangy feta cheese and roasted almonds and we’ve just left the stratosphere.

Oh! And let’s not forget the creamy balsamic salad dressing, it’s quickly become one of our family favorites.

If you are a big salad eater, I encourage you to double the recipe for the salad dressing and keep some on hand to use during the week.  It will happily last in the fridge for up to 7 days and can save you lots of time when you are wanting to eat a delicious salad.

Note: This salad is a part of my Strawberry 3x video.  If you like the step-by-step, you can watch that video below.

[Read more…] about Strawberry Avocado Butter Lettuce Salad

Pan Seared Chicken with Strawberries + Feta Cheese

by 27 Comments

Strawberry Balsamic Chicken

I’ve learned that when it comes to cooking, it’s more important to observe the technique instead of the details of the exact recipe.

So for instance, the details in this recipe would be the balsamic strawberries and feta cheese. They make a great combo, they’re delicious and they’re in season right now, but you could easily change up the topping with whatever you had on hand.

You could do a different fruit or skip the fruit and go right for an all veggie salsa-like topping.

Or you could skip the topping and serve the chicken over a big bed of spinach or arugula. Whatever road you travel the details always have endless options.

Now on the flip side, the lightly sautéed chicken breast would be the technique. It is a super simple, quick, healthy way of preparing the chicken. And since we are using a non-stick pan we are able to get the browning results that sautéing provides without having to use a lot of added fat.

Once you have this cooking technique in your back pocket, you’ll never let chicken sit in your fridge again. At the very least you know you can give it a light sautee and serve it with some of your favorite fruits or veggies.

What are some of your favorite ways to make a quick chicken dish? Have you ever tried adding fruit to your chicken before?

*note: This recipe was one of the strawberry recipes featured in my ‘Strawberries 3x’ video.  You can watch the step-by-step below.

[Read more…] about Pan Seared Chicken with Strawberries + Feta Cheese

Strawberry Tabouli Salad

by Leave a Comment

Strawberry Tabouli
Strawberry Tabouli

Scroll down to watch the video!

I just adore putting a seasonal spin on a classic dish, especially when that season is Summer.

These days you can get just about any fruit during any season, so while we don’t really have to wait all year long to enjoy fresh berries we do need to wait all year long to enjoy fresh local berries that actually taste like sweet, berry, deliciousness (you know those berries that you buy in the dead of winter just don’t deliver the same flavor).

This recipe uses a classic tabouli base, but instead of using tomatoes, I swapped in some fresh, juicy strawberries.  The result?  A salad that explodes with flavor and screams summer!

Often times I will swap out bulgur wheat for quinoa when I am making Tabouli, like I did in this recipe, simply because it’s a little bit lighter and 100% gluten free, but for this recipe I wanted to use the bulgur to give you guys more examples of how you can use bulgur wheat in your kitchen.  Bulgur wheat is one of the quickest cooking whole grains, so I find it to be a friendly addition for those times when life feels like is moving at lighting speed (plus its delicious!).  If however, gluten is an issue for you, simply swap in the quinoa.

To learn more about bulgur wheat, you can watch my Bulgur Wheat 101.

A couple more  Clean & Delicious Tabouli recipes:

You can watch this video for the step-by-step demonstration on how to make this recipe plus some extra tips and ideas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg_xnQh1RVM
Print Recipe

Strawberry Tabouli Salad

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

*Note: Because fresh strawberries are fairly delicate and have a short life-span, this salad is best made fresh to order. I usually make this right before serving to get the best flavor and texture from my berries.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup bulgur wheat
  • 1 clove crushed garlic
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • Fat pinch salt and black pepper
  • 1.5 cup diced strawberries
  • 1.5 cups Persian cucumber, diced
  • ½ cup finely chopped parsley
  • ½ cup finely diced mint
  • ½ cup diced scallions

Directions:

Place bulgur wheat in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Pop on a lid (or some type of cover) and let sit for 20 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the water and is plumped up and tender.

In the meantime, whisk together, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine; cooked bulgur wheat, cucumbers, strawberries, parsley, mint, and scallions. Top with the dressing and gently toss together.

Serve and enjoy!

Nutrients per cup; Calories: 228; Total Fat: 14.4g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 27.3g; Dietary Fiber: 3.9g; Sugars: 5.8g; Protein: 3.2g

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

by 15 Comments

 

*This recipe is from the archives – I’ve updated it with the video. Enjoy!

There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of things one can do with rhubarb other than mixing it with something sweet, like strawberries or apples, to balance out it’s natural tartness.

I once tried to incorporate rhubarb into a lentil dish based on a recipe by Mark Bittman and am sad to report that it was a big fat flop (in defense of Mark I did stray from the recipe and take full blame for the outcome)!  So this time I wanted to travel a more familiar road with my rhubarb, something a little more tried and true.

Strawberries and rhubarb seem to be a classic combination.  I’ve seen this combo in pies, cobblers, jams, compotes, and crumbles.  But I just so happen to be a crisp-kinda-girl so Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp it was!

Rhubarb is a lot like celery when it comes to prep-work (check out my Rhubarb 101).  You can certainly pull of the stringy-fibers on the outside of the stalk to ensure a less bitter, more tender rhubarb result, but I didn’t bother and was happy with my results.

If your rhubarb comes with the leaves still attached be sure to discard them because they are actually poisonous (yikes!).  My stems did not have any leaves so I didn’t have to worry about this step either.

As for my topping, let’s just say I like a lot of crisp!  This recipe makes plenty of ‘crisp-topping’ to generously cover the top of a 9-inch pie plate.  If you wanted to  lighten the recipe a bit more you could certainly cut back a bit here and still have tasty results (but really – what’s the point).

One thing to keep in mind about any crisp recipe is that they are best fresh out of the oven.  Warm bubbly fruit and crunchy, crisp topping will always beat out a day-old crisp so try to make this with the intention of serving it ASAP.

And I don’t think that I need to remind you that fruit crisps of any type love to be topped with creamy vanilla food items such as ice-cream, whipped cream, and Greek yogurt, do I?

As for me… two more weeks until this little baby is due (although Katie was 10 days late so I’m not holding my breath) and I am in full blown nesting mode.  Cleaning, organizing, and border-line obsessing about EVERYthing needing to be done before he arrives.

It’s as though I think I will never have the chance to ever do anything again once he arrives – LOL! – while this may be true for a few weeks, rationally I know better.   But in the meantime, I scrub (and bake) away!

Print Recipe

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups strawberries, sliced into rounds
  • 4 cups rhubarb, cut into ½ inch slices
  • 2 tbsp. white whole-wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Topping

  • 1.5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4-cup maple syrup
  • 1/4-cup coconut oil

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350

In a large bowl combine strawberries and rhubarb.  Sprinkle in sugar and flour and lightly toss everything together.  Pile fruit mixture into a pie dish (or a 9x9 Pyrex baking dish).

In a separate bowl, mix together the ingredients for the oats, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coconut oil (I find the easiest way to do this is with my hands). Spread the topping over the fruit mixture.

Pop into the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the crisp is browned and the fruit is bubbly. Enjoy!!

Serves 6.

Nutrients per 1/6th of recipe: Calories: 312g; Total Fat: 11.8g; Saturated Fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 300mg; Carbohydrate: 48.3g; Dietary Fiber: 5.9g; Sugars: 25.3g; Protein: 6.9g

Clean Eating Strawberry Spinach Salad (Video)

by 5 Comments

OMG – talk about a brain fart (yes I said fart on a food site – I hope you didn’t just lose your appetite.) this video was was suppose to post this morning.

So sorry for the delay.

This one is perfect for your summer berries (or whatever Sumer fruit you have on hand.  really. they all work).

Now go watch the video and enjoy!! xo

Print Recipe

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

If you want this salad to be dairy free and/or Paleo, be sure to leave the cheese out.

Ingredients:

Strawberry Spinach Salad

  • 8 oz. baby spinach
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
  • ¼ cup Gorgonzola cheese

Balsamic & Honey Dressing

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp. raw honey
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.  Toss the spinach leaves and strawberries with ¼ cup of dressing.

Divide the spinach and berries amongst two plates and sprinkle each with 2 tbsp. pecans and 1 tbsp. cheese.  Enjoy!

Makes 4 small salads or 2 large

 

¼ of the recipe:  Calories: 171; Total Fat: 13.7g; Saturated Fat: 3.3g; Cholesterol: 10mg; Carbohydrate: 10.7g; Dietary Fiber: 2.8g; Sugars: 5.9g; Protein: 4.3g

Strawberry Vanilla Protein Oats

by 9 Comments

Strawberry Vanilla Protein Oats
Strawberry Vanilla Protein Oats – Clean & Delicious®

Counting calories has never worked for me.  In all honesty it drives me INSANE.  I find myself getting crazy over the littlest things and always end up self sabotaging in one way or another.

This is why the “Clean Eating” style has become my favorite guideline when it comes to eating. Clean Eating does not focus on calories, rather it focuses on eating real, whole, unprocessed food in balance and in moderation.

This has helped me SO much with my journey in weight loss and healthy living.  I use the ‘Basic Clean Eating Principles’ and then tweak and adapt them to my needs.

One principle that has helped me tremendously has been to include lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats at every meal.  This helps to balance out and maintain blood sugar levels which ultimately helps to keep us feeling satisfied (full!) longer.  And since I don’t like the feeling of “hungry” this is a very, very good thing in my world:).

The first time I ever heard of adding protein powder to oatmeal, my initial thought was, “Eeewwww” and “What a waste of calories” but somewhere between then and now it’s become a favorite go-to breakfast (and sometime snack) of mine.  It’s so hearty and warm and satisfying… I just love my protein oats.  And the best part is that you can make so many different flavor combos.

The secret to making protein oats is to always cook your oats first and stir in the protein powder last.  If you try and cook the oats with the powder mixed in you will end up with a big bowl of oatie-protein-mess.

SO tell me, do you like protein oats?  If so, what’s your favorite flavor combo?  (I’m presently torn between Strawberry-Vanilla and Chocolate-Peanut Butter).

Print Recipe

Strawberry-Vanilla Protein Oats

Yield: 1 serving

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of dry oats
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • a few dashes of cinnamon
  • a few sprinkles of stevia
  • ¼ unsweetened vanilla soymilk
  • 5 strawberries, chopped up
  • 2 tsp of sliced almonds

Directions:

Place oats and water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for two minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Stir in protein powder, cinnamon, and stevia. Add soymilk to thin out the oats a bit (you may use a little more or less depending on your preference).

Top with strawberries and almonds. Enjoy!

Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 306; Total Fat: 8.2g; Saturated Fat: 1.2; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 30mg; Carbohydrate: 34.5g; Dietary Fiber: 6.4; Sugars: 5.5g; Protein: 26.6g

Oatmeal Parfait

by 14 Comments

Oatmeal Parfait
Oatmeal Parfait – Clean & Delicious®

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been in love with this concoction.  No, scratch that, more like obsessed.

It’s like dessert (in a good way) but for breakfast.  And it’s a great way to balance out a big bowl of oatmeal with some protein and healthy fat so you’re not just sitting down to a carb-fest (because although it may work for some, the carb-fest doesn’t really work for me, I feel much better when I am able to balance out my meals).

The key to a rich, creamy, fluffy bowl of microwaved oatmeal is hands down EGG WHITES.   The egg whites make the oats fluffy and light, just the way I like them.  You just want to be sure not to do too many egg whites because then you will end up with a bowl of oatmeal with scrambled egg whites, rather then the deliciousness that I am referring to.

At first I was unsure about the hot oatmeal topped with the cool yogurt/cottage cheese combo, but I (obviously) decided that I’m a fan.  I like to start at the top, and scoop straight down so I get a taste of each layer with every bite!

So, tell me… have you ever made an Oatmeal Parfait before?  If not, what are some of your favorite ways to enjoy this power food?

Print Recipe

Oatmeal Parfait

Yield: Serves 1-2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup dry rolled oats
  • 2/3 cup water
  • ¼ cup egg whites
  • ¼ banana
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • ½ cup sliced strawberries
  • ¼ cup low fat cottage cheese
  • ¼ cup no-fat greek yogurt
  • A few dashes of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of chopped walnuts (3 walnut halves)

Directions:

In a small bowl combine cottage cheese and yogurt along with a few dashes of cinnamon.  Set aside.

Combine oats, water and egg whites in a glass dish and pop in the microwave for one and a half to two minutes (this will vary depending on your microwave).  Stir halfway through to ensure that you end up with a custard-like oatmeal and NOT scrambled egg whites!

Stir banana, maple syrup, and a few more dashes of cinnamon into your oats.  Layer sliced strawberries over the oats and top with yogurt/cottage cheese mixture.

Sprinkle your walnuts over the top and enjoy!!

Serves 1.

Nutrients per serving; Calories: 335 Total Fat: 9.6g; Saturated Fat: 1.6g; Cholesterol: 5mg; Sodium: 352mg; Carbohydrate: 39.3g; Dietary Fiber: 5.3g; Sugars: 14.3g; Protein: 24.8g

Video: Strawberry-Vanilla Smoothie

by 9 Comments

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 summer-time QuickBite before we start cuddling into the warmer foods of fall.

Smoothies really are one of my favorite meals in the summer, they’re just so fast and so easy (not to mention absolutely delicious).

There’s not too much to say about this one… you’ll just have to watch if you want to learn what I think the secret is to a perfect smoothie;).

Print Recipe

Strawberry-Vanilla Smoothie

Yield: Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of frozen strawberries
  • 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
  • 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla soymilk (I use WestSoy)
  • 2 tbsp of water

Directions:

Combine soymilk, water, and protein powder in a blender and blend until well combined.  Add in frozen strawberries and blend until you have a nice thick, creamy, delicious smoothie.  Enjoy!

Calories: 238; Total Fat: 6.5g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 30mg; Sodium: 34mg; Carbohydrate: 18.7g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugars: 10.1g; Protein: 28g

Video: How-To Freeze Strawberries (or any berry)

by 1 Comment

Keeping frozen berries in the freezer is a quick, simple, and inexpensive way to have some nutrient packed ingredients on hand.

This is the perfect solution for those of you who find that your fresh fruit goes bad before you get to eat it all (this almost never happens to me, but from what I have learned this can be a challenge for some of you).  You could buy your fresh fruit, then as the week progresses and you feel as though you may not get to it all, freeze the extra so you don’t end up wasting the fruit or your money:).

Many times I buy pre-frozen berries at the grocery store, but if I catch a good sale on some in season berries, I usually just stock up and freeze them myself.

Frozen berries are a great staple to add to your clean, simple and delicious kitchen!  When time is an issue, frozen fruit can be a girl’s best friend.

Some things that I like to do with frozen berries are:

  • Throw them into a smoothie or a protein shake
  • Mix them into some plain yogurt or cottage cheese with a little cinnamon (I just love the texture of the frozen fruit, it makes me feel like I’m eating ice cream)
  • Make berry sauces for your pancakes or french toast (quick and easy and has a lot less sugar than maple syrup)
  • Eat it right out of the bag on a hot day (it’s like having finger food ice pops!)
  • Add them into my oatmeal

Hmmm… what am I missing? Do you guys have any favorite ways of using frozen berries?

Strawberries and Peaches w/ Balsamic Glaze over Vanilla Ice-Cream

by 12 Comments

straw_glaze_photo

I just made a video demonstrating how to whip up some Balsamic Glaze and thought I would share one of the many ways I like to use it!

This is one of those “looks-really-fancy-but-couldn’t-be-any-easier” desserts. There’s not much to it, simply combine some berries with the Balsamic Glaze and spoon it over some vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Which bring me to a totally different topic: Ice-Cream vs. Frozen Yogurt!
I am a huge ice cream freak (I would eat it all day, every day if I could). And for a long time I would always buy the frozen yogurt (which I enjoy just as much) thinking I was making the better choice. But lately I’ve been torn. Sure frozen yogurt has a few less calories and a little less fat per serving BUT it also has more sugar and a lot more “hard-to-pronounce-God-only-knows-what’s-in-it” ingredients. Not to mention that I think when I buy frozen yogurt there is an unspoken rule that goes off in my head which states, “Oh, it’s only yogurt… you can have the extra serving or two..”. HA!

So after weighing the pro’s and con’s of both options I’ve been going for the real deal lately… no fillers, no crap… just cream, sugar, and eggs. But I can’t help to sometimes feel like at the end of the day it’s six of one half dozen of another, you know what I mean?

SO, I ask you: When going for a little frozen treat do you do the real deal ice cream or some frozen yogurt?

Print Recipe

Strawberries and Peaches w/ Balsamic Glaze over Vanilla Ice-Cream

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp Balsamic Glaze
  • 1 tsp of Agave Syrup
  • 4 chopped strawberries
  • 1/4 peach, chopped up
  • 2 basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Combine Balsamic Glaze and Agave syrup in a small bowl.  Mix with peaches and berries and then stir in basil.

Spoon over some vanilla ice cream and enjoy!!

Calories: 252; Total Fat: 8.2g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 20mg; Sodium: 46mg; Carbohydrate: 42g; Dietary Fiber: 1.4; Sugars: 41g; Protein: 3.7g