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Have you ever wished you could just take off one week to go to a spa, but either you don’t have the time or you don’t have the money to do it after the holidays? Here’s good news: You don’t have to go anywhere to enjoy really spectacular spa food, because the celebrated Golden Door spa has a new cookbook out, “Golden Door Cooks at Home,” by Dean Rucker (Clarkson Potter, NY, 2009, $40). The beautifully photographed recipes are both delicious and easy to follow.
For example, very few diets allow cheese, but Chef Rucker uses two or three shaved Parmesan cheese slices on shaved fennel with lemon to serve as a side dish for grilled salmon or as a first course.
An avocado, orange, and jicama salad is as great a combination as you can get. During the winter, our bodies need fat to keep our skin moist and supple, plus extra vitamin C from both the oranges and avocado. The unsaturated fat from half an avocado weighs in at only 138 calories and since the recipe uses one avocado to serve four … this is delicious diet food for sure.
Thai coconut vegetable soup is made with light coconut milk and vegetables. It is filling on its own, but if you add slices of cooked chicken breast or shrimp it is perfect for a more substantial lunch.
The soft rosemary-lemon polenta is a terrific one-dish evening meal. It is also an interesting side dish to serve with the pan roasted lemon chicken breast that I’ve adapted from the original recipe. For more excellent spa recipes, pick up a copy of the book. Bon appetit!
(Serves 4)
1 stalk lemon grass, trimmedOne 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk1½ teaspoons red curry paste (Mae Ploy brand)1½ cups vegetable stock1/2 cup shredded green cabbage1 small sweet potato, peeled and dicedAbout 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced1 medium carrot, diced2 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves1½ teaspoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)6 cherry tomatoes1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves or basil leaves plus extra for garnish1 lime, cut into wedges for garnishTo prepare:
Trim lemon grass to about 3 inches, removing the darker ends. Lay the lemon grass stalk on the cutting board and with the handle of a heavy knife, smash it several times. Set aside.
Bring the coconut milk to a simmer in a large heavy saucepan with a lid over medium heat.
Whisk in the curry paste and add crushed lemongrass stalk and simmer for 10 minutes to develop the flavors. Stir in vegetable stock and simmer.
Add cabbage, sweet potato, pineapple, carrot, lime leaves and fish sauce and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Can be done ahead.
Just before serving, stir in tomatoes and basil and simmer just to heat the tomatoes, about 1 minute.
Divide the soup among warmed bowls and garnish with Thai basil leaves and a wedge of lime. Serve very hot.
Note: If adding cooked chicken breast or shrimp to the soup, add it after the vegetables are tender.
(Serves 4)For the polenta:4 cups vegetable stockOlive oil for spraying1/2 small onion, finely chopped1 clove garlic, minced1 cup coarse stone-ground cornmeal2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1/2 sprig fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped1/2 sprig fresh thyme leaves, finely choppedGrated zest of half a lemonSea salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteFor the vegetables:Olive oil9 ounces oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced2 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob (or 1 cup frozen corn)1/2 small red onion, chopped4 ounces (about 2 generous cups) rainbow chard, leaves cut bite-size and stems thinly slicedJuice of one lemon1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oilPinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteAbout 1/2 cup roasted tomato sauce* (see note)Balsamic reduction** (see note)To prepare:
Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
Meanwhile, coat with olive oil the bottom of a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until almost translucent, about 2 minutes.
Scrape the onion and garlic into the stock. Pour the cornmeal into the stock in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly.
Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, stirring often, until thick and creamy, about 10 to 20 minutes.
Stir in the cheese, olive oil, herbs, and lemon zest. Season to taste and set aside.
While the polenta is cooking, add the mushrooms, corn, and red onion to a large skillet coated with olive oil over medium-high heat, and sauté until the corn is cooked, about 5 minutes.
Add the chard and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve:
Divide the polenta among four wide rimmed soup bowls or plates. Spoon the vegetables on top or on the side of the polenta.
Spoon about two tablespoons tomato sauce on one side and drizzle balsamic reduction over the whole affair. Serve at once.
(about 1½ cups)6 plum tomatoes, halved1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 teaspoon dried basilSea salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteOlive oil2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar1 head roasted garlicAbout 1/4 cup chopped fresh tomato and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs or more to tasteTo prepare:
Preheat the oven to 400. Cover the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on the sheet and sprinkle with herbs and salt and pepper, and spray or drizzle a little olive oil on top.
Bake until the tomatoes are shriveled and brown and crisp on the edges, about 40 minutes.
Combine the roasted tomatoes along with their juices in the blender and add balsamic vinegar. Add roasted garlic (squeezed out of their skins), blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Push the mixture through a strainer set over a bowl. Discard the solids, taste and season the purée.
Transfer to a clean glass container and cover with a film of olive oil and refrigerate for up to three days. Just before using, reheat on low and add chopped fresh tomato and herbs.
(about 1/2 cup)1 cup balsamic vinegar1 small shallot, sliced1 clove garlic cut in half2 sprigs fresh thyme6 black peppercorns1 teaspoon light brown sugarTo prepare:
In a small, nonreactive saucepan over high heat, add balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, thyme, peppercorns and brown sugar and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid resembles a shiny, slightly thick glaze and is reduced to about a quarter cup, about 30 minutes.
Strain out the solids. Once the liquid has cooled, store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to six months.
(Serves 4)Juice from two lemons2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves2 large cloves garlic, mincedFreshly ground black pepper to tasteFour 4-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts1/2 teaspoon sea saltOlive oil for drizzling1 lemon cut in wedges for garnish4 sprigs fresh oregano for garnishTo prepare:
Whisk the lemon juice, oregano, garlic and pepper together and place in a Ziploc bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag and turn the chicken over a few times to coat it.
Refrigerate at least one hour or up to six hours to marinate the meat.
Preheat the oven to 375.
Remove the chicken from the bag, reserve about a quarter cup of the marinade. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
Coat with olive oil the bottom of a cast-iron or heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat.
Place the chicken, smooth skin-side down in the pan and sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Turn the chicken over and add the reserved marinade to the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil or ovenproof lid and bake in the oven until the juices run clear when pierced with a two-pronged fork or an instant read meat thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest about 5 to 10 minutes. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with olive oil, garnish with lemon wedges and fresh herb sprigs.
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