3 spa favorites: Spa chefs share their flavorful, low-cal recipes - Lowfat & Easy

Shape, March, 2002 by Robin Vietta-Miller

What makes the meals served at the best health spas "spa cuisine"? Is it the low calories and fat? The high vitamin, mineral and fiber content? The delicious flavor? It's all of the above. Spa chefs know how to balance whole grains, fresh produce and lean protein to create luscious meals that are low in calories, fat, sugar and sodium. The menus vary (from vegan to a smorgasbord of meat), but the principle is the same: satisfying food, rife with flavor, texture and nutrients.

We asked three chefs from renowned spas to create recipes for Shape readers to make at home in 15 minutes. These aren't your average easy-to-make healthy meals, either: At Rancho La Puerta, the chef nestles cheese, jalapenos and cilantro into mouthwatering quesadillas; and the salmon from Canyon Ranch is topped with a unique cranberry-and-apricot-spiked vinaigrette. Here are three incredible dishes to pamper you from within.

Three-Cheese Vegetable Quesadillas

From Bill Wavrin, Executive Chef Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 mm.

Cook time: 8 min.

1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, diced

6 scallions, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

8 8-inch flour or whole-wheat tortillas

Combine cheeses in a bowl; set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, garlic and oregano and cook 2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring frequently. Stir in cilantro. Remove vegetables from pan; set aside.

Return skillet to heat and add 1 tortilla. Top 1/2 of tortilla with 2 tablespoons each of cheese mixture and vegetable mixture. Fold over untopped side and cook 1 minute per side, until cheese melts. Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges and serve warm.

Nutrition Score per serving (2 quesadillas/6 wedges): 261 calories, 29% fat (8.5 g; 5 g saturated), 50% carbs (33 g), 21% protein (14 g), 13 g fiber, 350 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 859mg sodium.

Chicken Pot-au-Feu

From Cary Neff, Executive Chef Miraval Life in Balance, Catalina, Ariz.

Serves 4

Prep time: 3-5 min.

Cook time: 12 mm.

Olive-oil cooking spray

8 fingerling potatoes, or 2 yellow-fleshed (Yukon gold) potatoes, cut into 1-inch strips

Salt and black pepper

4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (or skinless pheasant or duck breast)

1 leek, halved lengthwise and cut

into 1/2-inch-thick slices

12 baby carrots

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (or fresh, pre-sliced button mushrooms)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon fines herbes (aka "fine herbs," a traditional blend in most grocery-store spice sections)

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

2 cups chopped Swiss chard

Preheat oven to 425[degrees]F. Spray potatoes with cooking spray; season with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet and roast 12 minutes, until soft to the touch.

Meanwhile, salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over high heat. Add chicken to hot pan and sear 1 minute per side, until golden brown. Add leek, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and herbs; cook 1 minute to sear vegetables. Add wine and simmer 1 minute, until liquid reduces to 1/4 cup. Add broth and simmer 5 minutes. Add Swiss chard to one side of pan and simmer 1 minute, until chicken is cooked through and greens are wilted.

To serve, place chard in the bottom of 4 shallow bowls. Slice chicken crosswise into 5 pieces each and arrange atop chard. Arrange potatoes and remaining vegetables around chicken and ladle remaining broth over the top.

Nutrition Score per serving: 272 calories, 11% fat (3.3 g; <1 g saturated), 44% carbs (30 g), 45% protein (30.6 g), 4 g fiber, 66 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 351 mg sodium.

Roasted Salmon Salad With Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

From Scott Uehlein, Executive Chef Canyon Ranch Health Resort, Tucson, Ariz.

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 mm.

Cook time: 5-7 mm.

If you prefer a more intense balsamic flavor, you can reduce the amount of water in the vinaigrette.

Nonstick cooking spray

Dressing

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

8 dried apricots, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salad

1 pound salmon fillet, cut into 4 equal portions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 cups spinach leaves, washed

2 cups thinly sliced yellow squash

2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper

3 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 425[degrees] F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, water, cranberries and apricots. Set pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid and fruit. Combine liquid with mustard, honey and oil.

Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper and transfer them to prepare baking sheet. Bake fillets for 5-7 minutes, until fork-tender.