Simple foods, complex flavors: chef James Boyce knows the way to an active woman's heart

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Sept, 2004 by Daryn Eller

GREAT CHEFS KNOW HOW TO WOO US with extraordinary food, but do they really understand us? Much as we active women want our food to be interesting and flavorful, we don't want it to weight us down. Is that so much to ask? Not according to James Boyce, executive chef of Studio at the Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach, CA. Boyce is the rare chef who gets it, maybe because he's an athlete himself. An avid cyclist, swimmer, runner and hiker, he appreciates the fact that heavy, overwrought dishes have little place in the diet of someone who works out like crazy. And as an acclaimed chef, he has the expertise to develop meals that are better fits for active lifestyles--and don't skimp on presentation or good taste.

THE KEY TO BOYCE'S ELEGANT YET SIMPLE AND LIGHT CUISINE?

"I concentrate on one main ingredient in each dish, and then accent the flavor with the addition of one or two other really great ingredients," he explains. "That adds contrast while developing and enhancing the overall taste of the dish." For example, if the main ingredient is somewhat soft in texture, he adds a crunchy or chewy accent; if the main flavor is salty, he'll add a bit of sweetness.

Boyce's cuisine is also health-conscious--which is perhaps another personal reflection: The chef lost more than 100 pounds by keeping carbs to a minimum and staying away from high-fat foods. "I also started eating my large meal in the early afternoon instead of in the early evening, so I have more time to metabolize it," says Boyce.

It helps when what you're eating is pure and simple, and, as you can see from the recipes he's provided here, Boyce's cooking is surprisingly so. Another surprise: All the recipes are easy to make--no culinary wizardry required. What you'll be doing instead is simply combining a few excellent, flavorful ingredients, paving the way for allowing their natural goodness to shine through. It doesn't get much better--or more undemanding--than that.

SUMMER WHITE BEAN & VEGETABLE SOUP

Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small spring onions, chopped into half-inch pieces
2 stalks celery
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 cups cooked white beans (preferably homemade, but canned is
  acceptable)
1 bunch (about 6 ounces) swiss chard, chopped and stalks sliced into
  half-inch pieces
6 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat parsley
1/4 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves

Coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

2. Add beans, chard and tomatoes to the pot. Continue to cook for 5 minutes. Cover mixture with water by 2 inches and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Stir in herbs. Season soup with salt and pepper.

3. Serve in warm soup bowls.

PER SERVING: 108 calories, 5g protein, 14g carbohydrate, 3.5g fat (0.5g saturated fat), 4g fiber

LOCAL HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD & SALTS

Makes 6 servings

1/4 cup cucumber, small dice
1/4 cup red pepper, small dice
1/4 cup apple, small dice
1/4 cup chili oil
1/2 cup avocado
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 heirloom tomatoes (Cherokee, Purple Plum and German Strawberry)
1/2 cup shallots, diced
1/2 cup chives, diced
Olive oil, to taste
3 oz. Pink Peruvian salt*
3 oz. Danish Smoked salt*
3 oz. Hawaiian Black Lava salt*

* All salts are available at www.salttraders.com

1. Combine cucumber, red pepper, apple and chili oil. Let stand 1 hour.

2. Place avocado and lemon juice in a blender; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve cold.

3. Cut tomatoes into large chunks and season with a mixture of shallots, chives, olive oil and salt and pepper.

4. Arrange three tomato pieces 1 inch apart on each plate. Pair each tomato piece with either the chili oil mixture or the avocado puree. Garnish each tomato with one of the salts--Cherokee with Pink Peruvian, Purple Plum with Danish Smoked, and German Strawberry with Hawaiian Black Lava.

PER SERVING: 150 calories, 2g protein, 11g carbohydrate, 11g fat (1.5g saturated fat), 3g fiber

SPINACH & BACON SALAD

Makes 6 servings (pictured on page 60)

1 8-ounce bacon slab (preferably Summerfield Farm), cut into 1-inch
  cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Juice of one lemon
8 ounces spinach leaves

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1. In small saute pan over medium heat, brown bacon on all sides in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, about 1 minute on each side.

2. Remove excess fat from pan and add half of the sherry vinegar. Place pan back on heat and cook until vinegar is totally evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and continue cooking until bacon is fork tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature in remaining cooking liquid.

3. In a medium bowl, place remaining sherry vinegar and mustard and slowly whisk in remaining olive oil and the braising liquid from the bacon. Finish with lemon juice to desired taste (about 1 tablespoon). Add spinach, season with salt and pepper and toss with the bacon.