Recipes to Pamper Your Tastebuds

By Judy Monchuk

The weather outside might seem frightful, but there’s no reason why meals should be anything but delightful.

Although we have fewer hours of daylight in the early winter months, that doesn’t mean we are putting less work into our jobs, families or workouts. So why not celebrate all that effort and head off to the spa for some nutritional pampering? After all, it’s not just celebrities who want delicious, beautiful meals chock full of flavour and nutrients without any of the guilt. For those who can’t leave home, IMPACT Magazine has turned to chefs at some of the top getaway spots in the West for their favourite spa recipes. After all, healthy doesn’t have to be boring. Feel free to indulge and reward yourself for all those things you do every day. Enjoy!

Tomato Avocado Salad
Serves 1
Chef David Flegel of Calgary’s Hyatt Regency says the inspiration for this salad on the Stillwater Spa menu comes from his four years living and working in Chile, where avocado and tomato play a key role in the cuisine of the country. “I used the tomato-avocado combination in a number of dishes there and was able to learn a variety of uses for these items from local people. Avocados and tomatoes are extremely healthy and easy to work with. Including peppers, cumin and cilantro in this particular dish lends a distinct Latin American twist, creating a flavourful, light meal.” This is a simple dish that can be recreated from virtually anywhere. The combination of rich colours also provides a striking finished product.

1 medium heirloom tomato
½ avocado, peeled
2 tsp red bell pepper, julienned
2 tsp Yellow bell pepper, julienned
2 tsp green bell pepper, julienned
4 tsp red onion, julienned
2 springs cilantro

Cumin Dressing
1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
pinch of toasted cumin powder
Salt and white pepper
Tabasco sauce

Thinly slice tomato. Cut the avocado in half and scoop away from the skin, slice thinly. Julienne the peppers and onion. Mix the oil, cumin, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Check seasoning. Add a little Tabasco. Layer the tomatoes on a plate. Place sliced avocado on top, then add the julienne on top of the avocado. Garnish with cilantro and drizzle with dressing.

Lemongrass and Lime Leaf Broth with Jasmine Rice and Fresh Vegetables
2 servings
At the Spa Ritual in Calgary, the influence of Southeast Asia is evident in food and treatments. Chef Kamal Biswas created this popular soup and ensures a ready supply of fresh lemongrass and lime leaves is on hand. Although the leaves are available at well-stocked Asian/Chinese markets, a very small amount of lime zest can be substituted. “I tried to create something distinctive and reminiscent of travelling to Asia, keeping with the health and tranquility of the spa.”

1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped celery
4 tbsp chopped lemongrass
1½ tsp lime leaf
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups water
1½ cup vegetables: mixture of diced carrots, celery, red pepper, yellow pepper
2 cups cooked jasmine rice cilantro

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon and Sesame Glass Noodle Salad with Vegetable Julienne
6  5-ounce salmon filets
Fairmont’s Banff Springs has created a picture-perfect meal that is sure to delight any diner. But it can look just as delightful on your own plate.

Teriyaki Sauce (6 portions)
freshly grated ginger root
3 garlic cloves
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp brown sugar
200 ml soy sauce
4 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp sesame oil
½ cup pineapple
¼ cup pineapple juice
3 tbsp cornstarch
Peel and chop ginger and garlic. Sauté lightly in sesame oil. Add brown sugar and honey together with pineapple until golden brown. Deglaze with rice wine and add soya sauce. Make slurry with cornstarch and pineapple juice, bind the teriyaki sauce.
Brush salmon fillets with the glaze and bake in 325F oven for 15 minutes.

Sesame Glass Noodle Salad with Vegetable Julienne
6 servings

6 ounces glass noodles (dry)
4 tbsp carrot cut in thin strips
4 tbsp celery cut in thin strips
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp plus 2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp soya sauce

Cook rice noodles buy soaking two to three minutes in very hot, not boiling, water. Rinse with cold water. Blanche julienned carrot and celery and cool in ice water. Mix with all liquids. Heat olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, celery, lemongrass and lime leaf. Saute until fragrant for three to five minutes. Add salt and pepper. Stir Add water and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes to create the broth. Drain to make appro-ximately 2 cups broth, taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper as needed. In a warm bowl, add ¾ cup of the diced mixture of carrots, celery, red pepper and yellow pepper. Top with 1 cup jasmine rice. Add remaining chopped carrots, celery, red pepper and yellow pepper atop the rice. Pour hot broth into bowl and garnish with cilantro.

Apple Berry Oatmeal
1 serving
There’s nothing better on a winter morning than a hot bowl of cereal. At Fairmont’s Jasper Park Lodge, the apple berry oatmeal is a great way to kick-start the day. You can make it at home, but the chefs stress to be sure and use steel-cut oats for the best oatmeal to your inner engine.

½ cup steel-cut oats
2 cups water
sea salt to taste
cinnamon ground to taste
1 large organic apple, coarsely chopped
¼ cup of blueberries
nutmeg, freshly grated to taste
ground cloves to taste
unpasteurized honey, optional

Put water and oats in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for about 30-40 minutes, until oats are tender and water is mostly absorbed. Add salt, nutmeg, cloves, dry cinnamon, apple and berries. For an additional treat, add some local unpasteurized honey.

November/December 2010 Issue