It is difficult to conceive of people choosing to stay at a luxury spa because of the food. Indeed, the popular image of spa dining centers on a lack of food or, at the least, the absence of rich, appetite enthralling, tasty creations such as meat dishes or desserts. To further submerge the appetite, the kitchen will bore customers by producing food coated with unremitting blandness.
Will you lose weight? Sure. That’s what you are paying for. But if you’re a food lover, you also may lose your mind.
Riding to the rescue comes Michel Stroot, a veteran Belgian chef with a surfeit of energy, a lively sense of humor and a deep-seated belief that only by balancing low fat with high flavor will the diet-conscious cook be able to persuade others to follow a long-term healthful regimen.
In his new book, “The Golden Door Cooks Light & Easy” (Gibbs Smith, $29.95), Stroot summarizes his 30 years of cooking at the Southern California luxury hideaway that ranks with the world’s best.
He came to the spa at the height of the nouvelle cuisine movement in France and brought from it the conviction that food can be no better than the quality of its ingredients. Superb ingredients were close at hand. He made sure they tasted delicious. The other buzzword in the Golden Door’s kitchen was “variety.” This meant more than offering choice on the menu. Over the years, Stroot developed a repertory of dishes that reflected flavors from around the world.
The 150 recipes he presents in “Light & Easy” are merely a sampling.
The book’s first recipe, a smoked chicken and pea sprout omelet for breakfast, is distinctive and so is the last, a dessert of butternut squash and orange cream. There’s no sense of deprivation in citrus-broiled sea scallops or lobster and butternut squash ravioli. His vegetarian treats include split pea and fresh pea soup with basil, and carrot-dill potato pancakes. There are 14 meatless main courses and about 20 desserts.
The book is attractive with a practical layout that presents tips and useful information in tinted spaces. “Useful Basics” include tomatillo salsa, silken tofu mayonnaise and the inevitable smoothie.
Flaws?
In our test kitchen, we found that some of the recipes had seasonings that went beyond stimulating to become aggressive.
One recipe we didn’t try, a vegan Irish stew with potato gratinee and wild mushroom sauce, calls for 32 ingredients and takes 1 1/2 hours or more to prepare. Mostly, it is an investment in time, however. The cooking techniques are not complicated.
Spicy tofu and lemon grass stir-fry
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Look for chili paste in the Asian food aisles.
1 1/2 cups steamed long-grain brown rice
8 ounces firm tofu, diced
2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed, outer leaves removed, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Vietnamese chili paste, or any chili paste to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
1/2 cup low-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Canola oil in a spray bottle, or 1 teaspoon canola oil
4 medium carrots, cut into thin strips
8 medium shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onions
Fresh chives for garnish
Edible flowers for garnish, optional
1. Prepare the rice. Keep warm.
2. Combine the tofu, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, chili paste, lime juice and mirin in a small bowl; toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Combine the coconut milk, broth, soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl; set aside. Heat the canola oil in a large pan set over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and marinade; saute, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots, mushrooms and broccoli; saute, still stirring, for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk mixture and green onions; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.
4. Place equal portions of cooked brown rice on each warmed plate and top with the tofu stir-fry. Garnish the dish with fresh chives and, if desired, edible flowers.
Nutrition information per serving:
209 calories, 30% of calories from fat, 7 g fat, 1.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 29.5 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 414 mg sodium, 4.7 g fiber
Lebanese-style lentils and rice with spinach
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
1/2 cup lentils, preferably du Puy or green, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or 2 cans (141/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
6 cups spinach leaves, trimmed, washed and patted dry but still damp, or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1. Combine the lentils, rice, broth, bay leaf and salt in a medium-size pot set over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 40 to 45 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils and rice are tender. Discard the bay leaf.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan set over medium-high heat. Add the onions; saute, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Spoon the onions into the lentils and rice; stir to blend. Stir in the allspice. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
3. Once you have finished the onions, place the spinach into the same pan and set it over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, for about 2 to 5 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. The spinach should be bright green and slightly moist. Drain off any excess liquid.
4. Place equal portions of lentils and brown rice into warmed bowls. Top each with sauteed spinach and a dollop of yogurt. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving:
165 calories, 19% of calories from fat, 3.6 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0.6 mg cholesterol, 27 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 1003 mg sodium, 5.6 g fiber
