Spa Cuisine Recipes

Visit ChinDeep.com every Monday for new, delicious spa cuisine recipes.

delicatessen wraps

May 16, 2013
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delicatessen wraps

It’s definitely sandwich making weather. If we’re not outside grilling, we’re inside making cool salads and easy, no-fuss sandwiches and wraps. It’s just so lovely outside. Who wants to be stuck in a hot kitchen cooking all day? Not me. I’m a kitchen girl in the cold months, but when the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing, I want to be outside soaking up every minute of awesome weather. Which brings me to our lunch today. Simple, delicious and healthy “Deli Wraps.” SO good with a few sour cream and onion potato chips (one of my favorite guilty pleasures!) makes one big, sharable wrap: one large (burrito sized) flour tortilla or sandwich wrap 2 Tablespoons real mayonnaise 1 Tablespoon grainy brown mustard a handful of spring greens...

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grilled white wine coq au vin

May 10, 2013
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grilled white wine coq au vin

It’s a lovely, sunny day in the Mississippi river valley. I walked up to one of my favorite antique stores and found a pile of lovely bowls for an upcoming tea party photo shoot. Excited about that! I also stopped off at the local co-op and picked up some Minnesota Montrachet, baguette, figs, fresh thyme, fresh parsley and pine nuts for a couple appetizers I’m making for date night on the deck this evening. We have all sorts of fun things planned for this weekend. I’m so excited to be able to spend time with Jeff and both of my darling daughters at the same time! I’ll be sure to take photos. I bet you already knew that. When do I not take photos? hee hee… Have you been...

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broccoli chicken stir fry bowl with lyle’s sweet hot sauce + dinner bowl recipe collection

May 8, 2013
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broccoli chicken stir fry bowl with lyle’s sweet hot sauce + dinner bowl recipe collection

Do you love dinner in a bowl? We got hooked on noodle and rice bowls when we were out in California several years ago visiting Jeff’s brother Mike and his family. They seemed to be on menus everywhere! We tried a Teriyaki Bowl on a little day trip to Old Sacramento, and ever since then we’ve been making it at home on a regular basis. SO yummy, easy and healthy! We also like Thai Red Curry Noodles, Cha Cha Chicken Curry, Luau Meatballs & Rice, Donburi, Risotto & Fried Egg, Suki’s Singapore Noodles, Fried Rice, Spicy Peanut Noodles, Easy Ramen Lunch, Polynesian Crockpot Chicken, Oven Roasted Veggie Rice, Shrimp Perloo, Beef & Basmati Dumplings with Lemon Sauce, Veggie Lentil Rice with Sausage, Skyline Chili, Tuscan Lemon Pasta with Seafood,...

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grilled pork chops & cucumber vidalia salad

May 6, 2013
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grilled pork chops & cucumber vidalia salad

Happy Monday! We’re basking in the glow of the beautiful sunshine today. All of the windows and doors are wide open, letting in the sounds of church bells, excited bird chatter and that much needed and craved fresh air that we’ve been lacking these many (oh, SO many) cold months and weeks. I’m in the throes of Spring cleaning. I sort of love the ritual. Do you? I listen to She & Him, The Smiths, The Wailin’ Jennys, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, and Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson… I roll  up our wooly area rugs, wash the curtains, go through my linen hutch, craft/studio hutches and sideboard, polish and wax our hard wood floors until they shine. I have a yen to take one day this weekend and wash...

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spinach feta picnic bread

May 4, 2013
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spinachbread-DSC_0031

Jeff, Gracie and I just got back from a little thrifting excursion and a walk up to the local butcher/market to get steaks for grilling and other fresh ingredients for dinner. It’s so funny how a bit of sunshine in the sky and an increase in temperature can totally turn my mood around. Not “funny” I guess…that’s probably pretty common, but it kind of amazes me what a difference it makes. Just a simple thing like a walk and the promise of grilled food makes me happy. I’m easy like that. I’ve been testing, tweaking and developing bread recipes in my kitchen. It’s the chapter I’m working on in my tea/cookbook. Did I tell you we changed the format AND the name? Oh my goodness. SO cool. I love...

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healthy applesauce banana quinoa snack bread

April 30, 2013
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healthy applesauce banana quinoa snack bread

Hello, Lovelies! I’m taking a little break from my regular schedule and headed out to do some antiquing today…stopping by the market on the way home to get fresh salad ingredients and meat for grilling. What are you all up to today? Here’s a yummy, healthy banana bread recipe that I really enjoy. Jeff and Gracie like it too. Other than the sugar, there’s not much that could really be considered “bad for you” in this bread. Full of fiber, no white flour, and very low in fat! Enjoy as brekky, an afternoon snack, or a teatime treat.  The quinoa and whole wheat flour lend an interesting, slightly nutty, earthy flavor to this banana bread, and make it very moist. 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4...

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a collection of 33 healthy homemade salad dressings

April 23, 2013
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a collection of 33 healthy homemade salad dressings

“Lunch in the Garden” Salad Dressing ~ light, creamy, low-cal and lovely ~ chock full of veggie chunks! Oven-Roasted Garlic & Sesame Dressing ~ bold, creamy, nutty & delicious with buttery, mellow garlic Honey Dijon Dressing ~ simple, yummy and zesty! Kicky Raspberry Vinaigrette ~ fruity, spicy and bright oven-roasted lemon vinaigrette ~ tangy, silky and peppery  Buttermilk Ranch Icebox Dressing ~ Beautiful, Creamy and Fresh! Thousand Island ~ Creamy, Sweet & Spicy! A Well Dressed Green Goddess ~ herb-laden, onion-garlic bliss! Three Lowell Inn, Stillwater Salad Dressings: House French-Style, Citrus, and Tomato Herb Garden Salad Dressing ~ lemony, herby, garlicy…featured in Ladies Home Journal! French Press Vinaigrette ~ Maple, Coffee, Soy Sauce-Spicy Sesame-Peanut Dressing ~ Spicy, Honey-Sweet & Peanutty! Creamy Tapenade Salad Dressing ~ Italian Seasonings, Olives, Lemon...

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“lunch in the garden” salad dressing

April 18, 2013
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“lunch in the garden” salad dressing

Today started with breakfast at the local cafe with a friend. It always feels so good to reconnect. We stopped at the local market,  sipped green tea, milk oolong and rooibos and talked. I’m looking forward to a relaxing night with Gracie and Jeff. We’re lighting a fire in the fireplace, listening to the rain fall outside, and cooking dinner together. Here’s a recipe I created a couple days ago in an attempt to make a delicious, healthy and creamy dressing. This is absolutely wonderful when it’s fresh, so I would suggest only making what you are going to eat the same day. It’s loaded with fresh veggies and doesn’t keep as long as the higher fat dressings would. Definitely use it within three days. This would be perfect...

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provence potato salad with grainy mustard dressing

April 17, 2013
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provence potato salad with grainy mustard dressing

I just returned home from a girlfriend’s lunch and movie date with my friend Nancy. We ate BBQ pulled turkey sandwiches and crudite, sipped tea, nibbled Biscoff cookies and watched THIS MOVIE (very good albeit intense and a bit sad…I loved seeing all of the pretty Hawaii scenes and George Clooney’s performance was stellar.). It was nice to escape for a few hours and get out of the house, but now I’m back and my thoughts are on preparing supper. I made this delicious and very easy potato salad a few nights ago and it was wonderful. So different from the traditional potato salads I’ve had. The perfect accompaniment to grilled fare. for the salad: 2 lb. new potatoes, or smallish potatoes, halved 4 to 8 oz. thin asparagus,...

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scottish oatmeal yogurt jam cake

April 16, 2013
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scottish oatmeal yogurt jam cake

Finally, the sun is shining! We actually have the screen doors open and we’re letting fresh air flow through the house. (And, miraculously, there aren’t any icicles forming in the bay windows or on the furniture!) I got to see my daughter Andrea today. We sipped Earl Blue tea and talked, had a little lunch. Otherwise I’ve been busy with my book stuff. Totally in “the zone,” chipping away at the photos one day at a time…chip, chip, chip….soon, there will be a whole book! One thing I know to be true is that when a book is being created the joy really is in the journey. The destination is nice too, but my favorite part is the inspired, creative part. I don’t really like the TV, radio, book...

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