Spa Cuisine Recipes

~ watermelon green tea fresca ~ You may have heard of the popular Latin beverage agua fresca, a refreshing drink that can be made by combining water and any number of fresh fruits. Well, I decided to expound on this idea, and instead of using water as the base of my drink, I used green tea. I am so excited to share this recipe with you. It’s wonderful, and so good for you. for 2 servings: 1 and 1/2 cups sweet, seedless watermelon chunks 1 cup cold green tea juice of 1/2 lime 3 Tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup ice cubes 4 large mint leaves ginger ale or ginger beer Place all ingredients, except the ginger ale, in the bowl of a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and...

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~ ceviche ~ Ceviche is a cold, refreshing dish that is made by soaking fish in cirtus juice to cook it. The acid from the citrus turns the fish white and firm, and lends a beautiful, bright flavor that is unlike any other fish I have ever tasted. We had this as often as possible when we were vacationing in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, and are excited to try other types of fish like scallops and shrimp in the future. Yesterday we used a simple whitefish, and it turned out pretty darn good. Here’s how we did it… 1 lb. whitefish (like tilapia, swai, sea bass or red snapper) Juice of 3 large lemons and 4 limes 1 seeded, chopped Roma tomato 1/4 cup chopped purple onion 2 jalapeno peppers,...

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 ~ crispy kale chips ~ Looking for a healthy alternative to potato chips? I LOVE potato chips with sandwiches, and somehow the little baby carrots just don’t make a good substitute. These crispy kale chips are just the thing. Good for you, crispy, and a little garlicy. Sprinkle on a little salt, and mmmmm! Only make what you are going to eat the same day, these don’t keep well, and tend to lose their crispiness over night. 1 lb curly kale, washed patted dry and de-ribbed 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large garlic clove, minced sea salt Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss kale with the olive oil, and garlic. Spread on two baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until chips are...

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~ rose petal ice ~ “Would you tell me, please,” said Alice, a little timidly, “why you are painting those roses?” Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began, in a low voice, “Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a red ose tree, and we put a white one in by mistake…” ~Alice in Wonderland Inspired by one of my favorite summer beverages, rosewater lemonade, I invented an Italian ice with the same tart flavor of lemons, the bright flavor of cherries and the mysterious essence of roses. Beautiful for a garden tea party…perhaps you could invite the Red Queen and paint the roses red? 2 cups water 2 cups sugar juice from 4 large lemons 1/2 cup cherry...

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~ stuffed baby bells ~ Sooooo… I was perusing my new annual Food & Wine 2012 cookbook and came across a little recipe I just had to try. I changed it a little, because that’s what I do, and it really turned out tasty. Healthy and pretty and just in time for Cinco de Mayo! HERE’S THE FOOD & WINE RECIPE I changed it up by: cutting the recipe in half grilling my baby bells on the George Foreman and I made the floral honey by just adding a drop of rosewater to clover honey. Oh! and I added Johnny Jump Ups ‘cuz they’re so darn fancy. Enjoy! ~Melissa

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~ honey lemon poppyseed vinaigrette ~ We grilled up some wild Alaskan salmon, served it over baby spring greens and drizzled this wonderful lemon vinaigrette over the top. This is the perfect accompaniment to fish, but would also be wonderful with chicken and just about any salad. Also, lovely as a dipping oil for rosemary bread or baguette! juice of 3 large lemons zest of 1/2 lemon 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup unfiltered extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup clover honey 1 clove fresh garlic, grated 2 teaspoons grated onion 1 teaspoon poppyseeds 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon freshly grated black or white pepper Place all in a large canning jar, shake vigorously before serving. Keeps in the refrigerator for two...

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~ fried rice bowl ~ I had some leftover jasmine rice in the fridge and decided to make a savory fried rice bowl, chock full of fresh veggies, for our breakfast this morning. This is another one of those recipes where you can just use what you have and the ingredients don’t have to be exact. for two servings: 3 eggs 2 cups cooked rice celery fresh ginger carrot purple cabbage a variety of different colored bell peppers scallions fresh parsley fresh garlic olive oil dark sesame oil sriracha soy sauce toasted sesame seeds Scramble the eggs in a little olive oil and sesame oil and then add the rice to the skillet, cooking just until heated through. Cover and set aside. In a seperate skillet saute the fresh...

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~ cucumber yogurt dip with baby dill – tzatziki ~ I was going to wait to post this because I just posted a dressing recipe yesterday…I’m on a bit of a homemade dressing kick! I’ve been inventing new toppings for salads and sammys, and I can’t seem to stop…so, I guess I’ll just roll with it Here’s my recipe for tzatziki. My friend over at Ruby Clover asked me for some pointers, so I dedicate this recipe to her. Hee hee. XO Ruby! In a medium bowl, combine: 1/4 cup chopped cucumber, seeded tops of two green onion, chopped 2 Tablespoons fresh baby dill, chopped 2 Tablespoons real mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon sugar 1 large clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 cup plain greek...

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