Spa Cuisine Recipes

classic carrot salad

I hit the cookbook jackpot today while antiquing and thrifting downtown Red Wing. I found several vintage volumes that make me so happy, including the Tassajara cookbooks, a few by the Frugal Gourmet (Jeff Smith), a Mark Bittman classic, a hardcover copy of Beard on Bread that looked like it had never even been opened,…

italian trattoria omelette

Starting the day with lean protein and lots of veggies is always a good idea. That’s exactly why omelettes are one of my favorite breakfast choices. I use to be able to carb load in the morning, but not any more. I need my protein to stay feeling good throughout the day and so I’m…

apple core chicken stew

It would seem that Autumn is in full swing here in the Mississippi river valley.  The trees are all beginning to change, there’s that crisp snap in the air, and we’re reaching for our jeans and sweaters instead of shorts and flip flops. My friend Nancy brought me a huge bag full of apples from…

creamy bbq ranch dressing

I’m baking a Swedish Apple Pie this weekend. Not just any Swedish Apple Pie THE Swedish Apple Pie. This is quintessential trip-to-the-apple-orchard fare. I’m excited to cook with Macouns and sour cream and that crumbly, buttery topping….OH MY. Well just make one and see. Soon you will see why I call this the best apple…

thai peanut butter hummus

Hi Lovelies…. It’s been a long day and I’m headed to bed. Before I  drift off to dream land, I thought I’d post this easy, delicious, Asian-inspired hummus recipe. I thought of adding peanut butter when I realized we were out of tahini (sesame butter). That didn’t sound like too much of a stretch, and…

king of naples salad

Talk about bumper crops. I’ve been reading a bunch of recent posts on the food blogs out there and it seems the gardeners in other parts of the country, and even other parts of Minnesota, aren’t having much luck with tomatoes this year. Well, to be honest, if I was just going by the couple…

triple bean stew with sweet potato biscuits

I made a big kettle of this yummy stew and we munched on it over the weekend. It’s especially good with sweet potato biscuits, so I made up a batch of them too. This is delicious, healthy and oh-so-cozy. If you’re a vegetarian, simply substitute your favorite vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock,…

gazpacho

I’ve made about 3 gallons of this lovely, cold, tangy, healthy tomato lusciousness over the last few days and it’s almost gone. We are all completely in love with it. The key to truly amazing gazpacho is to use the freshest, organic vegetables and herbs possible. We get ours from our garden and nearby farm…