Posted: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 01:52 PM - 7,072 Readers

By: Karen Fernau

Few can spend a week at a spa grazing on salads tossed with a kaleidoscope of veggies by world-class chefs, but anyone motivated to eat like a pampered guest can dine on spa-worthy meals at home.

Spa food - once known for carrot juice as tart as pickles and breads dense enough to double as door stoppers - has evolved into easy-to-prepare, ethnically diverse meals known for their nutritious ingredients.

"You no longer have to go to a spa to eat like being at one. Spa food is actually very easy to make at home as long as you understand that the cuisine is about healthy eating, not dieting," said Barbara Fenzl, a Phoenix cooking-school owner who now teaches spa-cooking classes at the Rancho La Puerta in Mexico and at Lake Austin Spa in Texas.

Coincidentally, Fenzl's spa classes mirror the Southwestern cooking she has taught at Les Gourmettes Cooking School in her Central Corridor home for more than 25 years.

"You use spices instead of butter, other bad fats and salt," she said. "Healthy food should not be punishment, and if prepared right, with plenty of flavor, you won't miss the fat or the calories."

Her spice of choice: chiles. Widely available in grocery stores, chiles need not pack explosive spice. Cooked properly, they can add flavor without the heat. And these colorful, disease-fighting veggies perk up everything from eggs to fruit salads.

"Those at the spas want to leave with more than just memories of the meals, but with the ability to replicate the food at home," said Fenzl, author of cookbooks including "Southwest the Beautiful" and "Savor the Southwest" (for which she hosted a public-television series in 1999).

"Once I take the mystery out of chiles and share their many flavors, from chocolate to tobacco undertones, the guests can go home and still eat like they are at the spa."

The first step toward spa cooking at home is to embrace fresh - and preferably organic - fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.

Follow that and these other tricks of the trade to eat spa style at home:

• Eat healthful portions. One serving of protein should be about the size of your palm. One serving of veggies should be the size of two fists. Starchy items such as cooked pasta, rice or potatoes should be the size of a tightly clenched fist. Use small plates to make the portions look larger.

• Eat slowly and, when possible, eat multiple courses. Your stomach needs about 20 minutes to tell your brain that you are full. Serve an appetizer, salad or soup so that your brain is getting the "I'm getting full" message at about the time the entree is finished.

• Looks matter. Arrange the food artistically on the plate. Edible garnishes, from parsley to fruit slices to fresh herbs, are a must. And set a pleasant table. Why save the crystal and china for the holidays?

• Start small. Set aside one day or one meal a week for spa cuisine, gradually increasing the number as months pass.

At Rancho La Puerta, guests who pack the spa's cooking classes learn more than how to dice peppers and puree squash.

"I think what our guests learn first is that spa food is not fussy, not hard to prepare," Rancho La Puerta spokeswoman Aida Alibegouvic said. "It's all about healthy ingredients, and not masking food. Fresh food already has flavor, so who needs butter, sugar or salt?"

*  Story Contributed by: Karen Fernau