What Thin Women Eat

Celebrities don't have to suffer to get ready for swimsuit season. When they want to slim down, they head straight to a spa, where the meals today are just as luxurious as a full-body massage.

"Guests don't want to eat poached fish and steamed vegetables all week," says Drew Rosen, executive chef at Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, FL. Chefs also aim to boost the health quotient while reducing calories. "I want everything on the plate to have a nutritional reason for being there," says Scott Uehlein, corporate chef at Canyon Ranch in Tucson.

Here are Prevention's five favorite dishes from top spas, along with fresh cooking tips from the chefs who developed them. They're so tempting you'll keep craving them even after you've reached your weight loss goals.

The Greenhouse Crabcakes

1 lb crabmeat 1 egg 1 c finely chopped celery 1 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. white pepper 1/4 tsp. curry powder 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

1/8 tsp. mustard powder 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives 1-2 Tbsp. unseasoned dried bread crumbs 3 drops hot-pepper sauce 8-16 slices Ezekiel bread,* cut into 3-4" rounds (use cookie cutter orcut around rim of glass) and toasted (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients except bread rounds in large bowl. Form into 8 patties.

2. Heat patties in medium nonstick skillet over low heat until brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve warm alone, on 1 toast round, or between 2 rounds as a sandwich. Serve with Sour Pickle and Sweet Peppers Coleslaw.

Makes 8 Crabcakes

Per Serving (1 crabcake without bread): 72 cal, 12 g pro, 2 g carb, 1.5 g fat, 0.3 g sat fat, 58 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 359 mg sodium

Per Serving (1 crabcake with 2 rounds of bread): 232 cal, 20 g pro, 32 g carb, 2.5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 58 mg chol, 6 g fiber, 509 mg sodium

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

*Ezekiel bread is a high-fiber, sprouted grain bread available in the freezer section of most grocery and health food stores. Multigrain bread can be used as an alternative.

Sour Pickle and Sweet Peppers Coleslaw

1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and julienned 1/2 lg. onion, julienned

1 dill pickle, julienned 1 c fat-free mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp. celery seed

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients very well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated.

Makes 8 Servings

Per Serving: 35 cal, 1 g pro, 7 g carb, 1 g fat, 0.2 g sat fat, 3 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 458 mg sodium

Fresh cooking tips from Leopoldo Gonzalez, executive chef, the Greenhouse Spa, Arlington, TX:

Using a nonstick pan and cooking spray for sautég will allow you to reduce added calories in fried or sautéed dishes. (I use Spectrum Naturals olive oil spray.)

Apple cider vinegar slows down digestion, making one feel full faster. Simply put, it has a subtle, appetite-suppressing effect.

Golden Mango Gazpacho

2 c mango chunks + 1/2 c mango dice (1/2")(about 3 7-oz mangoes total) 1 c orange juice 1/2 c pineapple dice (1/2") 1/2 c melon (any variety) dice (1/2")

1/2 c cucumber dice (1/2") 1/2 c papaya dice (1/2") 6 mint leaves, chopped + additional leaves (garnish) juice of 1/2 lime 1 drop hot-pepper sauce

1. In blender, combine mango chunks and orange juice and puree. Pour through sieve into large bowl. Discard pulp.

2. Combine mango, pineapple, melon, cucumber, and papaya dice (reserving a little for garnish), and mint in bowl with mango puree. Season to taste with lime juice and hot-pepper sauce and chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve cold in chilled bowls and garnish with mint leaves and reserved fruit dice.

Makes 6 6-oz Servings

Per Serving: 82 cal, 1 g pro, 21 g carb, 0.3 g fat, 0.1 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 8 mg sodium

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes

Fresh cooking tips from Gonzalo Mendoza, executive chef, Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Baja California, Mexico:

Replace one-third of the oil in salad dressings with stock or fruit juice to cut the acidity of the vinegar.

Use ripe, flavorful fruits, like beta-caro-tene-rich mangoes, in soups and salads. Leave underripe mangoes at cool room temperature for several days to soften.

Poached Halibut in Vegetable Broth

1 lb halibut, cut into 4-oz boneless, skinless portions 2 c julienned snow peas 1 c bean sprouts 2 red bell peppers, julienned 1 red onion, julienned 1 c julienned carrot

1/4 c minced garlic (about 10 cloves) 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger 1 tsp lemon zest 3 c vegetable broth 1 c sherry (optional) 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1. Put all ingredients except cilantro into large skillet with lid.

2. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 6 minutes or until halibut is just cooked through.

3. Uncover, add cilantro, and cook 2 minutes longer.

Makes 4 Servings

Per Serving: 363 cal, 22 g pro, 20 g carb, 18 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 56 mg chol, 5 g fiber, 339 mg sodium

Fresh cooking tips from Drew Rosen, executive chef, Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa, Aventura, FL:

Citrus juices and zests are a great secret for cutting calories. Their acidity brings out the natural flavors in all the other foods, so you don't need to add butter or oil.

Anytime you can add vegetables in the cooking of a dish—as we did with this halibut—you build flavor without adding significant calories.

Chinese Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds

1 lg head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded 8 scallions, sliced diagonally 1/2 c chow mein noodles

Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing (recipe follows) 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, grilled and sliced 1/2 c chopped almonds, toasted

1. In large bowl, combine lettuce, cabbage, scallions, noodles, and dressing. Top with chicken and almonds.

Makes 8 Servings

Per Serving: 252 cal, 24 g pro, 17 g carb, 10 g fat, 1.8 g sat fat, 50 mg chol, 4 g fiber, 171 mg sodium

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing

1/4 c vegetable oil 1/4 c rice wine vinegar 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil 2 Tbsp sugar 1/4 c vegetable stock (see tip)

1. In small bowl, combine ingredients.

Makes 8 Servings

Per Serving: 99 cal, 1 g pro, 4 g carb, 9 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 0 g fiber, 75 mg sodium

Prep Time: 1 minute

Fresh cooking tips from Barb Peters, chef, the Heartland Spa, Gilman, IL:

Use flavorful vegetable stock as a base for salad dressings, soups, and more. Simmer onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in a pot of water for at least 8 to 10 hours, remove the veggies, and chill.

Sneak vegetables into sauces by roasting or grilling and then dicing them; they will add nutrition (and kids and picky eaters won't even notice).

Beef and Asparagus Salad



Roast

12 lb center-cut beef tenderloin 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Salad

2 lb asparagus, trimmed 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 Tbsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp sea salt

Caper Oil

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp capers, drained and rinsed

1. To prepare roast: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season tenderloin with sea salt and pepper. Heat large sauté pan over high heat. Add beef and sear outside until light brown, about 5 minutes. Place roast in baking pan and insert meat thermometer into center. Place in oven and roast until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. To prepare salad: Just before serving, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in large pot. Add asparagus and blanch 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in 8 cups of ice water for 1 minute. Remove asparagus and chop into 1" pieces. In large bowl, combine asparagus, basil, zest, juice, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

3. To prepare caper oil: In blender, combine oil and capers and puree, or use a mortar and pestle to form a thin paste.

4. Slice beef thinly and serve 3 ounces with 1/2 cup of salad per person. Drizzle beef with 1 teaspoon of caper oil.

Makes 8 Servings

Per Serving: 230 cal, 21 g pro, 11 g carb, 11 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 55 mg chol, 0 g fiber, 600 mg sodium

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours

Fresh cooking tips from Scott Uehlein, corporate chef, Canyon Ranch, Tucson:

Season meat well with salt and pepper before cooking-meat will be more flavorful and you won't need to add extra salt, thereby limiting the sodium content of your meal.

Try to combine sweet, sour, bitter, and salty flavors in every dish, as I did with this salad. Your palate will be more stimulated and satisfied, and you won't feel something is missing from a meal (plus you may be less likely to forage for a snack later). I prefer sea or kosher salt to table salt when cooking.