Spa meals that make you feel good!

I love to eat and to discover new recipes and restaurants. But, I have to admit. Most of the time I eat healthy meals that make me feel so good. Here are some spa meals that you can do at home!

To make this Greek Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Pizza, start by cooking garlic and onions in a little bit of olive oil. Then add the spinach, the sun-dried tomatoes, and some red pepper flakes. Let it cool and add feta cheese. To assemble the tasty pizzas, put a layer of greek spinach filling, top it with grilled chicken breast, and finish it with shredded mozzarella cheese. After it has been baked, sprinkle small basil leaves. Then, enjoy it :)

Greek Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Pizza

When you are eating healthy, the most important part is to eat a wholesome breakfast. These waffles are made with whole wheat flour, flaxseeds, and mashed banana. At the table, they are drizzled with wildflower honey and fresh banana slices. These are really nutty and chewy, just the way I like them!



Flaxseeds and banana waffles



Olive oil has important good-for-you fats. So, I always bake these ciabatta rolls with fruity, extra-virgin olive oil. They are very fragrant, soft, and they pair well with everything. I usually pack them for lunch :)

Olive oil ciabatta rolls

With the same dough I make the ciabatta rolls, I also make ciabatta loaves. I used them for sandwiches. The last delicious and spa-inspired sandwich I made was ciabatta with naufchatel spread, wild sockeye gravlax, and tiny capers. And it was for breakfast. Essential fats are giving me the power to work the entire day.



Olive oil ciabatta loaves

I made wild sockeye salmon gravlax. Then, I prepared sushi rice and make these Californian style rolls. They are filled with ripe avocado, neufchatel cheese, and super quality gravlax. Two rolls are good size for a spa-dinner or a light lunch!



Homemade gravlax sushi, Californian style: avocado and neufchatel

To start our sushi night, I made a refreshing romaine lettuce salad and I topped it with dried cranberries, feta cheese, and roasted pecans. Ciabatta is never out of place, so try to add it to your salads instead of croutons. Delicious start!



Pecan, Cranberries, Feta and Romaine Salad



To garnish my sushi plate, I made crispy sockeye skins. They taste like fried min fishes. I also prepared Ponzu Sauce. It is made with soy sauce, orange and lemon juice, and mirin. I think it is essential, because the citrus brings the flavors of the salmon just perfectly!!!

Avocado sushi with crispy skins and ponzu sauce



This is the best bark I have made so far. It is made with milk chocolate, dried cranberries, and roasted hazelnuts. A little sea salt on top give them deeper taste. I served them with my homemade tiramisu, but you can eat them as a snack or add them to any dessert.

Milk chocolate, cranberries, and hazelnuts bark over tiramisu



My husband loves chorizo, so I made homemade chorizo by mixing three different types of meat: lamb, beef, and pork. He said these are the best I have ever made. For breakfast, I sprinkle them with mozzarella cheese and bake them until it melts. A cup of orange juice adds the needed vitamins and voila: breakfast never tasted so good.

Melted cheese chorizo, ciabatta slices, and orange juice

Barley is a whole grain and therefore I try to add it very often to my salad. This week, I created this refreshing lunch salad. I cooked barley with onion and garlic. After that, I add green peas, yellow bell peppers, and chopped tomatoes. For vegetarians, add chunks of feta cheese. For all others, try with grilled chicken and even slices of cooked chorizo.



Barley, Green Peas, Yellow bell pepper salad with feta

Remember to always make your food colorful. The more colors your food have, the tastier and the healthier it is. By adding green, yellow, and red vegetables, I am getting a variety of minerals and vitamins. Not bad for lunch, right?



The barley salad is colorful, tasty, and super healthy

The second sushi night this week was even better! I served the salad with ripe Bosc pear. If you haven't tried pear and feta cheese pairing before, you should do it soon. The salty cheese complements so well the juicy and sweet fruit. It is outstanding!



Pecans, Bosc pear, and feta salad

This time, my sushi rolls are filled with cucumber, neufchatel cheese, and my own gravlax. I have to tell you, they are better with cucumber. It adds some crunch and also a refreshing taste. I think we will have sushi next week as well :)



Cucumber, wild sockeye gravlax, and neufchatel sushi

I baked profiterols last week. So, this week I made homemade honey gelato. It is so good and creamy. I filled the pastries with it and then decorated the plate with housemade chocolate sauce and bark. Summer treat that doesn't disappoint!!!



Homame profiterol filled with housemade honey gelato and topped with hazelnut bark

Today I bake a cake for dinner. This is only one layer cake and it is not difficult to make, but it is still light and super tasty. The batter has brown sugar, some chocolate shavings, eggs, and vanilla. It smells so good...



The cake layer for my salted chocolate ganache cake

The ganache for this cake is made with bittersweet chocolate. It is so fantastic! After that I add some sea salt on top and maybe a little creme anglaise on the bottom. Cake doesn't get better than this!!!



The ganache is made with bittersweet chocolate!

Even if you are eating spa-meals, dessert should be part of your menu. My chocolate cake is so good looking. I can't wait to eat it with a cup of tea. It has to taste good, because I made it with so much love and inspiration. Ok, I have to put the pretty table for our spa dinner tonight!!!



The salted chocolate ganache cake is looking good :)