Spa at home: spa recipes for a happy, healthy home life

A huge part of the spa experience is the food. Whether it’s ultra indulgent afternoon teas, energy boosting smoothies or desserts that are surprisingly healthy, food is part of nourishing your body or quality time with a loved one. Food is also a great comfort, and that’s certainly something most of us need a little of right now. So here are some of our favourite recipes for beautiful food that give that spa at home feeling…

Mint and moringa breakfast bowl from Lifehouse Spa

Mighty moringa is the new king of superfoods. It’s loaded with 24 times the iron content of spinach, 21 times the amount calcium that milk has, and it is almost 25% protein - perfect for a spa at home breakfast. Its benefits include protecting and nourishing hair and skin, protecting the liver, fighting against bacterial infections, and helping to balance mood. In particular, Lifehouse recommends using frozen organic moringa from Pure Foods.  By using the frozen option over the powdered varieties it retains better taste, texture and nutrient density.

Ingredients

• One banana
• One handful of spinach
• One handful of green grapes
• One handful of fresh mint leaves
• 100-150ml of almond milk
• One tub frozen organic moringa
• Juice of lime

Method

• Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour into a bowl and garnish with a choice of toppings such as fresh fruit, seeds and desiccated coconut.

Atholl Brose for snacks or brunch from Ragdale Hall

Ragdale Hall are masters of the ultimate spa experience, with all the health spa credentials you could ask for as well as a sense of luxury in everything that they do. So it is fitting that this beautiful brunch recipe is both healthy and indulgent. Exactly what you need to spa at home.

Ingredients (serves four)

• 175g (6oz) Medium oatmeal
• 250g (9oz) Raspberries
• Four tbsp clear honey
• 500g (1lb 2oz) Low fat natural yogurt

Method

• Preheat the grill.
• Sprinkle the oatmeal onto a baking sheet and toast it lightly until golden brown. Leave it to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together two tbsp of the honey and the yogurt, then mix in the cooled oats.
• Layer the mixture into serving glasses with the raspberries and remaining honey, reserving a few raspberries to arrange on top.
• Chill until ready to serve.

Pumpkin soup for lunch from Grayshott Spa

Grayshott Spa is one of the original health spas in the UK, and what they don’t know about health and wellbeing really isn’t worth knowing. Food at Grayshott is a central theme, so when it comes to lunch they really think about every ingredient to make sure it’s doing all the right things for mind, body and soul.

Ingredients (serves four)

• 800g Pumpkin, roasted
• 10g Coconut oil
• 300g Onion, finely chopped
• 50g Celery, finely chopped
• 8g Garlic, minced
• 50g White leek, roughly chopped
• 10 Large sage leaves
• Two bay leaves
• 750ml Chicken stock
• Two Granny Smith apples, grated
• 80g Chestnuts

Garnish

• 10g Mustard seeds
• 2tbsp Cider vinegar
• One tsp honey
• (Blanch mustard seeds in boiling water. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain and mix with the honey and cider vinegar)

Method

• Preheat oven to 1800C/ 3500F
• Roast the pumpkin on a non stick baking sheet for approximately 30 minutes until golden brown.
• In a thick bottomed melt the coconut oil and sweat on a medium heat until lightly golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the roasted pumpkin. Cover with the stock. Add bay leaves and sage and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves, add the grated apple and chestnuts and blend using a stick blender or a jug blender until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve. Serve in bowls with the mustard seed garnish.

Chocolate avocado mousse for dessert from Champneys

Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean avoiding desserts, it just means a little innovation to use the best that nature has to offer. Avocados are a true hero food; deliciously healthy and multi-tasking, whether spread on toast, added to your daily smoothie or mixed into a lunchtime salad. They’re one of the healthiest foods around, packed with healthy fats, anti-inflammatory properties and over 25 essential nutrients, including vitamins A, B, C, E and K, avocados are an excellent all-rounder in the kitchen. Avocados can also be whipped up to make a light and tasty spa at home pudding, so without further ado, take a look at this chocolate avocado mousse!

Ingredients

• Four medium ripe avocados
• 100g Clear blossom honey
• 25g Cocoa powder
• 1/2 Vanilla pod
• 15ml Water
• Two tsp Greek yoghurt
• Four strawberries chopped with a little mint

Method

• For the vanilla honey syrup scoop the seeds from the vanilla pod.
• Combine vanilla, honey and water in a pan reduce the liquid by half, remove vanilla pod and cool.
• Peel and deseed the avocado. Put into a food processor and blend until smooth, then add cocoa powder and vanilla honey syrup.
• Set in the fridge for a minimum of four hours or overnight.
• Serve in a glass with some strawberry salad, Greek yoghurt and a slice of avocado.