Chiva-Som Serves Up Scrumptious Salad

Ask anyone who knows me, and you will quickly find out that I am a really picky eater. I have weird issues with texture, taste, and seeds, so it’s often hard to find food I like that is actually good for me. Today, the team from Thailand’s acclaimed Chiva-Som destination spa came to New York City to treat a group of journalists to a healthy lunch concocted by their incomparable executive chef, Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat. When he announced that we would be having Banana Blossom Salad to start, I got nervous. Bananas rank as one of my least favorite fruits (back to my texture and seed problems), and I was not looking forward to a salad made with them. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. Banana blossoms are delicious, and the salad was divine. I loved it so much, I wanted to share the recipe here. In New York City, most of these ingredients can be picked up in Chinatown or at Whole Foods. Outside the Big Apple, head to your local Asian specialty food store.

Banana Blossom Salad
2 ½ TBSP Lime Juice
2 TBSP Soy Sauce
1 ½ TBSP Honey
1 TBSP Roasted Chili Paste
2 Bird’s Eye Chilies, Finely Chopped
4 ½ oz Banana Blossom, Peeled
4 ½ oz. Chicken Breast, boiled for 10 minutes and shredded
3 TBSP ground roasted almond, coarsely chopped
2 TBSP Sliced Shallots
2 TBSP Chopped Spring Onions
1 TBSP Finely Diagonally Sliced Lemongrass
4 TBSP Roasted Coconut Flakes, To Garnish

To prepare the dressing, whisk lime juice, soy sauce, honey, chili paste, and chilis in a large bowl. Set aside. To prepare salad, gently toss all remaining ingredients with all of the dressing in a mixing bowl until evenly mixed. Sprinkle over coconut flakes and server.

This is just one of the wonderful recipes in the spa’s latest cookbook, Chiva-Som’s Thai Spa Cuisine. I received a copy at lunch, and I can’t wait to test out more healthy dishes to see if I can overcome some of my other food quirks. To order your own copy, click here.

What’s Cooking at Chiva-Som?

Executive chef Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat demonstrates one of Chiva-Som's healthy dishes.

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to visit Chiva-Som, a renowned destination spa in Hua Hin, Thailand. To say my experience there was life changing is somewhat of an understatement, but then again, that’s really the purpose behind a destination spa. Although I’ve never been overweight (probably on account of the fact that I’ve been blessed with a decent metabolism and am something of a fitness fanatic), I do have a major sweet tooth. Just ask anyone who knows me about my passionate love of ice cream. Before Chiva-Som, I had developed an unhealthy addiction to Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt. In fact, I was consuming up to five pints a week. Because a girl can only work out so many hours in a day and metabolisms do eventually slow down, I knew I had to kick the habit. It was at Chiva-Som that I totally changed the way I eat, cutting out sugary snacks (which in my case meant chocolate) and replacing them with fresh fruits, reducing my carb intake, and becoming a stickler for portion control. Imagine my surprise when, upon my return, the scale began registering numbers I’d never before imagined possible. When people ask how I did it, I credit Chiva-Som with kick starting my transformation. And now, guests who sign up for the spa’s culinary packages can learn to master their diet as well with a new hands-on cooking class in which they’re taught proper cooking techniques and the fundamentals of gardening. This year also introduced a Private Lunch and Learn, a one-on-one session that gives guests dining at the Chef’s Table a chance to create a personalized three-course menu that is prepared before them by the chef, and a Private Beach Barbeque, which treats guests to a selection of their favorite ingredients prepared to their liking. Thanks to my Chiva-Som visit, I’m a size or two smaller despite working out less than ever, and I have yet to indulge in my pint-a-night addiction.