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Chocolate Risotto and other Low Calorie Culinary Inspirations by Red Mountain Adventure Spa Chef LuethjeBy Madelyn Miller
His worst childhood food memory is of seeing what looked like a cheesecake, only to discover it was tofu on a graham cracker pie. Flash forward thirty years and Luethje is making delicious cheesecakes, chocolate risotto, and hearty sauces at Red Mountain Adventure Spa. All low-fat and low-calorie. All delicious—trust me, I spent almost a week tasting them and enjoying every bite on a recent visit to Red Mountain Adventure Spa.
Clearly he took to the job like a duck to water (or perhaps a coyote to the dessert based on the spa’s location in the mountains of Utah). Within three weeks of starting, Red Mountain Adventure Spa’s intensive Adventures in Cooking School was featured in the lead article of the New York Times Travel section.
What most of the lucky guests don’t know is that they have a failing biology grade to thank for their delicious experience. As a teenager, Chad was much more interested in girls than studying. When he needed another lab credit, he signed up for cooking which was taught by a chef who also taught English. The chef placed his students with his chef friends, so Luethje was able to learn the business from the bottom up. His first paying job in the kitchen was as a dishwasher at Po Folks. When he finished high school, Luethje realized he was doing what he really wanted to be doing. So he cold called the chef of the Westin La Paloma from a pay phone in the lobby and started there. The rest is history. His Secret Ingredients
Luethje believes that the key to success in the kitchen is to surround yourself with good, talented people and then getting input from everyone. For inspiration he reads vegetarian cookbooks, Cooking Light, and Spa Magazine. When I interviewed him, Luethje had only been on the job a few months and was clearly delighted with the challenge of low-fat, low-calorie cooking. His favorite kitchen utensil is a cleaver. He uses it first for a knife, then turns it sideways to be a spatula. You Won't Be Hungry at Red Mountain Adventure Spa
The salad dressings are made from a thickened vegetable stock that replaces 90% of the fat. He sears food at high heats to seal in flavor, only misting the pan with a spritz of oil. And he deglazes the pan with flavorful liquids like fruit juice. Meals are plentiful with bountiful buffets at breakfast and lunch. Some Easy Healthy Cooking Tips
He always tries to balance flavors—sweet with salty, to give the palate more pleasure. What Chef Chad Likes to EatHe mostly eats the healthy food at the spa. But he did confess to having a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese at home. He likes cuisines that have “heat” like Asian and Mexican, because he enjoys the slow burn or beads of sweat that reflect the full flavor. What Chef Chad Likes Best About Red Mountain
He thrives on the guest interaction through the demos, cooking school and private consultations at Red Mountain. “It is very satisfying to help our guests make significant changes in their lives around food, or just to become more comfortable in the kitchen,” said Luethje. Living Happily Ever After
Chocolate Risotto RecipeBet you thought I was kidding about the chocolate risotto. Luethje is happy to share and teach his recipe for designer risotto as he did in the cooking class I attended. He calls it a designer risotto because it is a canvas for endless flavorful variations. Once the technique is mastered, the manipulation of ingredient variables can orchestrate amazing flavors and textures. Here are some recent Red Mountain cooking demo designer risottos:
Green onion, olive, cape and Feta Mango, coconut and Thai Shrimp Grilled pear, walnut and blue cheese Wild strawberry with Mascarpone (Dessert Risotto) Asparagus and a whisper of lemon Curried Scallops with dried fruits, scallions, mangos and mint He demonstrated the technique with:
Aromatics: Members of the onion family, celery and carrots give depth of flavor. Type of Rice: True risottos are made from Arborio rice, which when properly made, makes its own sauce. If other rices are used, additional sauces must be added. Liquid: Typically a stock, richly flavored with herbs such as saffron, basil or cinnamon. Additions: Vegetables, meats, seafood, fruits. Moisteners for Mouth Feel: traditionally Parmesan cheese and or cream, but low-fat cheeses, vegetable and fruit purees can also do the duty. Extractors: Just before serving, maximize and amplify flavors with fresh herbs, citrus, heat from peppers and sparing use of oil. What To Do Between MealsThere are morning trail walks, aerobic classes, health and nutrition classes, spirit walks and water aerobics, hot tubs, bikes plus more to do all day when you are not eating. If the food weren’t so good, you would almost forget about eating. For More Information About Red Mountain Adventure Spa
www.redmountainspa.com For more ideas on healthy eatingFrench Women Don't Get Fat Dr. Ann's 10-Step Diet Loose If For Life The Detox Revolution The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics The Complete Book of Raw Food Low Carb Lifestyle: Lo-Carb Cuisine Low-Carb Sweets and the Art of Self-Indulgence Low Carb Bartender Low-carb Cocktails |
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If
ever there was a man born and breed to be spa chef, it has to be Chad Luethje.
Raised by a vegetarian-Hatha-Yoga-instructor-massage-therapist mother, Luethje
learned early to prefer and appreciate a healthy lifestyle. As a child, he dined
on tofu and nori, and recalls he was sometimes embarrassed by the healthy school
lunches his mom packed.
He
was a wise, but unlikely choice for this position. He had worked in top kitchens
throughout the West and Southwest including Teton Mountain Lodge in Jackson
Hole, Wyoming, Cedar breaks Lodge in Brian Head, Utah, Enchantment Resort in
Sedona, and Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort and Westin La Paloma in Tucson and had
cooked at the famed James Beard House twice. But he had never even worked in a
spa.
Every
day, he does a cooking demonstration at lunch time. Guests sign up for the spots
and get to learn his techniques and dine on what he has prepared. 
Living
in a slightly remote place could make getting ingredients a challenge. But Chef
Chad is a cyber chef, sourcing and ordering from sources he finds on the
internet. 
Squeezing
in more flavor while cutting calories is Luethje’s goal. And he does that in
very creative ways.
Luethje
fills small salt shakers with large grain Kosher salt. So you have a slightly
controlled portion even when you shake vigorously. Plus kosher salt adds more
flavor.
Luethje
is an avid outdoor sportsman, taking off to the red rock mountains to surround
to property every opportunity he gets. “I enjoy mountain biking, hiking and
skiing, and Red Mountain is a great place to get all three. And I always make a
healthy snack to take with me,” he confides.
Chef
Chad’s goal is to retire to Mexico in a coastal town like Puerto Penasco (also
called Rocky Point) where he likes to vacation. Maybe he will open a restaurant
there. As soon as I hear that he has, I will plan a trip just to eat another one
of his delicious meals. 
Saffron,
caper, garlic, white wine and tomato
Sautee
medium: Usually olive oil, but other flavored oils such as sesame, walnut,
truffle, and herbal oils have their place.