My Favorite Recipes: Meet Colleen Young

Colleen was born and raised in San Diego, Calif., where her family settled while her dad served in the Navy and then later worked for the Navy as a civilian.

During her first year of Mueller College of Massage, she received a 100-hour certificate in Swedish and business. This was San Diego's minimum requirement at the time. At the time she did not pursue it, though she has expressed that many of her friends and family have benefited from the training throughout the years.

While a sophomore in college, Colleen attended a college in Sagunto (Valencia,) Spain. Her father had visited Spain many times as he worked for the Navy, bringing home amazing stories and chocolate.

"I will never forget how kind and generous the Spaniards were when asked for help in their language for tourist destinations or a great pastry shop," Colleen said. The recipes she is sharing are her take on foods she tried while in Spain.

Nine years after receiving a bachelor's degree, Colleen met and married her husband, Douglas Young, in the Bay Area. Soon afterwards, the couple moved to Kansas City, which was closer to his family. There the couple ran their own copy business, catering to small businesses and non-profits.

Some of their clients included HUD, the City of Overland Park and the Truman and Eisenhower presidential libraries.

"I enjoyed working with these folks, but I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to go back to school and become a massage therapist," she said.

After complications from a surgery and several years of illness she decided to close the business and 18 months later attended Wellspring School of Allied Health. In 2015, she earned an associate in wellness degree with emphasis in massage therapy. It was a comprehensive 1,104-hour course.

"I loved the fact that the school brought in many guest practitioners so that we could experience literally "hands-on" learning. This course also taught me cool ways to engage my mind, my intuition and my desire to help others improve their lives in a tangible way," Colleen noted.

One of her favorite modality offerings is Raindrop Technique. It uses nine therapeutic-grade essential oils, each supporting a different body system.

On a visit to the Palouse before moving here in 2017, she envisioned a practice somewhere in Palouse farm country.

Colleen now offers more than 12 services at Moments Spa & Fitness in St. John.

One of her favorite spa services is the 90-minute seaweed masque/wrap and Swedish massage with therapeutic focus. This masque is her own blend of nourishing ingredients with seaweed, goji berries, bentonite clay and frankincense and myrrh therapeutic essential oils that are known to be supportive of the skin.

Recipes

Tortilla de Patata

5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small garlic clove, finely minced

2-3 scallions, sliced

Salt and Pepper, to season veggies

4 large eggs with one pinch of salt, a scant pinch of baking soda and a few grinds of pepper, whisked well

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

A medium sized non-stick omelette pan

Heat olive oil in the pan on medium low. Add sliced potato, evenly covering the the bottom of the pan in layers. Season the veggies. Allow the potatoes to cook through, approximately eight minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the garlic and scallions, being careful not to burn them, and cook until translucent. Add the seasoned, whisked egg mixture making sure it covers all layers of potatoes. Cover and turn down heat slightly until egg is cooked through (without stirring.) Serve hot for breakfast or completely cool to cut into wedges and serve for lunch with baguettes and your favorite fruit on the side. I am an organic gardener, so in the summer I may add thinly-sliced variegated beets (pretty!), spinach, chard, baby dandelion greens - you name it!

Pollo Asado

Marinate a large, whole chicken overnight with the following: One cup Pinot Grigio; 3-4 freshly juiced limes; 2-3 chopped scallions; 2-3 large garlic cloves, minced, rinsed and chopped and cilantro (a medium bunch.) First, salt and pepper the chicken, then add the other ingredients. If possible, turn the chicken over several times so it gets well saturated with the marinade. Instead of putting chicken on skewer and "roasting" (Asado), bake it at 375 degrees F for one-and-one-half hours or until thoroughly cooked. Cool and carve into bite-sized pieces. Serve as previously stated.

Paella

(Spanish Rice)

Paella is a dish that varies with each region. Lobster, mussels and other seafood are added to the dish in coastal locales. Some might use lamb or other meat that is typical to their region. Some make it vegetarian by adding fresh peas, artichoke hearts and boiled eggs cut in half. Mix it up a little!

3 cups rice, 6 cups water and a pinch salt, cooked in a rice cooker

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 pinch of saffron, ground between the fingers

2 cups diced ham or turkey ham

2 cups large, frozen shrimp

2 cups cooked, chopped and seasoned chicken thighs or breasts

1 cup chopped crab or imitation crab

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)

2-3 large garlic cloves, minced

2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat a large fry pan with olive oil and add bell pepper and onion, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms, (lightly season again/optional,) and cook for a couple more minutes. Add diced tomatoes, saffron, meats and frozen shrimp. Cook for two minutes. Add cooked rice, stir well and allow to warm through - another five minutes or so. Season to taste.