Podcast 91: Rancho La Puerta Adventure

by The Meal Makeover Moms on February 3rd, 2010

We recently returned from a magical one-week visit to Rancho La Puerta, a destination spa in Tecata, Mexico. Just one hour south of San Diego, “The Ranch” is dedicated to health and wellness for the mind, body, and spirit. The meals were fabulous (60% of the food is grown on Rancho La Puerta’s six-acre organic farm), and we enjoyed a dizzying array of activities ranging from early-morning sunrise hikes and yoga to dance classes and jewelry making.

We were invited to Rancho La Puerta as guest instructors. We gave an evening lecture on The Secrets to Healthy Meal Makeovers, and we held a hands-on cooking class for guests at La Cocina Que Canta (translation: The Kitchen that Sings).

Our menu was based on seasonal ingredients. In fact, before the class, participants walked through the garden and picked arugula, salad greens, and even edible flowers (marigolds on your salad, anyone?). Our menu included the following:

> Shrimp Quesadillas with Pineapple Salsa
> Skinny Fish Chowder
> Bibb & Arugula Salad with Grapefruit, Avocado & Goat Cheese
> Braised Kale & Cranberries
> Lemony Red Quinoa with Butternut Squash
> Grilled Salmon with Avocado Cilantro Sauce
> Almond Agave Cheesecake

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Cilantro Sauce

Makes 6 Servings

  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
  • 1/3 cup 0% fat Greek-style or plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1/2 of a small clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Six 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
  • 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, honey, lime zest, garlic, salt, chili powder, and a few turns of pepper in a food processor and process until smooth.   Scrape down the sides as necessary. Set aside.

2. Preheat the grill to high and lightly oil the grate.  Combine the olive oil and honey and brush on both sides of the salmon.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the salmon on the prepared grill and cook until easily flaked with a fork, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

3. Top each salmon fillet with a dollop of avocado sauce or serve on the side.

Nutrition Information per Serving:   370 calories, 19g fat (3g saturated, 2.0g omega-3), 230mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 39g protein, 10% vitamin C, 10% iron

Print Recipe

The key to the Rancho La Puerta experience is that no two visits are the same.  As a guest, you can spend the week relaxing with yoga, meditation, and contemplative hikes, or you can focus your energy on action-packed classes — cardio boxing, circuit training, and pilates. The element that brings everyone together, however, is the glorious meals shared in the main dining room or outside under the mountain-desert sun.

Lunch begins with a farm-fresh Citrus Salad with Caramelized Walnuts and Black Pepper Dressing

A naturally sweet dessert after dinner of Butternut Squash Pie with Pear Crisp

Janice’s Favorite Rancho Moments:

> The Food: The variety was amazing, and everything I ate was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented.  I was worried at first that I’d be hungry with the “spa” portions (hey, I love to eat!), but there was always enough food to comfortably fill me up.

> Sunrise Hikes: There’s something so nice about getting outside before the sun comes up.  I enjoyed talking to different people on the trail, and it sure made me hungry for breakfast!

> Stretch Class. For years, I’ve wanted to add stretching to my regular weight-training routine. It felt great to have an expert guide me through various stretches, and I now plan to do them at home.

> The People:  I loved meeting new people at every meal.  I hope to keep in touch with some of my new friends. Two of the many amazing women we met during our trip were Debbie Travis, host of several TV shows including From the Ground Up and Face Lift and Louann Brizendine, M.D., author of the soon-to-be released book, The Male Brain (we know what you’re thinking! …).  Since my daughter wants to study neuroscience in college next year it was fun to pick Louann’s brain!

> Spa Treatments. What can I say?  The treatments were great, and I was particularly surprised by how much I loved the hot stone massage; it was so relaxing.  I could definitely get used to weekly massages!

Liz’s Favorite Rancho Moments:

> Yoga: Almost every day, I took a Yoga Fundamentals class. I’m a yoga newbie for sure, but after just a few short days, I could feel the positive effects in my neck and lower back. My usual aches and pains miraculously disappeared.

> 100,000 Steps: Experts recommend we all walk 10,000 steps a day which has always been a tough goal given my work and family commitments. During my seven-day Ranch visit, I clocked over 100,000 steps. There was a pedometer in our room when we arrived, and I wore it the entire time.

> Art Appreciation:  On the third day of our trip, I decided to take a break from the exercise with a two-hour Mexican folk art and sculpture walk. I learned about the tree of life, a popular form of folk art in Mexico, and the gorgeous sculptures that dot the Rancho landscape.

> Dance with Yuichi Sugiyama: Dancing to Broadway tunes is definitely out of my comfort zone, but that didn’t stop me from taking this high-energy class, led by Yuichi, an L.A.-based choreographer. I smiled the whole time!

> The Meals: It’s hard to say which meal I loved the most. But if I had to pick three dishes, I would choose the Vegetarian Lasagna with Roasted Baby Vegetables & Putanesca Sauce, Oriental Brown Rice with Mini Spring Roll & Edamame Bean, and Chocolate Flan with Macerated Strawberries & Roasted Guava. Yum.

Our plan is to keep the spirit of Rancho La Puerta burning bright, so we have set individual fitness and mind/body goals that we vow to follow for the next month (it takes about 20 days to form a new habit). On February 24th, we’ll devote a podcast and blog post to tips for “bringing the Ranch home” (something everyone can do), and we’ll offer an update on our progress (hint: Liz is going to find a yoga studio and take a class twice a week and Janice will be adding stretching and deep breathing to her workout routine). We’ll also have an exciting giveaway to share, so stay tuned!

For all of our Rancho La Puerta photos, visit our flickr page.

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7 Comments | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Podcast, Seafood 

7 Responses to “Podcast 91: Rancho La Puerta Adventure”

  1. nutrition to kitchen on February 4th, 2010

    Ugh, I’m officially jealous! The almond-agave cheesecake sounds divine and perfect for the setting..sigh :)

  2. dnewell on February 4th, 2010

    wow, this place looks amazing. Now i just need to win the lottery…or develop a skill so i can be invited to teach!

  3. eatingRD on February 5th, 2010

    I’m speechless!! It looks like an amazing experience. I would love to go there and relish in all the lovely, wholesome food and fitness. I’d think I’d died and gone to heaven! Good luck on all your new classes :)

  4. denise silvia on February 6th, 2010

    sounds great but one question,about how much dinero does it cost to go for a week, can the average person go or is it just for the wealthy?

  5. The Meal Makeover Moms on February 6th, 2010

    You should go to the Rancho la Puerta website (www.rancholapuerta.com) for rate information since there are many options. They frequently have specials, so be sure to check that out. While it’s not cheap, it’s definitely not just for the wealthy, but rather for folks who want to focus their vacation week on health and wellness. And when you consider all that is included in the weekly price it’s actually pretty amazing. Sure it’s an indulgence, but one that we believe everyone deserves at least once in their life!

  6. roma maxwell on February 10th, 2010

    Dear Makeover Moms,
    I’m listening to your podcast on Rancho La Puerta and loving it. Sounds like you two really enjoyed yourself. Thank-you for talking about it. If you’re ever at the Ranch again, do let me know. What a thorough description of who we are…you get us a 100%
    Cheers to you,
    The Ranch

  7. Jamie on February 13th, 2010

    What an awesome spa trip. Everything sounded wonderful. I could use a trip like that.

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