Red Mountain - The Adventure Spa
ST. GEORGE, UT -- (July, 2001) -- Adventure seekers, arise! The quest for exciting and healthy food has arrived. Now, those who crave adventure can actually taste it with Red Mountain Resort & Spa's Adventure Cuisine. Defying typical "spa cuisine" and its broad-brush, pre-set programming, Red Mountain Executive Chef, Ken Migneault has created a menu that enables guests to choose from a variety of menu options that exploit the taste buds and challenge the calories.
Coined collectively as Adventure Cuisine, the PowerFuel, Call of the Wild, and Green Cuisine choices let guests select their meal depending on the day's activities and their overall physical fitness goals.
"Our new Adventure Cuisine plan is part of Red Mountain's work in paving the way for a new era of Destination Spas, or health-immersion spas," said Deborah Evans, General Manager. "Red Mountain empowers its guests through practical nutritional education. Adventure Cuisine is about self-responsibility, balance and making appropriate nutrition choices to achieve long-term success at weight loss, maintenance and daily healthy eating."
Chef Migneault and his staff created the Adventure Cuisine menus recognizing individual nutritional needs and hunger levels fluctuate daily, especially at Red Mountain, where an all-day rock climbing expedition is as common as days spent pampering at the spa. Regardless of the activity, Adventure Cuisine provides plenty of palate pleasers based on three major components -- fiber for sustenance, carbohydrates for energy and protein for muscle repair. While the recipes contain varying proportions of each, they are also nutritionally dense, lower in fat and, as an added bonus, many include age-defying nutrients as well as anti-oxidants.
"Our ideal is to develop meals that work for the guest, as opposed to making the guest adapt to the meals," said Chef Migneault. "We do not presume that all guests have the same caloric or nutritional needs. At Red Mountain, we educate our guests why they should choose one dish versus another so they can continue to succeed long after they've returned home."
PowerFuel foods are designed for those who need extra calories to build muscle mass, and they feature higher protein choices like lean meats and soy products. Guests dining on PowerFuel enjoy dishes such as Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Pancake and Sautéed Spinach; Salmon Mousse Wrapped in Spinach Leaves with Mushroom Risotto; Tofu with Wild Rice and Crispy Vegetable Sushi; and Lamb Brochette with Collard Greens and Chickpea Griddle Cake.
Call of the Wild is named appropriately for its focus on natural local ingredients -- herbs harvested from the resort's organic garden, and indigenous game and greenery. Lower in calories, than PowerFuel, Call of the Wild takes approximately 20 percent or less of its calories from fat. Menu selections meeting that criteria include Char-Grilled Bison with Spinach Risotto; Seared Mahi-Mahi with Rice Croquette; Grilled Turkey-Sage Sausage with White Bean Purée, and Smoked Halibut with Spinach Almond Pesto and Black-Eyed Peas.
Green Cuisine is free of any animal products and is considered vegan. It is lowest in calorie, taking less than 20 percent of its calories from fat. The recipes are not only geared toward vegetarians and vegans, but also toward those wanting to lose weight. Dishes include Roasted Japanese Eggplant Filled with Squash and Garbanzo Beans in a Mushroom Broth; Grilled Vegetable and Herbed Tofu Lasagna with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce; Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Black Bean Sauce; and Root Vegetable and Black Bean Tower with a Savory Vegetable Broth.
"We want guests leave here knowing healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated and flavorless," said Migneault. "There are delicious, naturally low-fat foods that can be simply prepared in a variety of ways, not just here at the spa, but at home as well. If guests leave here realizing they can continue the program on their own, then we have succeeded." True to its holistic philosophy, Red Mountain serves its guests from the inside, out nourishing not only their bodies, but mind and soul. Food education also includes nutrition classes, cooking demonstrations, take-home recipes and optional, individual meetings with a professional nutritionist.
Red Mountain Spa is an extraordinary adult adventure, fitness and health destination located on 55 scenic acres in Southwestern Utah, approximately two hours northeast of Las Vegas. Red Mountain offers perhaps the most extensive hiking program of any destination spa, and it is the only spa in the U.S. that specializes in outdoor adventure fitness programs, including hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, rafting, snow shoeing, cycling and horseback riding.
Owned by the Pivotal Group, based in Phoenix, Arizona, Red Mountain is headquartered at 1275 E. Red Mountain Circle, Ivins, Utah 84738. For reservations, call 435.673.4905, or toll-free at 1.800.407.3002, or visit the website at http://www.redmountainspa.com/.
