Recipes

The Spa Cuisine at Mountain Trek is 5 Star. We are happy to provide some of those great recipes to all.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

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Fall + Winter
Serves 6-8
Cook Time: 1 Hour

One of Mountain Trek’s most popular recipes, this Pumpkin Turkey Chili is a hearty fall soup that is packed with protein to keep you feeling full for longer, loaded with fiber to feed your gut microbiome, and replete with iron to help boost energy levels and improve immune function. This healthy meal is great for lunch or dinner and can be easily batch-cooked and stored for emergency healthy meals.

Nutritional Powerhouse: Paprika contains capsaicin, a compound found in peppers that have been shown to have a wide range of health benefits. Capsaicin has high antioxidant properties, helps improve immune function, and is an excellent digestive system aid.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • ½ cup diced carrot
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 2.5 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 3 cup chicken or beef broth
  • 1 (14.5) oz can black beans, drained
  • 1 (14.5) oz can kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (14.5) oz can pumpkin puree
  • 1 (14.5) oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice
  • ½ cup frozen corn kernels
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot or dutch oven on medium. Add oil plus onions, carrot, and celery. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add turkey and break up while mixing with vegetables. Once broken up, let it sit a few minutes, and then stir again.
  3. Add spices and garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  4. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro and lime juice and stir to combine.
  5. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add the meat back in and cook for 45 mins uncovered, stirring every 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add cilantro and lime juice, check the seasoning and adjust as needed.
  6. Enjoy!

What Is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Cookbook: Volume One

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Balanced Health Coaching

Whether a professional athlete, career professional, or a professional mom, we all need coaching to be our best.

While at our retreat in British Columbia, our caring staff and remote location make it easy to immerse into a genuine health transformation. However, back home, without accountability, it’s easy to fall out of a healthy routine.

Mountain Trek is now offering Balanced Health coaching with program director, Kirk. If you are struggling to maintain your health back home or feel like you need a partner to work through things and hold you accountable, sign up for your first session to see if Balanced Health coaching is right for you. Use the link below to schedule your first session with Kirk.


Schedule A Coaching Session

Why the Mountain Trek Balanced Health program?

The Mountain Trek program has been designed, delivered, and evolved over the past two decades to help guests reclaim their fitness and health. We carefully and intentionally share and implement science-based methods that raise your metabolism, balance key hormones, reduce cellular inflammation, and modulate your endocrine and nervous systems. The result is lasting, genuine health improvements.

About your coach, Kirk:

Mountain Trek’s Program Director
Certified Life Coach
Certified Somatic Relational Therapist
Special Needs Teaching Certification
Youth at Risk Counselor
Yoga Teaching Certification
Meditator for over 40 years
Degree in Anthropology

What Balanced Health Accomplishes:

Changes body composition (increase muscle, lose weight/fat)
Lowers stress levels (cortisol hormone)
Improves sleep quality
Increases and sustains energy levels by balancing key hormones
Detoxifies your body by accelerating eliminatory systems
Improves metabolic rate and gut microbiome health
Strengthens mental health by reducing anxiety and self criticism through mindfulness education and training.
Elevated human growth hormone levels (youth hormones), weight loss, increased creativity, improved skin health, deeper sleep and toxin elimination.

Schedule Your First Session

Use the button below to schedule your first session


Schedule First Session

Contact us to learn more about the Mountain Trek program

Thousands of guests have realized the benefits of giving their body and mind a break from their day-to-day lifestyle. And they’ve also found their own choices within the program to participate at the level and intensity that supports their unique goals. Please phone us 1.800.661.5161 or contact us below to see if the Mountain Trek program is right for you.

Butternut Squash Beef Chili

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Butternut Squash Beef Chili

Fall + Winter
Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Soups and stews are an easily digestible meal to enjoy for lunch or dinner. Packing a thermos of chili to take to work is a great way to ensure you’re getting adequate protein and fiber to keep you fueled in your day. The squash adds a nice creamy component to the dish, and incorporates more veggies into your chili.

Nutritional Powerhouse: Squash is a good source of vitamin A, C, and B vitamins. They’re high in antioxidants and rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and manganese. And, of course, as whole plant foods, they’re also rich in fiber and water, making them both hydrating and good for the gut.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • ½ cup diced carrot
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • 2 cups ½ inch cubed butternut squash
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 4 cup broth of choice
  • 1 (14.5) oz can black beans, drained
  • 1 (14.5) oz can kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (14.5) oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice
  • ½ cup frozen corn kernels
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot or dutch oven.
  2. Add the meat, salt and a ½ cup of water and turn down to low heat. As the meat cooks, use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir and break up the pieces.
  3. When done, drain off the liquid and set the meat aside. Return the pot back to the stove and heat the oil.
  4. Add onions, carrot, celery, squash and bell pepper and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add spices and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro and lime juice and stir to combine.
  6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  7. Add the meat back in and cook for 1hr uncovered, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
  8. Enjoy!

What Is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

White Bean Borscht

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White Bean Borscht Soup in a Bowl

Any Season
Serves 4
Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Borscht comes in endless varieties—it’s not in fact just one recipe, it’s more of a process created out of necessity by peasants in Eastern Europe needing to feed their families with what they had. It comes in endless varieties, and the white beans in this one add protein and creaminess to the bite. This comes together quickly, and since borscht isn’t just one thing, feel free to experiment with what vegetables you have on hand!

Nutritional Powerhouse: Beets are rich in folate, a vitamin that plays a key role in growth, development, and heart health. They also contain manganese, which is involved in bone formation, nutrient metabolism, brain function, and more. Plus, they’re high in copper, an important mineral required for energy production and the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 medium onion, diced finely
  • ½ cup celery, diced finely
  • 1 cup sweet potato, diced
  • 2 cups beets, grated
  • 1 cup carrot, grated
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups veggie stock
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 can cooked white navy beans
  • 3 Tbsp dry fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over low-medium heat.
  2. Sautée the cabbage, onions, carrots, beets, and celery with the oil, dry dill, and sea salt until soft.
  3. Combine all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.
  4. Simmer for 1 hour, adjust the seasoning as needed, and add fresh dill at the end of cooking.
  5. Enjoy

What Is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Pumpkin Seed and Almond Granola

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Granola is an easy breakfast cereal to make and always tastes better than store-bought. The almonds add a delicious crunch, lower blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels. Those benefits make them a great highlight for a healthy breakfast, compared to store-bought granolas and cereals which are often full of sugar. Served with plain yogurt and berries, this Pumpkin Seed and Almond Granola is a well-rounded meal with healthy fats, probiotics, and antioxidants. It can also be eaten as a snack to provide fuel during the day!

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Homemade Gatorade

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When you sweat, you lose electrolytes, which are critical to your muscle function and overall hydration levels. Electrolytes also help your body regulate chemical reactions and conduct electrical charges, which is how your muscles contract, so ensuring proper electrolyte levels is essential to your performance on the trail, court, track, or wherever you find yourself sweating this summer!

Popular sports drinks like Gatorade, replenish electrolytes in the form of salt, but also are packed with unhealthy sugars in an attempt to provide readily available glucose energy.

Instead, try our homemade Gatorade (we’ve dubbed it “Electrolade”), which is made with naturally occurring honey sugars as well as pure sea salt or Himalayan salt.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Tbs raw honey
  • 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt, or pure sea salt

PREPARATION

  1. Pour into blender, pulse to combine, and chill in fridge for 2 hours or more.
  2. Enjoy after sweaty summer hikes and workouts!

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Coconut Apricot Bliss Balls

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These Coconut Apricot Bliss Balls are a healthy, nutrient-dense snack, and a great alternative to store-bought energy bars. There are no hidden sugars or preservatives and perfect to carry in your pack, or in the cupboard for when you need clean, energy-rich fuel for your body and brain. You can also double the recipe, as these freeze and thaw beautifully, and are easily prepared over the weekend to last you the entire week ahead.

Nutritional Powerhouse: Coconut contains large amounts of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), a type of saturated fat that’s very easy for the human body to digest. The MCFAs found in coconut meat also contain antimicrobial properties, helping support the good bacteria in the gut microbiome.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 2 cup chopped dried apricots
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup hemp seed butter
  • ¼ cup dried unsweetened cranberries
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
  • ½ tsp powdered ginger
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • Zest of 1 orange, plus juice reserved to moisten mixture
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Pinch of sea salt

PREPARATION

  1. Place the nuts and apricots in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  2. Add butters and remaining ingredients and pulse until everything is combined.
  3. Form into 1 fl.oz. balls with a small scoop.
  4. Place in an airtight container lined with parchment paper and refrigerate or freeze.
  5. Enjoy!

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Grilled Chicken Dragon Salad

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This Grilled Chicken Dragon Salad features an amazing array of colors, textures, and flavors. It’s quick, easy, healthy, and makes a lovely lunch or dinner with chicken as the source of protein, and plenty of veggies to support digestion, elimination, and satiation.

Nutritional Powerhouse: Cabbage contains anthocyanins, which are naturally occurring antioxidants. Anthocyanins not only add color to your fruits (think blueberries) and vegetables, but may also reduce inflammation. Cabbage is also packed with plant sterols and insoluble fiber, which supports your digestive system healthy by keeping bowel movements regular. It also fuels the good bacteria in your gut that protects your immune system and produces essential nutrients. That’s especially true when you eat fermented cabbage in kimchi or sauerkraut.

Expect this recipe to take 35 minutes to make, without accounting for marinating the chicken.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Chicken

  • 1.5 lbs chicken thigh or breast

Marinade

  • ¼ cup tamari
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp hot sauce sauce

Vegetables

  • 1 cup snap peas, sliced
  • 1 cup carrots, julienne
  • 1 cup green beans, blanched
  • 1 cup english cucumber, diagonal cut
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • ½ red onion, minced
  • 1 cup assorted colored baby bell pepper, thin sliced
  • 4 cup shredded red cabbage or spinach

Dressing

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp tamari
  • 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger root, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dijon
  • 1 tsp raw honey
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

Garnish

  • ¼ cup lightly toasted slivered almonds
  • 2 Tbsp. lightly toasted sesame seeds
  • Sliced green onions

Instructions (35 min)

  • Combine marinade ingredients in large bowl.
  • Marinade chicken for 45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken on a barbecue about 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked to 165 F. Cool and slice.
  • Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender, and blend thoroughly.
  • Assemble all of the veggies in a bowl or on a plate, and top with chicken. Drizzle with dressing, and top with garnishes.
  • Enjoy!

 

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Umami Beef with Cauliflower Rice and Vegetables

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Japanese for “pleasant savory taste” or “essence of deliciousness”, Umami is a flavor that everyone loves and craves. This Umami Beef recipe is simple, taking only 25 minutes and one pan to make, yet a complete meal that is packed full of flavor and nutrients—exactly what you need after a long day. The rich flavors of the beef pair nicely with the freshness of the vegetables, while the sauteed cauliflower satiates cravings for white rice. Use high-quality grass-fed ground beef, or substitute ground pork, chicken, or turkey to make this recipe your own.

Nutritional Powerhouse: Snap peas contain 18 percent of the daily recommended intake of dietary iron in one cup. Iron is an incredibly important mineral that has been shown to reduce female fatigue, even in non-iron-deficient women.

Expect this recipe to take 25 minutes.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 1 Tbsp raw honey
  • 1 Tbsp Tamari
  • 1 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 head cauliflower, grated
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • ½ cup snow peas, cut diagonally in half
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1 cucumber slices
  • ¼ cup cashews or peanuts, toasted and chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil and mint, rough chopped
  • 1 lime cut into wedges

Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp Tamari
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 3 Tbsp almond butter
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions (25 min)

  • Whisk together the first 5 ingredients (up to the beef). Then pour over the beef and let sit while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
  • Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You can also whisk by hand.
  • Heat a medium fry pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp grapeseed oil. Add the beef and break up into small pieces, and let sit in an even layer in the pan while it browns on one side for a few minutes. Then flip and let sit again for a few minutes until cooked through.
  • Place the beef in a bowl and set to the side.
  • Add the grated cauliflower to the same pan and saute on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until slightly cooked but still firm.
  • Place the cauliflower and remaining vegetables in a bowl, and top with beef, cashews or peanuts, basil and mint, and a wedge of lime in each bowl. Drizzle with sauce.
  • Enjoy!

 

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

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