%20(1)_edited.png)
Our Recovery Process
One very important element of the recovery process at Fire Mountain is our whole foods diet. We ensure that the teens who enter into our care receive healthy, well-balanced meals that are gluten and dairy-free with minimal sugar and caffeine available throughout the day.
Learning how to cook their own healthy meals is important for the teens in our programs. Culinary lessons are incorporated into their school experience in order for them to bring the lessons they learn while they are with us back into their lives when they transition home.
A Letter from the Chef
A letter from Fire Mountain’s Head Chef and Culinary Instructor, Jim Dowling:
“Getting enough nutrients is imperative for anyone recovering from addiction and for good mental health in general. A diet based on whole foods, as I would encourage everyone to eat, helps develop good brain chemistry. Avoiding addictive foods such as caffeine, sugars, and gluten is also deemed very helpful in mental health recovery and in a person’s overall mental health. According to research, increased symptoms of depression and anxiety are possible in people who are gluten sensitive, even when the testing for celiac disease comes back as negative.
Frozen and canned foods are fast and easy but will not give you the proper nutrients your body and brain need to be healthy. We focus on the recovery of the body and the mind for the teens at Fire Mountain. When someone decides to get sober and recover, a healthy lifestyle and advice on how to live life in the best way should always be a part of the treatment plan.”
While it may seem like a tall order to incorporate these kinds of meals into your day to day life, the research shows that the results are more than worth it! In order to support our community, we have decided to share one of our excellent ‘fan-favorite’ meals with you every month that you can make for yourself, your friends, or your whole family and we are kicking it all off with Beef Fajitas!
A Whole Foods Recipe
The best part about this recipe is how easy it is to scale it up or down for the number of people you will be cooking for! For this recipe, we have the portions set to serve around 10-12 people.
How to Make Beef Fajitas
Mix marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, setting aside 1 tablespoon for later use.
Thinly slice your beef into strips and combine it into the marinade.
Cover and refrigerate for 30-minutes to 3-hours.
Heat a pan over a high flame for 1 min and then add 1 tablespoon of oil, swirling to evenly coat pan.
Cook veggies so they sear (saute), not steam. Add remaining marinade, saute for 3-4 mins, and then set aside. If you are cooking for a large group, saute your veggies in small batches for even cooking.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to empty pan and swirl to evenly coat.
Sear marinated beef for 1-3 mins.
Add veggies to beef, serve, and enjoy!
Bonus- Tortilla Tricks!
With the gluten-free lifestyle being on the rise in recent years, the availability of gluten-free bread products has skyrocketed! We personally love the BFree Wheat and Gluten-Free Tortillas. The best part? You can order them on Amazon and skip the trip to the store!
While we like the taste, we know that not everyone is a fan. One trick to make them just that extra bit more memorable for your guests is to pop them on the grill for 30 seconds with a sprinkle of seasoned salt.
Find the full recipe and ingredient list below:
We hope you enjoy this recipe! Make sure to sign-up for our newsletter to receive notifications about new blog posts!