Chef Kayla
Personal Chef | Nutrition Enthusiast
Serve Safe Conference for Food Protection Manager, National Certified Professional Food Manager Certificate # 19400388
Read Kayla's blogs!
Watch Chef Kayla's YouTube Video on how to make Ginger Turmeric Tea!
Top 3 Meal Prep Items
Quinoa Tabouli Quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion,garbanzo beans, mint,parsley lemon. Chicken Burrito Bowls Chipotle marinated chicken, black beans, brown rice, tomatoes, corn, avocado, cilantro, lettuce, chipotle-lime crema Pesto Chicken & Roasted Veggies Chicken marinated in fresh pesto, tomatoes, broccolini, and portabella mushrooms tossed in olive oil, garlic, seasoned well and roasted to perfection. Dinner Party Favorites Stuffed Figs Figs stuffed with blue cheese, toasted walnuts, wrapped in prosciutto, and drizzled with honey. Greek Salad Skewers Feta, cucumber, cherry tomato, kalamata olives, dressed in garlic and red wine vinaigrette. Pork Tenderloin Roulade Pork tenderloin stuffed with garlic, mushrooms, spinach and herbs. |
Chef Kayla has always had a passion for food. Her earliest memory is sitting on the counter and helping her mom stir the macaroni and cheese when she was 3. As a teenager she hosted dinner parties and cook-offs with her friends, and always asked anyone who came to her home if they were hungry. To her, food is everything. It is nourishment, of course, but it is also love, comfort and art.
Chef Kayla got her Associates degree in Culinary Arts in 2016 from Long Beach City College, but has been cooking in upscale restaurants in Long Beach since 2013. During her time at LBCC she also studied nutrition and special diets as part of her culinary curriculum. She strives to create meals that nourish the mind, body, and soul using the best local and seasonal ingredients. “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well” -Virginia Woolf Cuisine expertise: Plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, keto, gluten free
A few of my favorite creations include:
Here's a sneak peak of an interview with Chef Kayla:
What inspired you to get into health and wellness cooking? The first time it clicked for me that food is medicine, I was 18 years old. For months I had NO energy, and looking back on my diet of cereal, frozen pizzas and fast food, it’s no wonder why. The doctor said, “No problem, take these supplements”. But the supplements made me sick, which only made the situation worse. I had to figure out a way to get my iron through food, so I started doing research. I found out spinach, broccoli, and lentils are all high in iron, so I made a soup highlighting those ingredients and ate that for about a week. I started having eggs, toast, and fresh fruit for breakfast in the morning instead of Lucky Charms. I stopped getting fast food for dinner and started learning how to cook for myself without cooking something from a box. It wasn’t long before I felt energized again. I was utterly amazed at the difference the right foods could make. I didn’t know it at the time, but this experience was the catalyst for my culinary career. |
"Kayla did a party for my boyfriends birthday and shot it out of the park. She is extremely professional, and her food is michelin star worthy. So glad I found her!" - Brittany