Meet Eileen Elizabeth | Private Vegan Chef, Resturant Recipe Developer, Nutritional Coach, Cookbook author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eileen Elizabeth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eileen Elizabeth, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Honestly, I have always been a very hard worker and I was tired of making lots of money for other people. I wanted to do something my way, and take charge of my destiny. I also wanted to make sure that whatever I was doing for my career was ethically in line with my values. Specifically that every aspect was vegan friendly, and that I was mindful of the impact I had on the world. I wanted to help people. I wanted to heal people. I wanted to show people they didn’t have to be sick, and live in pain and discomfort. By changing your relationship to food and your environment, you can find solutions for almost anything. I wanted to do something that really helped people in a meaningful and life changing way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to consider myself a vegan chef for meat eaters. Vegans are already there. I find the people that really benefit are those needing to make the shift into eating more plant based foods. I try to be there to support that shift. Anything you can make, I can make vegan. Whether it is steak tar tare, seared scallops, seafood towers, cheese and charcuterie boards, or short rib, it really doesn’t matter. I can make it for you out of plants. Period.

Recently I have been developing vegan menus for new and existing restaurants. I am beyond excited about it. My current favorite project is for a vegan restaurant in Redondo Beach, Lil’ Vegerie. The owners Jason and Scarlett are incredible. The food is all vegan, gluten free, soy free, and garbage free. The public has absolutely been loving everything and I could not feel more proud of the food I created for their menu.

I’ve been working to get to this point for about 10 years now. It has not always been easy and took a lot of very hard work. I have had plenty of pity party, self doubt moments along the way. The universe seems to always pull me back on course. I think a lot of times we want to try and control every aspect of our lives and the direction they are going. The reality is we are in control of very little. That was the biggest lesson and struggle for me. Letting go of control and accepting what is meant to be. Once i did, however, my life became much less stressful. I stay open to all opportunity, say no to what is not in alignment with me, and find gratitude every single day for what I already have.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had someone visiting me in Arizona I would absolutely bring them up to Sedona. I am from there and it is beyond spectacular. I love the outdoors and would fill the visit with outdoor adventures. Swimming in the creeks, hiking the red rocks. and playing outside. I love the Javelina Cantina in Sedona. . I mean, who doesn’t love Mexican Food and a view? The owner Sheena is great, and we are even in talks to create a vegan menu for them

In the Phoenix area I would go to Pita Jungle. I have been going there for 20 years and it just gets better and better. High vibe food and a complete vegan menu is everything I need.
I do think Arizona desperately needs more vegan restaurants and options. I look forward to leading the charge for that.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a few people that have contributed to my success, and who have shaped me as a chef.

The most important person, the person I owe most of my success to would absolutely be my boyfriend Billy Montarbo. I wouldn’t have even considered veganism if it were not for him. He came to me with a plan to change our lives, and eat differently. I thank god he did, because it changed the direction of my entire life. He also stood by and supported me through all the shifts and changes. He holds it down at home so I can travel for work. He is the MVP behind the scenes of our crazy busy life for sure.

I have an incredible support system of close friends that are like family. They have loved, supported and nurtured my career my entire adult life. I feel very fortunate to have that kind of inner circle. Jeremy Woodson, Kristin Golden and Danielle Watkins have stood by and cheered on every move i have made with love and support. I feel extremely fortunate for them. It is remarkable how big a difference having the right people in your corner can make.

I have also had some amazing mentors in my life. I did not attend a culinary program, I learned how to cook from other amazing chefs. It started as a kid with my mother and my Aunt Tyna, learning the basics of cooking healthy beautiful food. My culinary interests evolved in my first fine dining job working with the two most amazing chefs I have ever worked with: Chef James Robert, and Chef Zach Hunter. They taught me the art behind food and plating, the importance of seasonal fresh ingredients, and the highest standards of kitchen protocol. I found my niche when I went vegan and started working with top vegan chefs, like Mary Mattern and Yvonne Ardistien. The two of them really expanded my knowledge, my passion and the opportunities that laid ahead of me. Working with them really rounded out my culinary background and knowledge. I feel so grateful for the wonderful people standing beside me today. They helped make this all happen.

Website: www.letsgovegan.org

Instagram: chefeileenelizabeth

Linkedin: Eileen Elizabeth Popovich

Other: https://easyreadernews.com/a-veggie-affair-he-worked-in-restaurants-she-worked-as-a-nutritionist-their-union-yielded-lil-vegerie/