Chaga is a type of mushroom that is high in antioxidants and offers several health benefits including reducing inflammation, balancing the immune system and lowering cholesterol. It doesn’t contain any caffeine, but helps supply more natural energy throughout the day. With the addition of cacao powder it taste like a well-balanced iced mocha. Not too bitter, not too sweet. Not containing any caffeine also makes the perfect drink to beat the afternoon slump!

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon chaga powder (I liked the one from Moon Juice)
• 1 teaspoon cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon monk fruit sweetener
• dash of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

Combine all ingredients through cinnamon in a heat proof glass. Pour the hot water over the mixture and mix with a hand held whisk or frother. This will help dissolve the monk fruit. Wait until slightly cooled and then add ice and almond milk.

The post Immune Balancing Iced Chagaccino first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

This is not your babushka’s borscht.

Funny thing about me is that I am not the biggest fan of beets. However, the simplicity and balance of sweet, sour, salt and umami make me crave this whenever it’s hot out. Oh did I mention that this a chilled soup? If you’re a fan of gaspacho, this will definitely be a favorite. It’s not totally authentic – my partner’s babushka can attest to that – but I think with the addition of umami from the fish sauce and the brininess pickle juice balance out the sweetness from the beets. I also use chicken bone broth and plain greek yogurt to increase the protein and make this a more well balanced meal on it’s own.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium beets
• 1 large russet potato
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 4 cups chicken bone broth (i like the cartons from Trader Joe’s)
• 2 cups of water
• 1/4 dill pickle juice (love Bubbies)
• 3 tbsp of monk fruit sweetener
• 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• salt & pepper

Toppings:

• plain greek yogurt or sour cream
• persian cucumbers
• green onions
• fresh dill
• white wine vinegar

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil with a tiny splash of water. Roast for 45-50 minutes until the beets are soft and can easily be pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, peel your potatoes and cut into small cubes. Season with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. You can throw them in with the beets if there is room in the oven.

Once the beets are done cooking and have cooled, peel off the skin by hand (make sure to use gloves to avoid turning your hands and nails pink). Grate the beets using the small side of a box grater or a cheese grater.

Add bone broth, water and grated beets to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, partially covered with the lid. After 20 minutes, add the potatoes and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more. Add the dill pickle juice, monk fruit sweetener, fish sauce, lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool and store in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Serve:

Portion out a serving of cold broth. Add diced persian cucumber and finely chop green onion and dill (I use about a half of a cucumber and green onion per serving). Add a dollop of greek yogurt/sour cream and a dash of white wine vinegar. Enjoy!

The post Hot Girl Summer Soup – Borscht first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

The chicken is prepared in the most fool-proof way and you will get perfectly cooked chicken breast every time. I cook all my boneless, skinless chicken breast this way (Thanks Mom for the tip!).

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast
• olive or avocado oil
• 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth
• 4 mission in low carb spinach tortillas

Coleslaw

• 14 oz cabbage (pre-shredded is fine and saves time)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons plain 2% greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon monk fruit sweetener (can use regular sugar)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Salsa

• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 1 small garlic glove
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• lime juice

Directions:

Lightly coat a medium sauce pan with oil and set on medium heat. While the pan is heating up, season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper (or whatever seasoning you prefer). Once the pan is hot, place the chicken breasts in the pan for about 30 seconds or until the flesh is opaque. We just want to slightly sear the skin. Do not let it brown. Flip over the chicken breasts and then immediately add a 1/2 cup of water or broth and cover with a lid. Turn down the stove to its lowest setting and cook for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes is up, turn off the flame and let the pan sit for another 10 minutes. Do not peek – it will let out all the steam! Once the second 10 minutes is up, remove the lid and let the chicken come to rest.

Combine the ingredients for the coleslaw and salsa while chicken is cooking.

Assemble and enjoy right away!

The post Easy Weekday Faux El Pollo Loco Chicken Wraps first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

This protein shake is literally a dream. It’s low in calories, high in protein and provides the energy boost to start your day. I am typically that person who will have three different drinks sitting on their desk in the morning – water, matcha latte/coffee and a protein shake. With this recipe you can at least combine the latter two…maybe even combine all three and substitute the water for milk. It might be a little bland and not as creamy though. Either way this combination tastes so good that you will be forgoing your $7 matcha lattes for this one!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (i use the tropeaka lean vanilla protein powder)
• 1/2 of a frozen banana (if not frozen, use more ice)
• 1/2 tsp of matcha powder
• 1/4 tsp of ashwagandha
• 1 cup spinach
• 2-3 ice cubes

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information: 130 calories, 3g carbs, 5g fat, 19g protein

The post Vanilla Matcha Protein Shake first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

My mom taught me this recipe years ago and it’s by far the best way to cook chicken breast without having them dry out. The secret is poaching them low and slow (not too slow though), which results in tender and moist chicken. This recipe works great for meal prepping. I typically prepare the chicken on Sunday, shred and store for the week. If you shred your chicken, make sure to pour some of the leftover broth on top to keep it from dying out.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• olive or avocado oil
• 1/2 cup water
• salt & pepper

Lightly coat a medium sauce pan with oil and set on medium heat. While the pan is heating up, season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper (or whatever seasoning you prefer). Once the pan is hot, place the chicken breasts in the pan for about 30 seconds or until the flesh is opaque. We just want to slightly sear the skin. Do not let it brown. Flip over the chicken breasts and then immediately add a 1/2 cup of water or broth and cover with a lid. Turn down the stove to its lowest setting and cook for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes is up, turn off the flame and let the pan sit for another 10 minutes. Do not peek – it will let out all the steam! Once the second 10 minutes is up, remove the lid and let the chicken come to rest.

The post The Best Chicken Breast Recipe first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

Want to start living a more sustainable life, but have no idea where do start? This was me earlier this year. I used to think that I did my part for the environment by recycling. I was SUCH a good recycler…plastic water bottles, aluminum cans, paper towels. I was hit by a wave of shock when I realized that most of the our recycling ends up in a landfill. This sadly almost made me think “what’s the point?” If our recycling goes to the landfills still and big corporations are slow to implement sustainability practices, then how is one little woman’s efforts going to help?

I then realized after some serious life coaching, that I should be stressed out about external factors that I can’t control. I should be looking inward and if sustainability is something I value. That being said, I’ve started my path to a more sustainable life earlier this year and am enjoying the journey.

If you are interested in living a more sustainable life, the check out my three tips to get started! Also if you have any tips of your own, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I would love to see what your recommendations are!

1. Conduct a trash bin audit

Get your gloves out because it’s going to get messy! Conducting a bin audit gives you valuable insight to see where your waste goes and what changes you can implement in your life. Simply lay down some newspaper or brown paper bags, put on a pair of gloves and start sorting your items into similar materials – food waste, paper, plastic glass, etc. Note the items and frequently appear (coffee cups, takeout packaging?). Think about how you can make conscious sustainable swaps for these items.

Example: Are you seeing a lot of zip lock bags and cling wrap? Maybe it’s time to invest in beeswax wraps and silicon storage containers. Or you can even use the empty glass jars (i.e. I use the Bonne Marman jam jars for everything!)

*Pro Tip: Do the bin audit right before trash day!

2. Start composting

I can guarantee that composting will make your trash bin smell better and lighter. The key here is finding a place that will accept compost scraps. I drop off my scraps at a local community garden that is a short drive from my house. Some cities will even offer curbside pick up! Do some research to figure out the best option for your area. In regards to the compost container, I did spend the $$ on a cute stainless steel container for the aesthetic. However, I realized that it wasn’t big enough for my compost (yes, there are some weeks where I would miss dropping off the compost on Sunday and would be stuck with two weeks worth). I now just use a brown paper bag from the market (note: these bags are also compostable) and keep it in my freezer!

3. Shop at your local farmers’ market

We try to go to the farmers’ market at least twice a month. It’s always so fun to check out all the vendors and the produce is always super fresh. One of my favorite vendors literally just sells all different kinds of sprouts and they are fabulous. I love how everything is local and you know where your food is coming from. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, farmers selling at the local markets minimize the amount of waste and pollution they create. You can also easily avoid plastic packaging. Just make sure to bring you grocery and produce bags to avoid having to use their own plastic bags!

The post 3 Tips To Start Living A More Sustainable Life first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

1. Freebirds

This is an institution for anyone who went to UCSB. It’s located in the middle of Isla Vista and is open (pre-COVID) 24 hours. We ordered the nachos and a bowl – both with chicken and all the fixings. Everything is fresh and made in house. Don’t forget to ask for the cripsy onions and a side of BBQ sauce (trust us on this one) for the nachos! They did recently open a location in Los Angeles (by USC), but we both agree the SB location is better.

Location: 879 Embarcadero Del Norte, Isla Vista, CA, 93117

2. Zaytoon

This was a recommendation from a friend and it did not disappoint. First of all their outdoor seating is absolutely gorgeous and has several fire pits and a fountain in the middle of the patio. Their popular Mashawi Combo was delicious and included a bit of everything – lamb, steak, chicken, tabbouleh, baba ganoush, hummus and garlic sauce. We also ordered the lentil soup (if you didn’t know already, i LOVE all things soup) and a salad, but the star of the show was this labneh dip (pictured below) mint, za’atar and with little gems of pomegranate seeds.

Location: 209 E Canon Perdido St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

3. Oku

This is probably one of the best japanese/sushi restaurants in Santa Barbara. Not only is their view spectacular, but their drinks and food are amazing. All their sushi is super fresh, but one of their best dishes that you will find on every table is their fried cauliflower and it is fabulous. Make sure to reserve a table on their upstairs patio for one of the best view in Santa Barbara!

Location: 29 E Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

4. Brophy Bros

I do not have enough great things to say about Brophy Bros! Not sure if it’s the classic fish house vibe, the gracious wine pours, or the fresh seafood, but we always stop here when in town. We always start with a cup of chowder (with black pepper and Tabasco) and then share a few items such as the Cold Seafood Combo (pictured below), the fish and chips, and the salmon combo plate. This is definitely one of the places that make me wish I had a couple extra stomachs.

Location: 119 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109

5. Loquita

Who doesn’t love tapas? Basically it means that you can try a lot more dishes since the portion sizes are smaller. Their amazing food and gorgeous patio transported us back to Spain. The cocktails were seasonal and delicious, but my favorite drink of the evening was their horchata made with oat milk…omg they could have left the pitcher. As for food, you can’t really go wrong with anything here. Their paella and tortilla espanola were drool-worthy, but the most surprising bite we had was the el bulli (just get it).

Location: 202 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

The post 5 Restaurants That You Must Try In Santa Barbara first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

When you are feeling under the weather, cooking is the last thing you feel like doing. Tired of toast and butter or other quick no cook meals (yogurt, frozen food, whatever else I had in the fridge that didn’t require any effort) I threw together this quick _ minute soup with vegetables and pantry items we always keep on hand.

I also add a couple scoops of collagen powder to the finished soup to add more protein. I typically do this to most of my soups if I’m using store bought chicken broth or chicken bouillon paste as it shocked me how these store bought options do not contain any protein.

If you have the time (and chicken bones), I would recommend making a large batch of chicken stock and freeze in quart sized containers. Nothing is better than homemade chicken stock. Check out my simple chicken stock recipe (link). It’s only a few ingredients (chicken bones, water, garlic, spices) and can be left on the stove all day.

Now back to this chicken noodle soup. We start by sautéing the vegetables – onions, carrots, and celery. Once veggies have softened, we add the garlic and red pepper flakes (omit if avoiding spicy foods). I learned from one of Kenji Lopez’s recipes to add red pepper flakes during the cooking process rather than at the end, and it has been wonderful. After a minute, we add the chicken broth and herbs.

The herbs used are bay leaves, thyme, oregano and parsley. I keep dried bay leaves and oregano in the pantry. I also have dried thyme, but try to keep the fresh version in the fridge and eventually freezer. Any time I buy fresh herbs, I freeze the remaining. You don’t have to follow the herbs I use exactly if you do not have on hand. Your soup won’t taste exactly like this one, but it will be pretty dang close.

This recipe is versatile and you can add whatever veggies you have on hand. I chopped up a couple leaves of kale and added it in.

For the chicken, I used a shortcut and had a rotisserie chicken in the fridge.

For the noodles, I prefer the short spaghetti noodles in my chicken noodle soup. You can obviously use whatever noodle you prefer (egg noodles would be good here) and just cook it as long as it says on the package.

Make sure to salt your soup to taste and salt as you go. I add a pinch of salt when sautéing the vegetables and after adding the broth. Please make sure to watch if you’re using low sodium or regular chicken broth as this will impact how much salt you need to add.

My last tip is to freeze any leftovers in individual servings. This way the next time you are feeling under the weather, you can quickly reheat! Your future self will thank you!

Ingredients (Serves 2 big bowls):

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano)
• 2 oz of preferred noodle (I use spaghetti and break it into little pieces)
• 1 cup of shredded cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 2 scoops of Vital Proteins Collagen
• salt & fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a small dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat
2. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 7 to 10 minutes
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for another minute
4. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano (and any other veggies you wish to add) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add noodles and boil until al dente (follow instructions on box)
6. Add the chicken, parsley and collagen for an additional minute, until warmed up
7. Season with salt & pepper (don’t forget to remove the bay leaf before serving)

Nutritional Information (Per Serving): 336 calories, 7g fat, 32g carbs, 25g protein

The post Quick and Delicious Chicken Collagen Noodle Soup first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

This mocktail is the perfect drink whenever you are feeling like your body needs a reset. The ginger, cinnamon, lemon, ACV and cayenne all help boost the metabolism and remove toxins. I like to make a batch on Sunday evening and drink it throughout the week. It should be taken first thing in the morning before consuming breakfast.

Ingredients (Makes 5 servings):

• 4 cups filtered water
• 2 inch piece of ginger peeled and sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• juice of 2 lemons
• 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• couple dashes of cayenne

Directions:

Add the ginger and cinnamon stick to a heat-proof jar or carafe. Boil the filtered water and add to ginger and cinnamon stick. Steep overnight. The next morning add the remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

The post Metabolism Boosting Morning Mocktail first appeared on Kale and Collagen.

I’ve recently made the switch from coffee to tea and have absolutely been loving it. I would have at least two coffees/lattes/espresso shots a day and would always experience caffeine jitters, heightened anxiety, and the infamous 2PM post-lunch slump. Since switching to tea, I can say that my stress and anxiety levels have noticeably decreased (as a type-A personality, anything that helps slightly decrease stress levels is a winner in my book). I am also sleeping better and have steady energy throughout the day.

I start every morning with this matcha latte for a caffeine boost and stress relief. Ashwagandha is one of my favorite adaptogens and is used here to help reduce stress and regulate cortisol levels.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon ceremonial grade matcha powder (I use the brand Aiya from Whole Foods)
• 1/4 teaspoon ashwagandha
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4-1/2 cup of plant milk (I use Califia Farms Barista Blend Oatmilk)

Directions:

Boil the water to 175 degrees. Sift the matcha and ashwagandha together in a small bowl. Pour half of the water while whisking with either a bamboo matcha whisk or electric milk frother until frothy. Pour into mug or over ice. Add remaining water and plant milk. Enjoy!

Note: Sometimes I will add a scoop of collagen for more protein (+35 calories, 9g protein)

Nutrition Information: 70 calories, 8g carbs, 4g fat, 2g protein

The post Stress Relieving Matcha Latte first appeared on Kale and Collagen.