Lilly's Table Blog | Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well.

Several blissful years ago, I lived just down the street from my sister in San Luis Obispo. Her quaint home from the 1920’s had this massive avocado tree that hung slightly across her roof. During avocado season, a crashing sound would often occur tempting you to duck and prepare for the seeming earthquake that was coming. The ‘earthquake instinct’ was easy to develop while living in California. Seriously, if the big one struck in her house it might have taken awhile until we figured out it was not another avocado landing. Fortunately, we forgave the tree because the buttery fleshed goodness that came off was worth every bite and each time the house shook you knew something delicious was coming your way.

A neighbor kindly dropped off a handful of the green beauties a few days ago from his recent trip to California and I picked up more at our Farmers Market yesterday, but the season is just barely getting rolling for most avocados this February and will last well into May.

To select an avocado, be gentle. When we jab or squeeze too hard the inner flesh can be bruised and brown prematurely. Place the fruit in the palm of your hand. Gently and evenly squeeze as if you are shaking the hand of a dear friend. Another way to tell is to touch the tip near the stem to check for softness, that way you are less likely to bruise the center. The most flavorful avocados are soft consistently throughout, but not mushy.

If you buy them unripe, they just need a few days in a brown paper bag or hanging out in the fruit bowl with some apples & bananas to get a waft of their natural ethylene. If it is already ripe and you are not quite ready to dive in, simply stick it in the fridge. When your avocado is perfectly ripe, check out my favorite way to slice them.

While I always get excited for an organic one straight off a local tree, know that avocados are part of the Clean Fifteen and are one of the safer fruits to purchase conventionally. I certainly miss the days of storming avocados, but do my best to stock up whenever I can. I hope you do as well.

And as if guacamole wasn’t addictive on it’s own, here is a quick & simple recipe for my Feta-Guacamole.
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1 avocado, cut in half with the pit removed, see here for my favorite way to slice it
1 lime
1 pinch salt, optional depending on the saltiness of the cheese
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely minced
1 tablespoon red onion, finely minced

Mash the avocado with the lime & salt. Fold and mash in the feta/queso fresco, cilantro and red onion. Taste. Adjust any of the flavors to your particular liking.

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

Do you love Pinterest as much as we do?

Join us as we pin our favorite recipes from Lilly’s Table.

But, it gets better!
February 1st through 14th we will be tracking the recipes that you love.
On the big love day we will reveal at least two winners of a year of seasonal meal planning through Lilly’s Table!

Here’s how to play:
1. Follow Lilly’s Table on Pinterest
2. Pin any of your favorite recipes from Lilly’s Table
3. Mark every pin with www.LillysTable.com

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Who will WIN?

1st Winner
Pinner with most Lilly’s Table recipe posts.

2nd Winner
Pinner with the most repins on any one pin.
(hint: let your friends know you are playing and to repin your favorite LT recipes.)

Join us as a collaborator on the Lilly’s Table Recipe Roundup as a way to increase your chances. Just comment on this post or on the board with your Pinterest name.

Good Luck! Can’t wait to see you and your favorite LT recipes on Pinterest!

Don’t just make lemonade. There is a whole world of possibilities with that zangy fruit from salt-rimmed glasses of Margaritas to crispy skinned Lemon Roast Chicken to flaky Lemon Bars that melt in your mouth.

When I consider essential ingredients in my kitchens, lemons come up so often. Every kitchen is a bit brighter and the cooking possibilities more diverse with a bowl of lemons shining the way. They tend to make year round appearances in grocery stores, but this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere lemons often load down trees with their abundance. Just last night I sliced into a freshly clipped lemon and I was overwhelmed with the seriously intoxicating scent of lemons that sent me straight back to my childhood pulling up to my grandparent’s home in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Juicy juice
Packed with vitamin C, Lemons are an ever-ready healthy cooking assistant. Their natural citric acid can be used to keep fruits such as apples & avocados from browning. The juice can also help curdle milk for a quick buttermilk substitute or into cheese, ricotta or other dairy delights. Of course, the juice also adds a subtle amount of zing to salad dressings. And they highlight beverages from lemonade to ice teas to lemonchillo.

For the most juice, select lemons that feel heavy for their size. Give them a gentle squeeze and choose the ones that feel soft, but not squishy. A touch of green on them is just fine, but brown spots indicate they are starting to rot. Eat those fast or send them to the compost if they are too, too squishy. To bring out even more juice, if they were in the fridge, bring them up to room temperature (if you have the time) then roll and press it against a table.

Feeling zesty?
One of my favorite parts of the lemon is the delightful zest. The oils tight in the skin pack tons of flavor and can be added to dishes, especially baked goods, without increasing the acid or liquid in a dish.
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To use the zest, start with an organic lemon since the pesticides reside on this outer layer. My favorite tool for removing the zest is a microplane. If I do not have one handy I use a knife or vegetable peeler to thinly cut away the yellow skin, avoiding the white pith. Next, I finely mince the zest and use as called for in recipes.

At Lilly’s Table we have a few recipes this week that highlight the golden, tangy fruit. The juice & zest add the perfect balance of flavor to Lemon Date Bars. We also went a bit daring and minced a whole lemon, rind and all into a sassy topping of Caramelized Lemons & Pistachios. Next, if you subscribe to Lilly’s Table Meal Planning Service search ‘lemon’ for over 100 different recipes where we utilize this beautiful fruit.

Seriously, what other fruit would serve so well at any time of the day? Whether in a beverage, snack bar, squeezed on crepes for breakfast, whipped into a salad dressing such as this Lemon Poppyseed Dressing, highlighting fresh fish or roasts, not too mention all of the heavenly desserts, lemons are a shining star that bring a little brightness, zip and love to every bite.

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

The book Bottomfeeder by Taras Grescoe is worth devouring and licking the bones & fins clean. Probably my greatest disappointment was I checked it out from the library and eventually was forced to return it.

The truth is we are incredibly disconnected from the sea. Technological advances have given us the opportunity to scrape the bottoms clean with no regard for the creatures who might need those environments to actually grow & reproduce… so we can of course continue to eat them.

I appreciate that Grescoe is a devout seafood lover, giving this book a feel of the Omnivores Dilemma under the sea. He explores the world Bourdain style enjoying some of the rarest and most expensive fish, but questioning every bite along the way.

I feel converted. Like many of us, I care that catching my tuna does not kill dolphins or contain mercury. I easily avoid gourmet specialities, such as monkfish, bluefin, and shark, fins & all. I carry and distribute SeafoodWatch cards. I always attempt to purchase fish certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. But, now instead of playing it safe with fish I feel more adventurous. The author gives license to not feel dismayed by the increasing list of seafood to avoid, but rather explore a world of possibilities we culturally refuse, such as sardines and jellyfish.

When eating out, I find myself willing to inquire about their seafood if only to inform favorite restaurants of what they probably do not know: their beloved fish may not always be around if they continue to serve it. Consuming fish used to seem a safer option in a world of CAFO, antibiotic bursting beef & chicken. Today, if I see jellyfish salad on any menu- I promise to try it. Especially since, if we are not careful, this may be one of the only seafood options left.

With my new incites, I found myself buying a fish whole to cook up and even indulged in the crispy skin. After purchasing a can of sardines I anticipated a smelly, slimy, eyeballs and all affair, only to be shockingly surprised and now newly obsessed with one of the most omega-3 rich foods we could consume.

It is a rare book I consider buying after checking it out from the library, just to be able to lend it to friend’s to borrow, then to read again in two years to brush myself up on the details. But, it is certainly on my wish lists.

In the meantime, I wrote a list of the top seafoods I will avoid and the new ones I will be seeking out regularly and thought you might like to enjoy my list, too:

Shrimp

I will no longer purchase shrimp in restaurants unless I know the source is from the US or Canada. While there are some farms in Thailand sustainably farming, more of them throughout the world farm shrimp in toxic manners. Unless stated, I will now cook and eat my shrimp at home purchased from North America.

Salmon

Being from the Pacific Northwest, I avoided farmed salmon for as long as I can remember, mostly because it tastes terrible and is a sad interpretation of an otherwise delightful fish. Culinarily organic farmed salmon has been less than impressive. I will continue to enjoy and love up Wild Salmon, especially from Alaska or during the Chinook runs. In recent days, news of the probable FDA approval of the first ever Genetically Engineered protein is coming out. This certainly could pose threats to the wild salmon populations.

Calamari

Apparently, right now these happy little rubber bands are in safe supply and caught sustainably, so I will continue to love them as an appetizer and cook calamari at home more often. If you are a subscriber to Lilly’s Table here is my Coconut-Ginger Calamari.

Tilapia, Catfish & Pollack

These vegetarian fish are farmed sustainably and tilapia is my go-to for a simple white fish. Catfish makes less frequent visits to my plate, but I intend to change this. Pollack is a cheap and often overlooked fish. I am also excited since I just found out my favorite fish taco joint serves pollack!

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It is true, I am now ready to sign up for the Sardinista club. Especially, after enjoying it with avocados and garbanzo beans. This will make regular appearances in lunches, salads, and road trip snacks as it is simple and tastes charmingly of the sea.

Rainbow Trout

Steelhead or Golden Trout farmed in the US is my new go-to-fish when I want a whole fish since it is easy to find. The farms are typically far away from wild sources making it unlikely to be introduced into existing populations. Occasionally, I will consider wild sources if someone catches it for me in a safe, sustainable location.

Oysters

I will be mindful of their source, but seek these shooters out more frequently.

There is quite a long list of fish to avoid, but I am going to just list the ones that are readily available at the restaurants and groceries I frequent.

Cod

No more fish and chips, unless made with halibut, turbot, pollack or some other not about to go extinct fish. Seriously. Pirates are all about this fish. Arghhh… Cod is not even considered an elegant fish by most chef standards. It is however considered the go-to white fish by pubs and chain restaurants. It is also increasing in popularity as Cod Liver Oil is rapidly becoming the next power supplement— be wary and get your Omega-3 vitamin’s from small fish sources such as sardines.

Orange Roughy

It is going through a rough-y time and despite its ever presence in freezer aisles it is borderline and not worth consuming.

Red Snapper

So many restaurants serve this, especially Mexican it seems, and many recipes call for it. Use Tilapia or Catfish instead. Or if you are able to find it apparently Yellow Snapper is doing just fine these days.

Tuna

I recently found sustainable canned tuna and will only buy this expensive stuff when the craving hits. Otherwise, no more chicken of the sea for me. Sardines are my new quick seafood lunch.

Chilian Sea Bass

I prepared this once for a client by request, but otherwise have not really enjoyed it myself. It is available enough to put on the list to avoid. I have seen it sustainably caught from Chile, but if I am so desperate to eat Sea Bass I will fly down there myself to eat it from a sustainable source. If I am wasting the carbon foot print, I’d like to at least do some hiking & site-seeing (especially in Patagonia) and wash it down with a Pisco Sour.

Which fish are you avoiding? Enjoying? Curious about? Before your next bite, double check the seafoodwatch.org, better yet grab Bottomfeeder and learn everything you wanted to know about eating from the sea.

As the diet world yo-yo’s between which maco-nutrient is the most evil: fat or carbs? It is time to consider when carbohydrates are actually good. The best way to examine this is to explore why they ever got on that bad list in the first place.

Let’s dive a bit into the basics. Whole grains are made mostly of the starchy delicious endosperm, wrapped in a bit of bran with a tiny dollop of germ in it, just to keep things in balance. When ground, the germ’s fatty acids are exposed and with time become rancid causing the flour to taste bitter and unpleasant. Yuck. Fortunately, it takes several months before flour becomes inedible. During the Industrial Revolution however, this was not fast enough to effectively transport flour. It would simply become rancid too soon. Therefore, removing the germ became essential and soon everyone was enjoying wheat a little bit ‘whiter’. Little did they know at the time, many of the nutrients were taken out with the germ.

Our appetite for the bitter-free white flour grew and soon peroxides were bleaching it into an angel white addiction. This hardly helped our insulin levels. The rise of diabetes keeps growing, as do waistlines. The lack of balanced fiber in the whole grain means the flour is processed more quickly, as sugar, and our body’s insulin levels spike. The more ‘whole’ the grain the longer our body takes to process it.

Unfortunately, I don’t remember a ton from my high-school Chemistry class, but I have this strong memory of our teacher giving us a saltine cracker to place on our tongues. She asked us to slowly chew it and process it in our mouths. Very quickly it was apparent that it was quite sweet and tasted almost like sugar. Her lesson on simple starches clearly stuck with me and has had an interesting impact on the amount of white flours I feel able to consume before I consider the flour a treat, not a real food.

Enriched Flours

It is common to find Enriched Wheat Flour listed as one of the first ingredients on your bread. The word enriched seems as if it must be doing great things. Pumped up with vitamins like an iron man– how can that be wrong? The problem is, the flours have been striped of their nutrients and recharged with whatever scientists believe to be the ones worth adding back. This is whether or not there is balance in those nutrients or whether our body is able to recognize them as worth saving. Also, the loss of fiber means we digest the flour faster, therefore causing a quicker blood sugar spike. Don’t be fooled into thinking it is good for you. It is simply white flour wrapped in a vitamin labeled.

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Recently there is an obvious rise in Celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Often, I hear the debate as to whether a gluten-free diet is somehow healthier. It certainly is healthier to avoid gluten if you are unable to digest it, but simply eliminating wheat and other gluten products from your diet will not make your diet ‘healthy’. If anything, the dramatic rise in awareness of gluten intolerance has lead to an increase of food products made without the culprit. These products often contain high levels of sugars, starches such as tapioca, potato, and cornstarch and refined gluten-free flours such as white rice flour. While these bread products are a welcome change for those who have become sick from eating gluten, the lack of whole grain and the increase in starch makes them far from a ‘healthy’ option.

When enjoying a gluten-free food product know it is a treat and do not be confused into believing it is somehow better for you than a regular sweet treat. Do your best to find whole grain gluten-free products that are reliably tasty. A few of my favorite brands include Udi’s for baked goods and Tinkyada for pasta. What I love is how many local bakeries have started offering gluten-free selections. If you have Celiacs disease seek out a bakery that will not have any cross contamination. Next, be sure to ask these specialized bakeries what flours & starches they use in their mixes and if they offer any whole grain selections. If you have any gluten-free brands that you are quite fond of, please comment and list them below.

Interested in more ways to eat well? Join the 30-Day Healthy Body, Healthy Planet Challenge. This post about whole grains is one of many that are part of the tips & ideas you will learn throughout the challenge.

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

Unlike many parts of the world, we may have access to clean water but we often prefer to drink our liquids sweetened and flavored with promises of energy and fun. These substances are more of a dessert or a drug (as Dr. Lutig states in his talk Sugar: The Bitter Truth) than a beverage as they are packed with chemicals, additives, colors and sweeteners. A twenty ounce can of soda or energy drink is equivalent to eating about 16 sugar packets. Whether in the form of high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar or organic cane syrup- remember they are all sugar and one is not ‘healthier’ than the other.

Artificial sweeteners are not much better for our health and the endless supply of those paper packets is hardly doing a service to the planet.

Tips… for drinking more of the good stuff

There is this standard rule to drink eight 8-ounce glasses or shall we say 64 ounces everyday. This standard seems to ignore the weight of the individual, climate, exercise, and other conditions. This handy hydration calculator offers some nice guidelines for how much you may need to drink considering your circumstance.

When I consider the many ounces of water I need to consume after using the calculator, I am often tempted to strap a water pack on my back with a little tube to sip as often as possible throughout the day. But, there are a few other strategies that could help as well.

First, start with a hefty glass of water as soon as you take your first sip of the day. Starting with a tall glass of water will give you more energy and the boost you need to effectively get going.

Next, figure out your system. In my home, we each have our own personalized glass that we keep nearby ready for sipping and refilling. It is a great way to drink more, but also keeps us from doing as many dishes. The environment thanks us for that, too.

There is also the lemon slice method. My grandfather had been sick in the hospital and I went to help out. Doctor’s orders included drinking more water, which my grandfather loathed. So I cut a lemon into 8 slices and gave him a new piece of lemon for every new glass. It was a great way to keep track of his intake and he liked the lemon essence more then plain water.

Set aside the water you need for the day. I live in the desert and on those 100+ degree days we all suffer through warm glasses of water as we burn through the ice in our freezer. Filling up large mason jars or pitchers of my water and sticking it in the fridge, keeps me on track with my water needs throughout the day and it is perfectly chilled when I want it.

Bottled Water

For our ‘convenience’ an entire industry of bottled beverages has developed. Whether we are drinking water or something sweet, the plastic bottle is purchased and discarded almost as quickly. This high use of plastic is rather unfortunate, especially since we use finite resource, oil, to make this plastic and have not created the best system for recycling it.
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If you spend any time on the go, find an easy bottle to take with you such as Klean Kanteen.

Still not in love with the seemingly plain taste of water?

Jazz Up Your Water

Add seasonal fruit and herbs, such as cucumber & lime, strawberries, citrus, mint or lemon balm. If you love the sparkle of soft drinks and beer, switch to a glass or two of soda water during the day mixed with fresh squeezed citrus juice.

There is also a whole world of delicious, health-packed beverages out there. If you haven’t had a chance yet, try out coconut water, kefir and kombucha for a refreshing twist. These are also not a substitute for water, but they do not contain processed chemicals, sugars, colors, or additives.

This post is part of the Healthy Body, Healthy Planet Challenge. Join the FREE 30-day challenge to receive more details, tips and email support.

What are your tips for staying hydrated? What changes are you planning to take to increase your water intake? Please comment below!

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

This is my daughter & husband on her first day of pre-school this week. She seemingly adores every moment of her darling school and I am enjoying the consistent time in the week to work. We have already discovered a few of our challenges, the first is a regular bedtime. The second is coming up with delightful, healthy snacks and lunches that do not require a lot of packaging or preservatives. I am always excited about a food challenge and so compiled this list to help me stay focused. Feel free to comment on the bottom to add your own suggestions for homemade snacks that do not require disposable packaging.

Slice vegetables into sticks or rounds
Slice apples, keep them from browning by soaking briefly in lemon water or spritzing with lemon-water.
Whole fruit such as oranges, clementines are great for small hands, bananas or small apples
Homemade & gluten-free Almond Herb Crackers
Ak-mak, which are one of my favorite low ingredient whole grain crackers to buy

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Serve any of the above with a homemade spreads & dips, such as:

Nut butters, make your own buy tossing raw almonds, peanuts or cashews in a food processor or vita-mixer, blend for about 5 minutes until smooth
Greek yogurt with lemon zest, juice & honey, to taste
Yogurt with fresh herbs & lemon, for a more detailed recipe try Lilly’s Table’s Yogurt-Herb Ranch
Minced Veggies blended with cream cheese
Fruit jam blended with cream cheese or Greek yogurt
Homemade bean dips such as mexican Black Bean Dip OR
Hummus

Fill small individual containers with:

Plain yogurt with low-sugar jam, local honey, dried or fresh fruit
Applesauce with cinnamon or other ground spices such as ginger
Granola, nuts and seeds… Here are a few favorite granola recipes from Lilly’s Table: Seeduction Granola, Peanut Butter Banana Granola, and Molasses Pumpkin Granola
Granola Drops
Make your own trail mix, packed full with your favorite nuts, seeds & dried fruits
Hard-boiled eggs with a dollop of mayo & mustard mixed
Cubes of cheese, also lovely with a handful of fresh grapes & nuts
Dates stuffed with nut butters, mascarpone or blue cheese
Whole-grain tortillas filled with nut butters and fruit
Date bars- Lara Bar and Vixi Bars are our two favorite brands because of their low-packaging and they are each made with only a handful of ingredients.
Alternatively, we love to make these Lemon Date Bars and package them ourselves.

What snacks do you love to take on the go that do not require too many preservatives or layers of plastic covering?

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

Jamaican Black Bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

After about 10 years of avoiding meat, I found myself craving it, wanting it, needing it. There were major lifestyle changes happening at the same time as I was starting my first Personal Chef business and developing a new, almost daily dedication to the hot & steamy Bikram Yoga. Not long after, I met my future husband who was a semi-but-mostly-vegetarian just to add to the irony of my new fond love of meat. After we traveled to Argentina and indulged in a whole lot of grass-fed beef and pastured pork & chicken we came back fully dedicated to the omnivore life, but neither of us were quite happy with the environmental impact of our meat consumption in this country. Over the years we have reduced the amount of meat we eat, just as many more people throughout the world are becoming more conscious and mindful of their meat consumption whether or not they are full-time vegans or vegetarians.

If you have considered these possibilities, let me be the first to welcome you to the delightful Flexitarian lifestyle. Oh yes, we all need a fancy dietary name, right?

Meatless Mondays
Take the pledge and declare your vegetarianism for just one easy day per week.

Mark Bittman’s Strategy
The author of Food Matters follows a philosophy of being vegan every day until 6pm. After that, anything goes for him. This is perfect for anyone who eats out frequently or prefers to cook roasts and more hearty meals for dinner.

By my hands alone
There is an interesting movement that Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook subscribes to. They only eat the meat they kill themselves. Honestly, I am not quite ready for such action myself, but I do follow the philosophy of only eating meat that has been produced locally, from a source I trust. The cost of these beautiful pasture raised meats means that many of my meals are actually vegetarian. I just cannot afford to eat that much grass-fed beef or pasture raised pork & chicken.

Our way…
As I stated above, my husband and I eat a relatively vegetarian diet and occasionally, as a few extra dollars are available, we indulge in grass-fed beef, pastured pork or chicken. We raise our own chickens for their eggs and get plenty of meatless protein otherwise, but we love the treat of eating locally raised meat.

If we buy a chicken, we buy it whole (as it is cheapest per pound) and we are sure to make the bones into a hearty broth after it is roasted, poached, or cooked however we like. Ideally, during my pregnant/nursing/raising toddler lifestyle I would prefer to have a chicken, beef or pork at least once per week, but that is not always possible and that is okay, too. We eat a ton of beans, whole-grains, nuts and seeds, our own chicken eggs, yogurt and cheese. We also treat ourselves to restaurants with local meat options, too. Otherwise, we choose to eat vegetarian when we are out.

What are your meatless strategies? Are you ready to get on board with reducing your meat consumption? Please comment below and share the strategies that work best for you!

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

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For dedicated meat eaters a common concern about reducing meat consumption is the lack of protein. In truth, when eating a well balanced diet with plenty of vegetables you will receive an adequate amount of protein. But, for those of us who are used to adding chopped chicken to salads for an extra boost or consider a sandwich pointless without the meat, you will most likely need some tips for resupplying your non-meat proteins.

Nuts & Seeds
Grab a handful for a quick snack and protein boost. Sprinkle on salads or cooked vegetables. During the low-fat craze, nuts got a bad reputation, but in truth they are little nutrition power houses containing not only protein, but fiber, folate, Vitamins E & B-2, essential fatty acids and more. Soaking nuts is a method that is becoming more popular as a way to sprout them and increase their nutritional content. While we all have our favorite nuts or seeds, keep your diet interesting and diverse by mixing up your options.

Nut & Seed Butters
Spread nut or seed butters on crackers, bread or veggie sticks such as celery and carrots for a snack. Mix into soups for more flavor, texture and protein. Whisk into sauces for stir fries, such as Thai Peanut Sauces. Try new flavors such as almond, cashew or my latest favorite, sunflower butter. Subscribers to Lillys Table can try the Thai Almond Broccoli, too.

Beans
Canned beans are easy to mix into spreads, dips, soups and main dishes. If you are interested in soaking and cooking your own from scratch, here is a nice bean guide to help you along. Cooking your own is a great way to save a few bucks, control the sodium content and leftovers freeze beautifully for a quick meal on another day.

Grains
Often you will see beans & rice paired together in various international cuisine. The combination of beans and brown rice actually provides a complete protein. Pile the vegetables high and you have a delightful vegetarian dish that can evolve with the season’s produce. If you want just a single fast cooking grain, quinoa offers the highest amount of protein, it is easy to prepare quickly and tastes great tossed in salads or topped with vegetables.

Tofu & Tempeh
Soy has had its fair share of controversy over the years, but it still remains a good protein option. Seek out non-gmo Tofu and Tempeh. Your favorite marinades work well to flavor them. Edamame or non-processed soy beans are also an excellent choice.

Dairy & Eggs
Find the best quality, sustainable options for your egg and dairy sources. We raise our own chickens and are a bit obsessed with the golden-orange yolks they produce. If you can find grass-fed dairy, wonderful, but if not we prefer organic dairy in our homes for the taste and the overall environmental benefits. Of course, this is only for the ovo-lacto vegetarians. As you can see vegans still have plenty of good protein options.

Avoid Soy Products
As a vegetarian for almost 10 years, I indulged in the occasional Tofu Dog, but for the most part I limited the soy products in my diet because they were a bit pricy and they just seemed wrong in some way. Keep in mind soy products are a processed food with often long lists of crazy ingredients. Stick to GMO-free tofu or tempeh and liven them up with your favorite flavors.

What are your favorite vegetarian proteins? Can you help us expand this list or share why you prefer one over the other?

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Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

My brother and I were chatting a few years ago and he said the secret to every fad diet is to eliminate certain foods and encourage one to eat a high quantity of another. Diets have always had little appeal to me as I am basically a vegetable junkie, but I find I disregard any diet that encourages one to avoid vegetables of any kind.

If you are considering starting some sort of fad diet, instead try increasing your vegetable consumption, as much as possible. When your plate is abundantly full of produce it is a challenge to eat too much of the extra stuff.

Here are a few ideas to get you on track:

Veggie Breakfasts of Champions:

Most of us skip the veggies for breakfast and opt for a grain based start. Here are a few tips for incorporating more nutrients, even if they are coming from fruit, to start your day.

The Breakfast Scramble: Saute a few vegetables, add beaten eggs or crumbled tofu with nutritional yeast & a few spices. Cook through, until hot & steamy. Here is a recipe at Lilly’s Table for a simple tofu scramble with carrots.

Veggies in your Smoothie?: If you like a sweet start, but want a boost of chlorophyll try tossing in a handful of greens into any morning smoothie. My favorite is the Kale Date Smoothie. But, don’t stop with green smoothies. Red Velvet Beet Smoothie or the Carrot Cake Smoothie sound decadent, but they are boosting with nutrients.

Vegetable Juices: A vita-mixer or vegetable juicer will get the job down easily and you can start your day with more energy than any cup of joe could possibly serve. Mix and match your favorites with a nice balance of sweeter (fruit, carrots, etc.) and the stronger vegetables (greens such as kale, beets, ginger, etc.).

Veggie Packed Lunch:

Thinly slice a ton of vegetables to quickly grab and toss into salads or layer into sandwiches.

When making Sandwiches always try to add at least two to three different vegetables. Some of our favorites include: lettuce, sprouts, shredded carrots or beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and more. What are your favorites? Comment below and let me know!

Make homemade Hummus blended with vegetables such as this Beet Hummus.
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Herb Dressings with yogurt are perfect for dipping any combination of sliced vegetables.

Chop up a ton of vegetables as in the photo above. This can be added to leafy greens for a bigger salad, tossed with seeds, nuts and finally your favorite dressing. This will last a few days to keep you supplied with vegetables. This will be a great side for dinner, too.

Dinner with Vegetable Bonus:

Plan to enjoy two vegetable side dishes, cooked if your lunch was raw. Your body will get bonus points if your main dish has veggies in it as well.

Plan to always have a simple salad with dinner. Get creative with your greens and go beyond lettuce with Creamy Ginger Kale Salad. It is easy to shred in or slice vegetables to go with any salad.

Make vegetables the star of your main dish. Too often we center our meals around the meat or protein. But, if you start with the available vegetables first the meat is easy to add as a garnish offering you plenty of protein in the process and a greater nutritional punch with the veggie abundance.

Fruity Sweet Dessert:

Try a bowl of fresh seasonal fruit. Try it baked with a crumble of granola on top. Alternatively, toss a salad of fresh fruit and splash with lime, sprinkle of fresh mint, crumble of nuts, drizzle of yogurt or granola

If you enjoy snacks, challenge yourself to incorporate at least one vegetable and fruit. Veggie sticks with yogurt dip or nut butters is a great place to start.

One final thought… as renowned nutritionist Marion Nestle states: “What we know about diets hasn’t changed. It still makes sense to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, balance calories from other foods, and keep calories under control. That, however, does not make front-page news.” Just remember the best path to health is through an abundance of produce.

What are your own tips and tricks for incorporating more veggies into your diet? Please comment below and help expand this list of possibilities!