Tag Archives: sugarless

Food Gifts from Your Own Hands

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granoladropsGet your apron on! These recipes from Lilly’s Table are a unique way to gift the loved ones in your life a treat straight from your heart, made with your hands. Some of them are sweet, some are savory, but none of them require refined sugar, processed foods or crazy unnecessary additives. Give the gift of a treat made sincerely with love and pure, real, wholesome goodness. They all pack up and ship well, too for your buddies who need holiday care packages.

Recently, I been making these Cacao Almond Balls with a base of dates, almonds and occasionally a heavy handed dash of my favorite liquors, which means I have to rename them “Boozy Balls” (mostly so I don’t accidentally use them as a post-workout snack 8-). This also reminds me of Schweddy Balls, because ’tis the season!) This recipe requires a food processor, but beyond that you don’t even need an oven and they are pretty simple to roll together into little balls of charming goodness.cocoaalmondballs

Maybe you would prefer your chocolate smooth + spreadable? This Homemade “Nutella” is blended from scratch with hazelnuts, cocoa, and a drizzle of sweetness making it a spread worth giving to anyone with a sweet tooth who might be trying to eat less sugar. This is even a lovely topping for cookies, crackers and even cupcakes.

nutella

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Apple Pecan Granola is this excellent, not-to-sweet base recipe for a simple granola. It is easy to add your own flavors, spices, nuts, seeds + dried fruits to really make this your own. Do it up and add your own personal pizzaz!

Coconut Granola brings together as many layers of coconut as I could muster into one recipe. The white flecks are a perfect snowy reminder of the brisk holiday season we are in.coconutgranola

Either of these granolas could be taken to the next level with these Granola Drops. You can even start this recipe with your favorite store-bought granola if you have a favorite.

Coco-Nutty low-resThe Coco-Nutty Granola is especially perfect for the grain-free, gluten-free, oat-free, I am mostly eating nuts + coconut crowd. This is probably my favorite granola because it is so high in protein it sustains me hours into my busy mornings.

blackpepperparmesangranolaBlack-Pepper + Parmesan Granola. Okay- I admit this one is totally unconventional, but I LOVE savory so I had to share it. It is beautiful sprinkled on salads or sizzling fried up eggs in the morning.
fennelcrackers
Jams from your summer harvest are always a good gift to share. Make that simple jar of goodness a bit more spectacular as a  hostess gift with homemade crackers and your favorite cheese. These whole-grain Fennel Crackers can be rolled out and cut into shapes. Meanwhile, these gluten-free Pecan Crackers are hearty and perfect for the holiday season.

These naturally sweetened Coconut Lime Date Bars, find the recipe here: http://www.simpleacresblog.com/health–food/coconut-lime-date-bars are just as lovely throughout the year as they are wrapped up as a gift for the holidays. A shiny label or a favorite washi tape wrapped around these bars make them extra special this time of year. Mix in a bit of dried cranberry towards the end of mixing for a delightful Christmas feel.

coconutlimedatebars
What treats are you planning to make this Holiday Season!?
Don’t forget! Gift your favorite bunch of ladies with Lilly’s Table seasonal meal planning service, too. Pay for four gift certificates, but receive five. Or buy eight gift certificates and receive three gift certificates for free! This deal is special for the holidays, so take advantage of it today!  

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

Poached Pears with Spiced Ricotta

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IMG_9515With Autumn’s official arrival, some people are excited about the crispier air & the changing colors, but as always I am excited about the food. Of course, I am eyeing those winter squash and pumpkins, but at the moment I want to talk about the fruits of fall and how a ting of spice can make magic.

Lately, we have been swimming in apples. We find apple tree owners who are overwhelmed by their supply and we arrive with ladders or small children on our shoulders and lend a hand. We are always happily to adopt your fruit, by the way! Certainly, we feel we are the true benefactors as I haven’t spent a dime on apples in months. My children happily pick them up and start munching at nearly any opportunity. My one-year old isn’t even picky as he picks up apples off the floor that have previously been nibbled on, most likely by him. We certainly feel grateful for these apples. However, lately I have been dreaming about a similar fruit, but with a slightly sexier shape: the pear.

I have this vague but happy childhood memory of canned pears that my Mom would dollop with ricotta and call breakfast. I loved it! That was entirely the inspiration for this simple, yet elegant breakfast.

Poaching in juice is certainly the appropriate way to go if you will be starting your day with this dish, but if you prefer to call this dessert (or a fancy-schmany brunch?) by all means use champagne, riesling, prosecco or any drinkably delicious white wine.

When poaching fruit a low simmer is ideal, but I like to get there quickly by turning the heat high first and I keep a close eye on it. If possible, reduce the hot juice just before you see more than a couple of bubbles burst along the edges of the pan.

After the fruit is removed, blast that heat high and reduce the juice (or vino!) into the most lovely sauce.

There is really only one way to make this dish a more delightful, which is to make a farmers cheese/ricotta from scratch. Stop it. I see that eye roll! What if I told you that making the cheese is probably easier to make than these Poached Pears? Well, you might just have to stay close to this blog, because I will be posting the creamy farmers cheese recipe soon. Although, this one will get you by for a bit, too.

And now… may I introduce:

Poached Pears with Spiced Ricotta
Serves two for breakfast, or four for dessert 

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2 cups pear nectar or apple juice
1 cinnamon stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon
1 whole star anise pod, or a 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ideally freshly grated off a whole nutmeg piece
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup ricotta cheese or fresh farmers cheese

Place the peeled and deseeded pears in a saucepan in an even layer. Pour the juice on top and add enough water to just barely cover the pears. Add all of the spices: ground or stick of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Bring up to a simmer over high heat. Reduce immediately to a slight simmer, cover with a lid and cook 5 minutes. Flip over the pears and continue to cook another 5-8 minutes until just barely tender.

Remove the pears, set aside to drain and cool slightly. Raise the temperature on the poaching liquid to high. Reduce for 8-12 minutes until only about 1/2 cup of syrupy liquid is remaining.

Whisk a few tablespoons of the reduced juice into the ricotta or farmers cheese. Serve the pears with the poaching liquid drizzled around and the spiced cheese filling the inside of the pear.

What fruits are you excited about this season?

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

Rule Breaking Grilled Potato & Greens Salad

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Grilled Potatoes GreensSummer meals are often all about the ingredients: the ripest tomatoes with a fancy-ish cheese, crispy cucumbers with vinaigrettes, zucchini blended into the simplest soups.

And then there is this salad.

While finding the highest quality version of each of the merely seven ingredients in this salad is of course a super-dooper idea, it is not quite as necessary as acquiring a perfect tomato for your caprese.

You see the magic actually happens after the ingredients mingle and dance together.

This is not something I knew when I first started whipping it up. I ignored all sorts of rules about heat & acid when my mind wandered to the fantasy of a perfect Potato Salad with a dressing lighter than the cloying mayo kind, with grilled instead of boiled potatoes, a drizzle of tangy yogurt and more greens than anyone should ever put in this salad and still name it after the spud.

But, I made it anyways. (Dare I say… ala Julia Child’s quote “In cooking you must have a what the hell attitude”.)

The initial result of my wild idea was not very poetic. A more perfect person, would probably have required a silky dressing properly soaking each wedge of artfully grilled potato and maybe they would all rest on a fluffy bed of greens. Instead, I looked at the mess of a salad I made and saw curdled globlettes of yogurt twisting through the singed, way too dark in spots, potato wedges. And then there were the greens: some were entirely wilted and others that were still seemingly raw.

Oh, the disappointment. But, oh well, my family had to eat and that was what I was serving, pretty or not, here it comes.

So apparently, the lemon based dressing managed to curdle in the heat, but instead of the usual awkward cheese moment, it somehow became little droplets of goodness. And the random decisions each baby green made as they either wilted or stayed crisp managed to make complete sense too. At least in our mouths as we gleefully chewed away.

Unlike the standard heavy potato salad this one is best hot or room temperature. It loses a bit of magic when icy chilled, although, I have been known to grab a cold wedge of potato with sauce & greens clinging to it and munch down happily without complaint.

In a shameless final promotion of this salad, I just made it recently for the World Cup Final. Sadly, we had to leave during overtime, merely moments before the only goal in the game. As I went to pack up the last dredges of our salad, every guest asked if they could take another serving before it went sailing out the door. Yes, it is that good. And the ingredient list is nice and compact, too: 
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Grilled Potato & Greens Salad
serves 2-3 people

1 1/2 pounds red or yukon potatoes (any thin-skinned potato will work well)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 cups arugula, spinach, or another tender baby green
1/2 cup basil, optional (roughly torn)

Heat a grill over medium-high. Cut the potatoes into wedges (if they are small, leave them whole) and toss lightly with half of the olive oil. Place directly on the grill, reduce to medium, cover and sear for 6-10 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly, if the potatoes are not becoming tender. Once grill marks appear, flip over and sear on the other side for 6-10 minutes until cooked through.

Meanwhile, whisk together the garlic, salt, yogurt, lemon zest and juice. Slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil while whisking rapidly.

Roughly chop the arugula or other greens and basil. Fold the greenery into the dressing. As soon as the potatoes are grilled, toss into the greens & dressing.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Day 50: Sugar Free Challenge and Peaches n’ Cream

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photo-140For this 50th day of blogging, I am most excited to tell you about the Sugar Challenge my family and I have taken on for the last three weeks. Here I posted about the first day of the challenge, but I have yet to tell you why and what we are doing.

This past year, I have had an internal debate about whether I am addicted to sugar or not. Stress, pregnancy, and some health frustrations all pointed in the direction of my needing to eliminate sugar, but deep inside my inner brat screamed “I wanna COOKIE!”

I noticed I wasn’t alone in demanding sugar treats. Most of us in the family, spent the evenings looking for a sweet way to end the day: a bit of chocolate, ice cream, the occasional cookie. At the start of the day, drizzling on honey or maple syrup, whipping up scones, buying pastries or pouring a bowl of sweet granola was common around here. Nut Butter & Jam sandwiches were also quite popular- anytime of day.

Starting with asking Lulu and Xerxes, we agreed we could do it! We would give up sugar. But, adding merely three years old Juliette to the mix was a bit more of a question. The more I considered the possibility the more I realized how much we relied on sugar to get all of us including her, through the day. “Get in the car and we can go get ice cream.” “Please be quiet and you can have this cookie”. UGH! What if we didn’t have sugar to even offer her? At the very least we would have to figure something else out. Right?!

So, I had a chit-chat with Juliette a few days before we started the challenge and we discussed what contained sugar, what did not and why we needed a break. I still wondered the best strategy for those times when she is offered candy. Man, people love giving kids candy! And I am totally not talking about strange creepy men pulling over in vans. Rather, I am talking about her dance teacher or the super cute nice guys at the liquor store who are so charmed by her patience as I search through Argentine wines. Considering the teeny-tiny lollipop they all love giving her, I was fine discussing with her that they do have sugar in them, but still letting her have them since it was a gift from a nice person. The last thing I need to do is give her some crazy disfunction where sugar becomes the forbidden fruit that she has to devour in hysteria. Growing up in a semi-hippie style, I have seen this happen and it ain’t pretty. A casual lollipop sends the message that this is a real rarity and not a daily treat. And most importantly, Mama doesn’t eat them or give them to her. Only nice random *trusted* people do. UGH. Oh- the challenges of raising children… in this sugar obsessed family society we live in.

Overall, we all seem to be doing well with the challenge. If anything, Juliette’s 1-2 times per week lollipop may put her in the category of cheating less than the adults who, I swear, are even more exposed to sugar outside the home. I just found out about how Lulu  (aka Sharon, my fabulous Mother-in-Law) cheated a bit with a bite of brownie as she wrote in her blog. Of course, she says nice things about me, so I forgive. And Xerxes also seems to bump into the challenge more frequently than Juliette and I do. Although, I did eat a few dried apricots recently at a friend’s house. They were damn good. I can’t wait to get back to eating those.

The other challenge of the challenge was finding a challenge that we could actually swallow. (Challenging sentence, eh? Oh, this is out of control. I’ll stop.)

There was one big and popular sugar challenge that has a slight Palio twist to it, but they appeared to allow a few non-sugar sweeteners such as Xylitol and Stevia. I don’t eat those really normally, we are more into honey & maple syrup as sweeteners, but my focus for this challenge was to really say good-bye to sweetness for awhile, including the arguably natural ones.

The popular challenge also said no fruit. I completely understand giving up juice and dried fruit as they have been processed and no longer contain the fiber or juice that aid in digesting them, but giving up fresh, nutrient packed whole fruit seemed silly to me. Especially for a toddler and nursing mother. Lulu and I found other challenges and decided to mix the best of all of them into our own challenge that we would do as a family for six weeks. We saw them ranging from 21 days to 8 weeks, which made 6 weeks seem rational.

Here are the basics:

No More: 
Sugar or processed syrups
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Honey
Agave Nectar
Natural or scary artificial sweeteners
Dried Fruit
Juice

Okay, in moderation:
Whole Fruit
Alcohol
Frozen Fruit & berries

Fresh fruit has been getting us through the tough days when our inner voice whines for sweetness. For the photo above, we simply whipped cream with a splash of almond extract and piled it high with sliced Colorado peaches. Delight.

After writing this post, Juliette, Xerxes, and I went to a birthday party. The Mom, a dear friend makes beautiful healthy cuisine and knows how to splurge to make a gorgeous dessert. We couldn’t resist and had to eat the Lemon Cake. It was heavenly, because let’s face it, when sugar is given a dose of time and love it can be out of this world. It did taste incredibly sweet, but if I had to cheat, it would only be with something so lovely and divine. Today is exactly half way through. I am looking forward to getting back on track with the challenge. Honestly, today’s experience made me aware that maybe as a family we could collectively give up sugar within these walls, but still make cookies for a friend who needs cheering up or enjoy a treat that is given to celebrate a year of living!

We shall see where this challenge takes us. So far so good!

Cheers,

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