Lilly's Natural Foods

Glamour Mag Likes Us!

2011-10-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a recent Glamour Magazine mention of our Roasted Jalapeno Hummus! We're so very excited to have been mentioned in their Health & Fitness section.

"My husband came back from the grocery store with an amazing find recently: Lilly's Roasted Jalapeno Hummus. He's a sucker for all things jalapeno, but neither of us had seen these spicy peppers paired with hummus.

I had no idea what to expect until I tried it, and wow. Sort of smoky, really zesty and mildly spicy, this stuff is off-the-charts good. So good, that I found myself sneaking a teaspoon-full here and there--straight from the fridge.

Enjoy!

P.S. More healthy snack ideas!"

- Sarah Jio

Thanks for the Mention Sarah!

Maui's Natural Foods!

2011-09-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

We recently visited Maui, land of enchantment. Not only is it an exquisitely beautiful place to visit, the food that is grown and sold on the island is magical and full of flavor. We visited two retailers which carry Lilly's Hummus on the island, and got a chance to visit, talk with them and enjoy their incredibly flavorful, delicious prepared deli foods! Yum!

Mana Foods looks like a non-descript, old wooden building on the outside, but when you enter you realize you will actually will be able to purchase Mana from Heaven. The pineapples, mangoes, papaya, fresh sprouts and other vegetables they stock are literally heaven sent. Don't visit Maui without stopping into Mana Foods and treating yourself to some sun-soaked produce, and fabulous prepared food items from their deli!

Down to Earth is another great Maui natural foods retailer. Their deli items are so thoughtfully prepared and full of deliciousness. We especially enjoyed their Kale and Edamame Salad, and salad rolls wraps, made with stuffed rice paper, veggies, tofu and peanut sauce! Such a treat. They're another must-visit store in Maui, and are conveniently located near the airport.

Aloha and Mahalo Maui! Hope to see you again someday soon!

Spotlight on Portland, Oregon

2011-05-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Portland, Oregon has been getting a lot of national attention lately. This is the lovely rooftop view from The Nines Hotel, in downtown Portland recently featured in NY Magazine's Travel Section, you can see the full article here.

Last year an IFC series debuted called Portlandia, starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, which was filmed entirely in our fair city! And of course, it made fun with what makes Portland so unique, our quarky citizens.

Here is a photo from Portland's Pie Off ! A very cute pie contest, staffed with officials called Pie Commissioners, and judged by local Portland pie experts and bakers. After the winners have been decided everyone eats the pie entries, and there isn't a scrap of pie left at the end! It couldn't get more wholesome fun than this, and I hope they do hold another one soon!

Portland Farmers Markets are becoming a real tradition here! Lilly's Hummus began at the main market in downtown Portland by Portland State University, and without the enthusiastic feedback from our customers, we would never have proceeded to broaden our horizon! So for that, we are grateful.

Sale! Oregon's Market of Choice Stores

2011-05-06T15:14:00.001-07:00

Lilly's Hummus is still on sale for $2.19 (wow!) through May 15th, at all of Oregon's Market of Choice stores.

These are beautiful stores, which offer surprisingly good value, fantastic selection, and exceptional deli foods for those on-the-go. Visit them online at www.marketofchoice.com!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Bruschetta Recipe!

2011-05-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Woops, he did it again! Clark from Hashcapades created another bruschetta recipe - using Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, it's made with:

Lilly's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Chicken, Red Onion, Roasted Red Pepper, and Provolone! Layer ingredients and put in oven at 450 degrees for 6 minutes.

Don't forget to check out Clark's blog, Hashcapades. Full of awe inspiring recipes focused on a single subject - hash (this is not your momma's corned beef hash)!

Bruschetta Recipe

2011-05-04T14:12:00.001-07:00

Here is another easy recipe from Clark at Hashcapades. He used the Smoked Tomato & Basil Hummus to make a delectable bruschetta, and was kind enough to tweet both the recipe and the photo!

Lilly's Smoked Tomato & Basil Hummus, Tomato, Grilled Artichoke, Basil and Provolone Cheese Bruschetta - layer ingredients and put in oven at 450 degrees for 6 minutes. Nummy num nums... thanks Clark!

Don't forget you can say hello to us on Twitter, and also Facebook. We'd love to hear from you!

Lilly's Hummus Recipes

2011-04-16T11:56:00.001-07:00

People often tell us about their ideas for Lilly's Hummus recipes and serving ideas, so many that we are currently updating the web site to include them all! Most of them are very simple.

Hummus Sandwich Wrap (pictured above served with a side of veggie chips):

Lilly's Smoked Tomato & Basil Hummus

Tomato/Basil Tortilla (or choose another flavor)

Sliced, Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh Alfalfa or Bean Sprouts

Fresh Minced Red Onion

Folding the tortilla will be easier, if you first warm it in the microwave or toaster oven for about 30 seconds. Spread Lilly's Hummus down the center of your warmed tortilla. Place tomatoes, sprouts, and onion onto the hummus. Fold one end of the tortilla over (about a quarter of its length), then fold over the other two adjacent sides, forming a burrito shaped sandwich. Enjoy!

Bruschetta: -from Clark at Hashcapades

Lilly's Roasted Red Bell Hummus

Cooked Chicken (your favorite cut)

Avocado Slices

Tomato Slices

Cotija Cheese

Sliced Baguette toasted with Olive Oil

Toast 1/2 inch baguette bread slices that have been smeared with Olive Oil. This is a good stage to season with salt and pepper to your taste. Spread Lilly's Roasted Red Bell Hummus onto the toasted bread slices. Place onto those, your chicken, then sliced tomato and avocado. Crumble Cotija Cheese over the top. Place onto cooking sheet and warm under the broiler for a few minutes, until cheese begins to melt. Serve!

Spicy Jalapeno Nachos:

Lilly's Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

Your Favorite Tortilla Chips

Grated Jack Cheese or Soy Cheeze

Fresh Tomato Salsa

You can scale this recipe up or down, depending on how many people you serve. Yourself? A crowd! Place tortilla chips onto a plate or platter. Scoop Lilly's Roasted Jalapeno Hummus into the center of the plate. Grate Jack or Soy Cheese over the hummus and tortilla chips. Place into a microwave, or better yet - a toaster oven and remove when tortillas begin to lightly toast, and the cheese melts. Spoon fresh tomato salsa over the top of the hummus. Serve warm!

Portland's Urban Growth Boundary

2010-01-11T17:04:00.000-08:00

Cooking Up A Story is a show and web site about food, people, and sustainable living. Check out their recent article/show about Portland's urban growth boundary and it's relationship to the threatened perimeter Oregon farms.

Urban Growth Boundary:

Oregon Agriculture, Economy, and Managed Growth (video)

Photo by Kevin McNeal on Flickr

Portland Reigns!

2009-10-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

Photo by Susan Seubert

"This Oregon city gets almost everything right: It's friendly, sustainable, accessible, maybe even a model for America's future."

National Geographic Traveler sites Portland as the innovative, forward-thinking city to beat, and we agree! Here is a link to their article.

How Do You Like Them Apples?

2009-10-06T15:31:00.001-07:00

The fall season has officially begun, the leaves are just beginning to turn color. There is a crisp feeling in the air, the tummy begins to crave seasonal treats - the question begs to be asked, "how do you like them apples?"

The Columbia River Gorge's Hood River Valley in Oregon, is a bounty of scenic fruit orchards and farmlands to enjoy. Out of them are produced heirloom and classic apples and pears. Apple varieites such as Spitzenburg, Rome Beauty, Newtown Pippin, Winter Banana, and Ortley can trace their heritage back 100 years or more.

Photo by Shoothead on Flickr

Many of these fantastic apples must be tasted at the farm, for they are not produced in large enough quantities to ship elsewhere. Try a U-Pick stand such as Alice's Orchard in Hood River, which is apart of the "Fruit-Loop" mapped out area of fruit stands throughout Hood River.

Or, the Draper Girl's Country Farm, which also produces non-pasteurized Apple Cider, as well as a selection of U-Pick produce. Don't forget many of the local Farmer's Markets offer stands stocked with many of the seasonal, varietal heirloom apples, such as the Portland Farmer's Market locations.

2009-08-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a potluck, and listened to a talk given by chef Kelly Myers of Nostrana, an Italian restaurant here in Portland, Oregon.

Kelly talked to us about her use of fresh local foods as a food professional, and covered topics such as sourcing fresh ingredients from farmer's markets, seasonal purchasing, and risk taking when trying new and unusual ingredients - such as specialty potatoes, chantrelle mushrooms, and chrysanthemum greens.

Photo by janetleejohnson on Flickr.

When we began making Lilly's Hummus, we originally introduced it to the customers of the Portland Farmer's Market - a wonderful and relaxed venue to both meet Portlanders, and gain valuable immediate feedback for your market fare! It was remarkable to note through the Spring, to Summer, to Fall seasons which vegetables were available for purchase, and I ended up inventing quite a few vegetarian dishes (and fruit desserts) based on what was available from month to month.

Photo by tillwe on Flickr.

Whether I purchase Red Chard from a local farmer's market, or from Food Front, or New Season's Market, it has continued to be a favorite of ours - a carry over from our market days. I like to sautee it in olive oil, splash a little balsamic vinegar over it, quickly steaming the greens. Then I season them with crushed pepper, pepper flakes, sea-salt, and a little bit of minced garlic. Doesn't get any better than that!

Portland Food and Neighborhoods

2009-07-14T15:04:00.001-07:00

Photo by Jeff Jones on Flickr.

Whether you want to know more about the city you live in, or are just considering moving to Portland, Oregon, there is a lot of information on the web available to you. Here are a few online resources;

Neighborhood Notes is a great resource, full of Portland news and events, categorized by Portland's 95 individual neighborhoods!

Portland Food & Drink contains restaurant reviews, some restaurant menus and press releases, and areas for feedback from Portlanders, making this site a place to peruse invaluable real-life restaurant experiences!

Bike Portland is a daily news source covering the Portland, Oregon bike scene! Bicycles are a favorite form of transportation for many Portlanders, so this site can be very helpful.

Our PDX - The ramblings of wacky Portlanders!

NW Kids - Resource guide to Portland's family-friendly events and activities.

Willamette Week - Portland's weekly news, arts, and culture paper.

Just Out - Portland's GLBT news source.

Portland, Oregon - Frugal Town, USA!

2009-05-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Photo by Vintage Roadside on Flickr

A travel piece in the NY Times recently came out, titled Frugal Portland.

".... Portland is overflowing with great, affordable restaurants. In dozens of meals, I don’t think I was ever truly disappointed with a single bite, nor did I ever leave hungry, nor did my friends and I ever spend more than $25 a person. In fact, if I had any regrets, it was that I felt duty-bound not to repeat a restaurant visit no matter how much I liked a place and wanted to return."

Yes, Portland is a frugal town - and we're people that expect a lot of bang for our culinary buck. Having grown up in (Portland) Oregon, the first state to enact the bottle bill, and having had a curbside neighborhood recycling since the early 1980's, you get a sense of the value of raw materials, renewable/reusable and otherwise. Heck, we even recycle house paint!

When first formulating the flavors, and determining the size of the container of hummus, it never occurred to us to pack it in less than a 12 ounce recyclable container, anything less and we would have received complaints from our Portland customers. After it reached the first hand full of grocery stores we were surprised to learn that most of the hummus being offered today is packed in a small, 8 ounce container.

But along with size, quality must be equally important. Hand-roasting fresh vegetables such as red bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and smoked tomatoes, does take longer, but we are of the belief that crafting food is a gratifyingly creative experience, and we're in pretty good company along this way of thinking here.

Whats New?

2009-05-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

What's new at Lilly's Natural Foods? I mean, besides this blog? Well for starters, two new flavors of hummus.

A Kalamata Olive Hummus; the flavor of this wonderful olive is balanced carefully with my favorite herb - Rosemary. Because our single most popular hummus is our original (plain) hummus, we added a Plain Plus of sorts to the hummus family - a Roasted Garlic!

Both of these two new flavors promise to be as delicious and savory as our other four hummus flavors, Roasted Red Bell, Roasted Jalapeno, Smoked Tomato & Basil, and lastly our Original Plain Hummus (rich with lemon and garlic).