Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1tsp. cumin (or 2 T roasted garlic and 1/2 t oregano) (or 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1/2 c. roasted red peppers)

1. Mix all ingredients together in a food processor. Process until smooth. (If too thick, add olive oil a little at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.)
2. Serve with fresh sliced veggies (cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, etc).

Garlic hummus: add 2 T roasted garlic and 1/2 t oregano

Roasted Red Pepper hummus: add 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1/2 c roasted red peppers

Quinoa - What is is and how do I make it?

One of my new favorite foods is quinoa. It's becoming very popular because it is so healthy. It's the only grain that has all of your essential amino acids. It's also super easy to cook and goes with lots of different flavors. You can find quinoa at most grocery stores. I recommend buying it in bulk or at Costco.


Basic Recipe:
1 c. quinoa
2 c. water

1. Rinse quinoa using a mesh strainer.
2. Dump quinoa into a saucepan or rice cooker. (The rice cooker makes it much easier!)
3. Add 2 cups water.
4. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat to lower. Simmer until quinoa is soft and water has been absorbed. (Or just turn your rice cooker on).


How to use it:

• Substitute quinoa for rice in most recipes (Asian Braised Slow Cooker Pork, Pineapple Pork Tenderloin, Basil Red Pepper Chicken)




• Warm it up with cinnamon and brown sugar for breakfast




• Make a salad (Quinoa Taco Salad)

Product Review: Gluten Free Bisquick

I love pancakes. I mean, I pretty much lived on them one semester of grad school. And I craved them a lot after I went GF but no matter how many homemade pancake recipes I tried, I couldn't find one I actually liked. Until I tried Gluten Free Bisquick.

Yes, it really is that amazing. The pancakes absorb syrup more than the regular Bisquick pancakes do, but that is my only complaint. They taste like regular pancakes and they have good texture.

I haven't tried yet, but I hear they make good waffles and bisquits. I also recently learned that you can make cinnamon rolls with Bisquick and I'm perfecting a GF cinnamon roll recipe using GF Bisquick.

Product Review: Udi's Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns

I've had a couple of requests for GF product reviews, so I figured I would start with the hamburger buns we tried this weekend.

To celebrate the 4th of July, my siblings and I had a BBQ. Since half of us are GF, I splurged and bought the new Udi's Gluten Free Hamburger Buns I had been hearing about. I heard they would be hard to find, but found them in the freezer section of the Sunflower Market for $5.99.

The buns tasted great and had a good airy texture but they were a bit dry. My brother warmed his up in the microwave for 30 seconds with a little water and said it helped a lot.

Overall, they were good, but I'm not sure I would buy them again. They are pretty expensive, and after having been gluten free for a year, I think the bun was just too much. However, if you really love buns and/or haven't gotten used to protein-style burgers, they are definitely worth trying.