Six Products I'm Loving Right Now

Sorry I haven't written in a while! I've been too insanely busy to try any new recipes and too broke to try any new restaurants so ergo, no new posts. But I came up with this idea this morning, so hopefully you all can stay interested.

For those of us with food allergies, we know its tough to find products we can trust. And while anything not made with our own two hands is never completely trustworthy, these products have never caused problems for me.

1. MaraNatha Organic Raw Almond Butter

For some strange reason, I've been having a hell of a time finding almond butter at the grocery store. Ralphs, the primary grocer in L.A. only carries almond butter that has added sugar in it, so clearly, I don't buy it. I noticed that even the Whole Foods I regularly visit doesn't carry the almond butter I used to eat (which usually contained added salt), so I picked up this stuff, hoping it would do the trick. Turns out, I like it better than anything else I've tried. The best part is, it tastes amazing and the only ingredient is organic almonds! yummmm....

2. Trader Joe's Mediterranean Hummus

This hummus is seriously incredible. My mom got it for us for the first time last summer and I've been hooked ever since. I don't know exactly what makes it so good, between the roasted garlic you can taste or the delicious decoration on top, but it blows every other hummus I've tried out of the water. The only thing is, I tend to finish the whole thing in less than a week, so I'm always going back for more.

3. Endangered Species Dark Chocolate with Raspberry

I've been searching all over for a chocolate that magically contained no dairy and no sugar. My friends laugh in my face when I tell them that's what I'm looking for, but now I finally get to say "I told you so". Endangered species dark chocolate is made with cocoa (in fact, the cocoa percentage is clearly marked on the front of the label), soy, and in this case, unsweetened dried raspberry pieces. The best part, though, is that if you buy this chocolate (and it is not cheap, let me tell you) they donate 10% of the proceeds to help support species, habitat, and humanity. And you all know how much I love animals. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of this situation.

4. Rice Expressions Organic Brown Rice

These are the epitome of easy allergy free eating (provided you aren't allergic to rice). They are located in the frozen foods section, most likely at Whole Foods. Each box contains 3 portioned packets of frozen rice that you pop in the microwave for 3 minutes and voila, you have rice. I always add different stuff to it, like my mushroom rice recipe below, or edamame (which I had for dinner last night). It's perfect if you don't have time to cook or are simply just lazy when it comes to cooking, like me.

5. Terra Chips

Since I can't eat potato or tortilla chips anymore, I assumed chips were just out for me for good. Thankfully, these little puppies exist. They are a baked blend of a number of root veggies including sweet potatoes, beets, and taro. They are incredible but beware, they are also extremely addicting. It's truly impossible to have just one. They honestly make me question why I ever ate potato chips in the first place.

6. Lara Bars

These bars make my life. I can't eat any other energy or granola bar, not to mention that most of them taste like crushed up vitamin supplements anyways. Whoever invented these is a genius. There are a bunch of different flavors, and the only ingredients are nuts, dates and sometimes coconut and fruit juice, depending on the flavor. My personal favorite is Lemon Bar, because, I kid you not, it tastes like an actual lemon bar. They are the perfect mid afternoon or post-workout snack.

Those are just a few products I swear by at the moment. There are plenty more, but I'm currently cleaning out my kitchen to go raw for Holy Week/spring detoxing (I'll be documenting that feat on my blog starting next week), so I can't think of any more off the top of my head.

Hope you all are having a wonderful day!

Live Free

Super Easy Mushroom Rice

So, as I've mentioned, I'm not much of a cook. I don't have the time or resources to create gourmet meals in the kitchen. In fact, most college students, as well as working women, don't have time to cook intricate creations either. That is my audience. Those are the people I'm trying to help. I've been developing easy ways to make quick, gluten-free, allergy-free meals that are still enjoyable. Other people have it easy, they can cook top ramen, TV dinners, and mac and cheese if they are pressed for time. Not us. I believe we are blessed because of it. It doesn't have to be hard for us.

This is one of my favorite quick dinners to make. I had to run to work Thursday night, and I knew I didn't have much time to cook. This recipe left me beyond satisfied. For the rice, I recommend cooking a bunch of brown rice and refrigerating it for future use. But if you don't even have time for that, I recommend frozen/microwavable brown rice. Try Annie Chun's or Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is my personal favorite. They have frozen rice that comes in individually portioned packets, and they only take about 3-4 minutes of microwave heating.

Mushroom Rice
3/4 c. rice, or individual packet of frozen rice

1/2 c. mushrooms, more or less depending on preference

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. thyme

For you protein lovers, cubed chicken or tofu can also be added to this recipe. I didn't use either because I simply didn't have the time to cook it. It really depends what you are in the mood for, but no worries, it's plenty filling without chicken or tofu.

Cook the rice as directed on the package. In the meantime, saute the mushrooms in the olive oil over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Mix the rice and mushrooms in a bowl with the oregano and thyme. And viola, you have a delicious meal in minutes! Enjoy!!