And, I went on the most amazing cross country trip from Austin, Texas to Anacortes, WA with my best friend, Olivia. And, that trip was the inspiration for this yummy recipe I am sharing today.

Because Olivia and I both are gluten free and pretty dang particular about what food we put in our bodies, the only thing that we really had planned going into the trip was what we were going to be eating. One of the things that I thought would be great road trip food was Baba Ganoush with Crudite. You know, instead of the typical Funyun and SlimJim fare. As it turns out, Olivia had never had Baba Ganoush before, but after just one savory bite, the entire 8 oz. tub was annihilated before we even got out of central Texas. So much for that lasting until we got to LA…

So, in homage to our once in a lifetime trip through the desert of New Mexico, hiking the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona, up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, through the Redwoods, Oregon and finally to Olivia’s new home – the stellar state of Washington – I bring you our most favorite snack in the world.

This one’s for you, Liv! I miss you.

Olivia (L) and Rachel (R) viewing a gorgeous sunset over the pacific

And, to all you Washingtonians out there reading this, you just got the coolest new resident, and I’m totally jealous of you.

ROASTED GARLIC BABA GANOUSH
makes about one cup

1 large eggplant, quartered lengthwise
3 large whole garlic cloves, skins removed
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. grapeseed oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbs. tahini
lots of salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the eggplant slices and garlic inside. Rub 2 Tbs. of oil on the eggplant and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and roast until the garlic is browned and the eggplant is very soft, about 30-45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2. Peel the skin off the eggplant. Place the garlic and eggplant flesh in the food processor along with the lemon juice, tahini, and about a 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Turn on the machine and let it run until the mixture starts to get pretty smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, turn the machine back on, and, while it is running, add 1/4 cup grapeseed oil though the feed tube.

3. Continue to process the mixture until it is nice and smooth, tasting periodically for more salt or pepper. Enjoy this super yummy treat at room temperature or chilled with crudite, gluten free crackers, or pita bread.

In the case of my last relationship, I am thankful for this salsa recipe.

My ex-boyfriends’ family has lived in Colorado literally since it was a part of Mexico. That means that family knows how to cook some truly authentic and truly amazing Mexican food. During the time we were dating, I was very focused on my musical career and didn’t spend a whole lot of time cooking, so The Ex used to make dinner almost every night while I was practicing. At one point, I think I ate Chile Rellenos (topped with this very salsa), rice, beans, and guacamole for every lunch and dinner for a month. This was not due to lack of creativity or other recipes on his part. It was simply because I constantly craved the amazingness of that meal.

I consumed gallons, literally gallons, of that salsa throughout the year or so that we were together. I couldn’t get enough. It made everything taste so much better. Although it was a recipe that had been passed down through generations in his family and was kind of a family secret, I had to have it. After a few months of coaxing, I was able to get him to write down that award-winning (seriously!) recipe for me. We broke up shortly after that, but having this recipe in hand helped ease the sting of the breakup.

Now, years later, this is a staple in my fridge at all times. I use it not only for a dip for chips, but also as an oil-free salad dressing, a sauce for enchiladas and tamales, and to add a little kick to my breakfast tacos. It makes a whole quart of salsa, so if you aren’t a big salsa eater I recommend splitting the batch up into separate containers and freezing part of it. It will keep in the freezer for at least 6 months.

EASY HOMEMADE SALSA
makes one quart

1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
2 Anaheim or Hatch chilies, roasted, peeled and seeded, or 1 can hot roasted green chilies
2/3 jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 heaping tsp. black pepper
1 heaping tsp. garlic powder
1 heaping tsp. sea salt
juice of one lime, optional
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, optional
1 (28 oz.) canned diced tomatoes

1. Throw everything in the blender with the tomatoes on top.

2. Do two long pulses in the blender and it should be the perfect chunky consistency. You may need to do a couple of extra very short pulses if you like your salsa a little smoother.

3. If it seems like its missing something, it tastes too tomato-y or not salsa-y enough, add a little more garlic and that will probably do the trick.

Other Tasty Salsas Around the Blogosphere:
Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Pineapple-Lime Salsa and Chipotle Aioli
Mango Salsa at TheKitchn
Tomatillo Salsa Verde at Simply Recipes
Raw Poblanos Stuffed with Mexican Confetti Rice, Cilantro Crema, and Spicy Tomato-Chipotle Salsa Cruda at Julie’s Raw Ambition
Tomatillo and Black Bean Salsa at Kalyn’s Kitchen

In lots of restaurants these days, it seems hummus is one of the only vegan options on the menu, so most vegans and vegetarians I know seem to kind of yawn at the prospect of yet another bowl of pureed garbanzo beans. In fact, the spread of hummus (no pun intended) is so rampant that my local Food Hole has a whole aisle just for hummus! But, what makes this hummus different than most is the addition of cumin. For some reason, just adding that spice takes it to a whole new level. In fact, I’ve been told numerous times that this is the best hummus ever, but no one can really put their finger on just what makes it so great.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF HUMMUS
makes 4 cups

This is an easy recipe for raw foodists to adapt. Instead of using canned chickpeas, use sprouted chickpeas. And, if you can handle wheat, use nama shoyu instead of tamari to make this recipe really raw.

2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 cup tahini
3 Tbs. lemon juice
3 Tbs. wheat-free tamari
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. ground cumin
2 small garlic cloves
1 tsp. sea salt, or more as needed
1/4 tsp. cayenne, or more for more of a kick
water, as needed

1. Throw everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add water as needed to make a smooth, thick-yet-easily-spreadable paste. Adjust seasonings and serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumber slices, or pita bread.

Working around raw foodists and people living such healthy lifestyles was so inspiring. And, the food allowed me to be super creative. Making gourmet raw foods is still such a fledgling art form, so there weren’t any strict rules that I had to follow; I could make up whatever I wanted. Plus, as if the creative aspect wasn’t enough, I felt great eating it! I discovered a recipe for collard wraps in one of my very favorite raw un-cookbooks, and I think I’ve made them about a bajillion times. This recipe is a slight twist of that recipe. These wraps are incredibly filling, but still light enough so that you feel super energized after eating them. The huge, beautiful leaves of the collard greens make such a great “tortilla” – they provide tons of protein, calcium, and trace minerals and don’t fill you full of calories and carbs like real tortillas do. I’m a huge fan.

RAW THAI COLLARD GREEN WRAPS
makes 12 wraps
adapted from “Raw Food, Real World” by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis

Nama shoyu is the only raw version of soy sauce. However, it contains wheat. If you can’t eat wheat, then substitute with wheat-free tamari, which, unfortunately, is not actually raw. Also, please note that peanut butter is not technically raw, either. But, it sure is delicious…

1 pkg. shredded cole slaw mix
1 large mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups sunflower sprouts
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro
6 very large organic collard green leaves
1 cup nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew, or sun butter)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice, or more as needed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. wheat-free tamari or nama shoyu
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 Serrano chili, or to taste, seeded if desired
1 Tbs. sesame oil

1. In a large bowl, combine the cole slaw mix, mango, cashews, red bell pepper, and cilantro. Set aside.

2. In a blender, combine the nut butter, orange juice, maple syrup, lemon juice, tamari, ginger, Serrano chili, and the sesame oil. Blend until smooth, adding orange juice or water as necessary to get a thick cake batter consistency.

3. Pour the sauce over the veggies and mix well with your hands.

4. Cut the center rib out of each leaf, dividing the leaf in half. Set 1 half leaf on the counter, underside facing up and cut side facing you. Spoon a few Tablespoons of the salad mixture on the center of the leaf, leaving the bottom 1 1/2 inches clear at the bottom. Top the salad with a small amount of sunflower sprouts. Fold the bottom of the leaf up, keep it tight and then, roll the leaf horizontally around the filling to make a nice little wrap. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Set wrap seam side down on a platter and repeat with the remaining 11 wraps.