Southwestern Hummus

A recent reunion involving dear family from Texas is the inspiration behind this Southwestern Hummus recipe. Why is it we feel compelled to make something inspired by the traveler’s native land? Maybe it’s a way of trying to make them feel more at home, miles and miles away from the bed with their very own pillow lies waiting for them. I, for one, was grateful for the motivation to try something a little different.

When you have family in town with varying tastes and a few dietary restrictions, serving Mexican-inspired dishes has to be one of the safest bets around.

I’m not one who can complain about folks with dietary restrictions. I feel like the Queen Poobah of that category. (My theory is it’s good to find yourself a place to be queen of something!)

I’m vegan. That means no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no cheese. I know, it’s really redundant to say “no dairy” and “no eggs, no cheese,” but I like the shocked look on people’s faces when I say it. It’s almost as if when you say “no dairy” they don’t really get it. But when you spell it out, they’re left standing with eyes wide open and mouth agape. I have that effect on people.

But not only that, I try to avoid gluten as much as possible too. What’s left? It’s a question I hear often and one that I usually respond to with, “More than you can imagine!”

I was glad for some gluten-free company over the weekend. There were four of us in total. It makes sense, don’t you think? Gluten intolerance and Celiac is something that runs in families. We think we identified another one who should give it a try as well, based on her symptoms.

That’s the thing about GXers (gluten-free folks), we’re always looking to recruit company. It might be part of our plot to take over the world.

Or it could be just that we’re hoping to see the price of gluten-free flour go down from $3,000 per ounce. (Hey, it’s simple economics – the more demand for gluten-free flour, the lower the price).

Or maybe we just want company so we’ll feel less like freaks.

I love having family around, laughing and talking until wee hours of the night, sharing food, life, and memories. I wish we didn’t live so far apart so we could do it more often. But sometimes all you can do is be grateful for the moments you have.

 

Is this the greatest recipe or what? Delicious, inexpensive, and easy-peasy! Perfect for when you’d rather be entertaining guests than toiling in the kitchen!