LACTOSE-FREE GREEK-STYLE YOGURT WITH ROASTED RHUBARB

I’m not sure there has ever been a winter when I waited for spring to arrive with as much anticipation as this last one; it was a winter that just kept on giving and would not quit. Unseasonably cold and arduously long, when spring finally made its way to the Midwest we all uttered a collective, ‘Hallelujiah!’

Granted, most of my excitement this year was due to the sun returning but spring also means gardening – rhubarb to be exact. We purchased a single plant almost four years ago and every year we add more because we just cannot get our fill: jams, cakes, pies, scones, stewed and roasted – we know spring has truly arrived when we begin harvesting the rhubarb.

Our friends over at Green Valley Organics and Redwood Hill Farms asked us to create our favorite yogurt mix-in and I immediately thought, you guessed it, rhubarb – roasted rhubarb. Sticky, sweet, caramelized rhubarb mixed into cool, creamy and tangy yogurt – heaven, yes? I chose to use the Green Valley Organics Lactose-Free yogurt because (a) many times, people with celiac or gluten-intolerant issues also have issues with lactose in dairy and (b) it’s real dairy yogurt that includes a proprietary blend of live and active cultures called ‘Flourish’ – giving those of us with compromised auto-immune systems a much needed gut-health boost. We also enjoy Greek-style yogurt and making a batch from plain yogurt is quite easy but I’ll get to that in a moment.

We’ve worked with Green Valley Organics before and, pinky-swear, we do purchase their products regularly; both their goat and cow dairy products are made in California at Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery. Their products are also gluten free, kosher certified as well as Certified Humane Raised and Handled; and no artificial flavors, refined sweeteners, artificial coloring or preservatives are ever added to any of their products – all of which are important issues for us. But we also appreciate their commitment to the environment as well as their support of both their team of employees as well as fellow farm producers. This is the kind of brand The Professor and I like to support, both with our dollars at the grocery store as well as here on Smith Bites.

To learn more about the products, visit the Green Valley Organics and Redwood Hill Farms, sites or follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Now on to making this very easy recipe – just three steps: drain, roast, and mix-in! Have an extra :15 seconds? Watch the video ~

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Green Valley Organics. I am being compensated to develop a recipe and share information about Green Valley Organics Lactose-Free products with you; however, all opinions are strictly my own.