The beauty of an unplanned meal

I am a planner. I like to organize things and catalog them and plot them out on a timeline if they will let me. I am a librarian, after all. At work I have a master To Do list on my computer that is then broken up into sub-lists, including To Do This Week, To Do This Term, To Do This Summer, you get the idea. I also have a Projects list on a whiteboard in my office, just in case my other lists distract me from what’s really important.

This extends to my personal life as well, and definitely to my kitchen. I have a list of my goals for the year next to my bed, so that I can read them every night and stay motivated. I never (well, hardly ever) go to the grocery store before planning out the week’s meals and making a list. When I first started cooking, I always, always followed a recipe. It didn’t even occur to me, in fact, that there was any other way. And I liked how following a recipe gave me a consistent, predictable result.

Thankfully, I have learned by now that so much of cooking is unplanned. It’s about tasting and adjusting and customizing. Especially since we’ve moved to the Pacific Northwest where there is so much fresh, local produce, I have embraced seasonal cooking, which means you have to be ready to do what you can with what you’ve got at any given time of year. I encountered a perfect example of this one weekend recently when David and I went to our first farmers’ market of the spring.

It is still indoors, in a warehouse-like building on the fairgrounds. The outdoor market won’t return until later this month, but spring was definitely making its presence known. The booths had more life, the whole place was humming, there were spring onions. Spring onions! They even have the word ‘spring’ in their name. So, of course, we bought some. We also gathered a hodge-podge of other vegetables, whatever spoke to us, as well as a dozen pullet eggs, which are the petite eggs of a hen under 1-year-old.

I didn’t know what I was going to do with our random purchases and I started to feel a little Type-A panic about it. But when we got home and unpacked everything it became clear: a spring quiche was in order. It was the best kind of unplanned meal – fresh ingredients combining with a well-stocked pantry to create something delightful.

Hearty Farmers’ Market Quiche

Crust adapted from Joy the Baker, filling modeled on Two Peas and Their Pod
Makes one 9-inch quiche

In the spirit of spontaneity, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this recipe can be endlessly adapted and tinkered with. In fact, that’s what a quiche is for, in my opinion. Especially when it comes to what vegetables and cheese you use. You can use almost anything you can imagine. Just keep the proportions of vegetables and cheese to eggs and milk about what they are in this recipe and you will be sitting pretty.

Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks and chilled or frozen
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons milk, chilled (I used 1%)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch (about 4 cups) Russian kale, ribs removed and then chopped
• 4 spring onions (white and green parts divided), chopped
• 5 large eggs (or equivalent in pullet eggs)
• 1 cup milk (I used 1%, use whatever you have on hand)
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

First, prepare and prebake the crust:

In a medium bowl whisk together flours, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Add the butter pieces and cream cheese and work into dry mixture, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, until most butter and cream cheese bits are pea-sized.

Whisk together the milk and oil, and then add all at once to the flour and butter mixture. Combine wet and dry ingredients with a fork until the liquid is just incorporated. Do not overwork – the dough will not totally come together, it will stay sort of shaggy.

Dump the dough into a clean 9-inch pie pan and use your fingers to press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Try to get it as even as possible, but don’t worry about it too much – no one will ever see it!

Put the crust in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°.

Once your crust is frozen, line it with foil and fill it with beans or some other pie weight. Bake for 8 minutes. Then remove pie weights and foil and bake for another 4-6 minutes until it starts to brown.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add kale and the white parts of the spring onions. Cook until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spring onion green parts, then set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, then stir in the feta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

When the crust is done prebaking and the filling is prepared, raise the oven temperature to 375°. Spread vegetable mixture over the bottom of the crust, and then pour in egg mixture.

Bake the quiche for 45 minutes or until quiche is set and the top is golden brown. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Overnight oats are my best friend

My last post about the new attitude I’ve developed about bringing lunch vs. buying it got me to thinking about a similar transformation when it comes to breakfast. In case you’re wondering, I won’t do a tour of all the meals. Dinner and I have an uncomplicated relationship and I’ve always been big a fan of desserts and snacks.

For most of my life though, I have not been a breakfast person. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (they = the moms of the world, as far as I can tell), so my ambivalence has always felt problematic. Don’t misunderstand the scope of my breakfast statement, I am all about brunch. But the early morning, force-it-down-just-to-get-something-in-your-stomach-as-you’re-running-to-school-or-work meal has never held much appeal for me. As you can guess from the last sentence, I have never been much of a morning person, which I’m sure has something to do with it.

I have also gone through some fairly traumatizing breakfast phases – all self-induced, mind you. There was the Banana Phase somewhere around high school and/or early college, during which I ate a banana for breakfast every morning because I had read some magazine article about something bananas did for you that I wanted to achieve. After that phase I couldn’t eat bananas at all for years – I just started enjoying them again within the past year actually. Then there was the South Beach Phase after college when the Jessicas (two friends named Jessica) and I were living together and were on the South Beach Diet (why, god, why?!) During this ill-fated time we made scrambled eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast every single day. Ugh. I could never eat that breakfast again, no matter the monetary reward.

Based on these two examples that I’ve dredged up, it seems my troubles have come in too much repetition with my breakfast. This probably explains why the breakfast routine I have more happily settled on these days is much more varied. I’m still not a morning person though, and am perpetually running late. For a breakfast to make the cut it has to be fast and easy to put together in the bleary-eyed early hours (read: 5-10 minutes to prep and eat). And thus I present to you: Overnight Oats Two Ways and all their glorious variations.

Oats are my best friend in the morning, and they would be yours too if you let them. They are a nutritious blank slate that can be dressed up in a myriad of ways depending on your mood, the season, or what you happen to have in your kitchen. The overnight part is crucial, however, because it is what allows them to also be quick (without using quick or instant oats, which are not worth the effort).

Overnight Oats Two Ways

My definition of overnight oats is that you soak some type of raw oats in some type of liquid overnight and in the morning they can either be eaten raw or after a nominal period of cooking time. Whether or not they need to be cooked depends on which type of oats you use. Check out Food 52 for more overnight oats tips, and Food Riot for more overall tips about how to make superior oatmeal.

Option 1: Raw Rolled Oat Muesli (cold)
Adapted from My New Roots
Makes 1 serving

• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/8-1/4 cup frozen berries (if using fresh add them before serving, see below)
• 1/4 cup any type of unflavored, unsweetened milk (cow, soy, almond, and even coconut are all delicious!)
• 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

The night before you want to eat your muesli (or even a day or two before, really), stir together the oats, chia seeds, frozen berries, and milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to eat, top with the toasted coconut.

This recipe can be customized to your heart’s desire. Keep the oats and milk, but other than that you can mix in anything you want. I personally love the chia seeds, so I always keep them in, too. Use any kind of fruit you can think of, though. I’ve used berries, stone fruit, apples, and pears. If using frozen fruit, soak it with the muesli as instructed above. If using fresh fruit, simply top the muesli with it when ready to eat. You can also use different toppings. I’ve replaced the coconut with various types of nuts. I’ve also topped it with fruit compote. Last but not least, I have recently taken to leaving out the chia seeds and topping the plain muesli with chia fruit jam and coconut whipped cream a la this recipe from Cookie and Kate (hint: this variation is heavenly). So, in summary, go wild!

Option 2: Steel-Cut Oat Porridge (warm)
Adapted from The Food52 Cookbook and Food Riot
Makes 2-3 servings, depending on how much you like to eat for breakfast

• 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup water or milk (or even whey from draining yogurt!)
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon nut butter (almond, peanut, or sunflower are all delicious)
• 1 teaspoon honey

The night before you want to eat your porridge, stir the oats and 1 cup water together in a saucepan. Cover and leave to soak overnight. I usually just soak the oats on the counter, but you can put them in the fridge if you’d like.

In the morning, add the additional 1/2 cup of liquid and a pinch of salt to the pan and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes. I tend to favor a shorter cooking time because I like my steel-cut oats to still have a little pop when I eat them. When the oats are done cooking, serve with nut butter and honey stirred in.

There are many variations on this one, too. In addition to varying the cooking liquid and nut butter, feel free to vary the sweetener (maple syrup is always a winner). Or mix up the toppings: chopped nuts instead of nut butter, fresh or dried fruit, etc. The jam and coconut whipped cream combo works here as well!

A surfeit of strawberries

We recently found ourselves in possession of a half-flat of strawberries over here. How does one come to possess a half-flat of strawberries you might ask? Welllll, we might have been over-excited to finally see these little red jewels make their blushing debut at the farmers market, and we might have over-bought. I am not afraid of a challenge though, especially not one as delicious as using up six pints of strawberries in as many days.

The first thing I did with the delicate, sweet berries, beside pop of few of them into my mouth, is mix them with some rhubarb, sugar, and cornstarch. I then put that mixture into some cute little ramekins and buried it under a buttery, slightly salty crumb topping. Into the oven they went where they baked into a jammy, stewy, deliciously unctuous crumble.

I halved this Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble recipe from 101cookbooks and split the goods into four personal-sized portions. Top with ice cream or whipped cream, of course.

After dessert, I was satiated enough to start thinking about other, non-dessert ways to use my cache of berries. And my thoughts went straight to breakfast. My go-to breakfast the past few months has been a bowl of Greek yogurt topped with defrosted frozen mixed berries. It’s healthy and just a little sweet. I could (and did), of course, add fresh strawberries to my yogurt, but I wanted something slightly more daring (I lead an exciting life).

First, I turned to this Rhubarb Compote from Cucina Nicolina. I’ve been making this compote on a weekly basis ever since rhubarb showed up in the market a month or two ago. This time, I substituted one stalk of the rhubarb for a half pint of strawberries and made a dreamy Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote that is just perfect swirled into my favorite yogurt.

I wasn’t done with breakfast though. I also tucked some strawberries and my remaining rhubarb snugly into a parchment paper pouch, following this recipe from a recent Bon Appetit, and roasted them in a hot oven. They softened into a lightly sweetened slump that settles over a mound of morning yogurt like a thick, delicious blanket…the only blanket I might like better is the down comforter on my bed that I have to leave to eat said yogurt in the morning.

Almost halfway through the half-flat, I was gaining steam. Another issue of Bon Appetit (I was a couple behind) revealed a quick and easy Strawberry Jam recipe that did not require actual canning – no water bath, no pectin, no fuss. A shredded Granny Smith apple provides the thickening agent and the jam keeps in the fridge for two weeks – far longer than you will manage to keep it around, I assure you.

On the day I found myself with less than two pints left, I looked out my window to find another gray, wet, chilly Seattle day. Juneuary, the seasoned locals apparently call it. But not me. Me and my strawberries were going to make it feel like summer, come hell or high water (or incessant rain). To accomplish this feat of suspended disbelief, I turned to my friend Eve Fox and her recipe for childhood summers spent in the sun: Strawberry Mint Lemonade. I made a double batch.

Less than a pint of strawberries left, and I had saved the best for last. You see, David has a weakness for biscuits. And I have a weakness for whipped cream (I will seriously just eat a bowl of it on its own if someone doesn’t hold me back). Strawberries + biscuits + whipped cream? That equals strawberry shortcake.

Not just any strawberry shortcake though. Weeks previously I had bookmarked the recipe for James Beard’s Strawberry Shortcake that Food52 was generous enough to share with the world. It has a secret ingredient. I always love the idea of a secret ingredient – an unexpected twist that makes a recipe unique and is passed down from generation to generation. My imagination of a secret ingredient and the story behind it rarely is satisfied by reality though. There are tons of recipes that say they have a secret ingredient, but it is something common sense that isn’t actually a secret at all. This is not one of those recipes. This secret ingredient is everything I want a secret ingredient to be – weird, unexpected, from a mom who discovered it years and years ago. And, most importantly, it totally makes a difference in the recipe!

These shortcakes are truly the best I’ve ever had. They are very rich, while at the same time being impossibly light. They have an extremely delicate crumb, while still holding together enough to be the vehicle you need to shovel strawberries and whipped cream into your face. See? The best. You will have to make them yourself to find out what the secret ingredient is…or just click on this link, but I promise you will want to make them yourself.

And thus ended my journey down a road paved with strawberries. I had used them all up. Sad! I think I will buy another half-flat this weekend…

Strawberry Recipes

If you find yourself in a similar position of overabundance this summer – or in the more rational position of having a pint or two of berries – you won’t be disappointed if you give one of these recipes a spin. What’s your favorite strawberry recipe?

• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (101 Cookbooks)
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote (Cucina Nicolina)
• Vanilla Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberries (Bon Appetit)
• Strawberry Quick Jam (Bon Appetit)
• Strawberry Mint Lemonade (Garden of Eating)
• James Beard’s Strawberry Shortcake (Food 52)

When pumpkin bread is a health food: Seattle Staycation (part 1)

Hello world. I am coming to you today from Spring Break. It’s not the stereotypical Spring Break of course, no beach, no drunk college kids, and definitely no bikinis, but it’s my time to have a little less on my mind, more time to cook, and even a couple of days off.

It is glorious.

We actually did think about going somewhere tropical over my break. All the conventional Seattle wisdom told us that this was the thing to do – to get a break from the gray and the clouds and the rain. For various reasons, however, we decided not to go anywhere. Instead, I am in the middle of what I’ve been calling my Seattle Staycation.

It may not feel like spring here (in fact, it still feels decidedly winter-like, snow and all!), but I am determined to enjoy my time off and make the most of it in my city. I’ve been dragging David around for much of it, and we’ve had a great time so far.

Last Thursday, I finally got to visit Book Larder – a cookbook store that opened a few months ago. Yes you read that right, it’s a book store that stocks only cookbooks! Or, in other words, heaven. As if I needed more reason to go, the store also hosts cookbook authors on a regular basis to do cookbook signings and cooking demonstrations, and on that night was hosting an event for Joy the Baker (aka Joy Wilson)!

There’s Joy, talking to us about her new cookbook and answering all sorts of crazy questions about coconut flour and her life goals. I have read and loved the Joy the Baker blog for years, and am totally in love with her new cookbook. Each of the recipes I’ve made from it so far has been delicious, and all the recipes are approachable and completely drool-inducing.

Joy herself is also a delight, as I got to experience on Thursday. Here she is signing my book while we talk about how much we love our cats.

That was a highlight, but the fun times kept on coming. We spent one afternoon doing some fun exploring of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. This included a massage for me (finally using a birthday present from two months ago!) at the lovely Massage Sanctuary. I highly recommend it, if you are ever so inclined and feeling indulgent. We also walked around Volunteer Park and visited the Conservatory where we got to a) be warm in the 80+ degree greenhouse (it was in the 30s outside) and b) see and read about an astounding number of beautiful and history-laden flowers. I know so much more about orchids now!

We also had lunch at the Volunteer Park Cafe, which has delicious vegetarian salads (I had a kale-squash-farro-lentil combo that I am obsessed with trying to recreate at home) and really good chocolate chip cookies.

One evening we headed downtown and went to see the new and much ballyhooed Paul Gauguin exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. It is a wonderful exhibit and the audio tour they give you to guide you through is informative and enjoyable. Yay culture! Afterwards, we quickly got back to eating (which, if this blog post is any indication, is what we do 80% of the time) and had dinner at the Seatown Seabar and Rotisserie, right downtown by Pike Place Market.

We had king crab legs (oh la la!) and a little (cute!) chocolate peanut butter pie for dessert that was out of this world. I wish I could share a picture of it with you, but we devoured it before I thought of snapping a shot!

Other highlights include a concert at Columbia City Theater – a great show in a cozy space with awesome sound – yoga classes at a new (to me) studio called OmTown Yoga, a really cool bookstore called Third Place Books, as well as lots more eating…including:

• Molly Moon’s for what I still think is the best ice cream I’ve ever had – such a treat!
• Paseo for Cuban sandwiches and beans and rice. We had seafood sandwiches – shrimp and scallops – (since we don’t eat other meat) and they were excellent.
• El Asadero, otherwise fondly known to us as the “burrito bus” because it is, yes, on an old school bus. It is also our favorite Mexican place in the city (so far).
• Macrina Bakery for a delicious brunch and cupcakes that we somehow managed to save for dessert.

Whew! Just reading that makes me feel like I need to go for a run. It was all scrumptious though, and I don’t regret a bite. This is why, however, when I made the Vegan Pumpkin Bread from Joy the Baker’s new cookbook, it felt downright virtuous and healthy. More importantly though, it is delicious and is a perfect homage to a fabulous week.

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook
Makes one 8×4-inch loaf

I halved this recipe, the one in the book makes two loaves, so that’s why the measurements are all a little funny. Even though I was only baking one loaf though, it still took almost an hour to cook so keep that in mind before starting the recipe!

• 1 3/4 cup + 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (if you don’t have fresh, you can substitute ground nutmeg)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp water
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 6 whole pecan halves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 8×4-inch loaf pan (I only had a 9×5-incher and it worked just fine).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup, and water.

Add the oil mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Use a spatula to fold the wet ingredients into the dry. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well and work in any dry bits of flour/sugar. Then fold in the chopped pecans.

Put the batter into the prepared pan and arrange the 6 whole pecans on top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Once out of the oven, let rest for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Serve warm – plain or with a pat of butter.

I still have another few days of Spring Break left, so stay tuned for part 2 of my Seattle Staycation report! Also, if you want the updates on what I’m doing and where I’m gorging myself in real-time, follow me on Twitter or like me on Facebook where I post much more frequent updates.

Snow day granola

Um, people forgot to tell me that it snows in Seattle. A lot. What’s that you say? It doesn’t usually snow almost a foot in one week during a normal Seattle winter? Well, it did this week, my friend!

As a result, I have been house-bound and hunkered down all week. The one exception to this was a quick run we made to the grocery store on Tuesday in between storms. We picked up some essentials, which for me included baking ingredients. Because that’s what I do when it snows and we can’t leave the house – I bake!

Does baking compound the problem of being sedentary for the better part of a week? Yes, yes it does. Does it make the time more fun and delicious? A resounding yes!

So, I’ve been baking up a storm to rival the one outside, but the one thing that I’ve had the most fun with – and thus am the most excited to share with you – is the granola. Sorry, is that a tease after I showed you a picture of cookies? Make this granola and I promise you will not feel let down!

I L-O-V-E granola. And ever since I discovered Molly Wizenberg’s recipe for granola (which she adapted from Nigella Lawson) I have loved making it for myself. I am aware, as Molly notes in her post about this granola, that baking my own granola threatens to put me firmly in the category of Crazy Hippie, but when you taste this wholesome yumminess you will be right on that train with me (and her)!

Before I started grad school, I made this granola often – like really often… Let’s just say that for a while I just didn’t run out, I always had it. Since I’ve been in school, however, my granola-making has been yet another sacrifice to the academic gods. Until this week, that is! My classes were cancelled all week because of the snow and I made three batches of granola. Three! It is awesome.

The reason I never get sick of this granola, and the reason I can keep myself busy making multiple batches of it at a time, is because this recipe is really more like a template than a strict recipe. The important thing to remember is that you want to keep the ratio of dry ingredients to wet ingredients about the same as it is in the “mother” recipe. Outside of that, you can go crazy!

I’ve tried so many different types of nuts, seeds, fruits, syrups, oils, etc. using this formula and they have all come out incredibly tasty. The formula is important though, because it ensures that you end up with a granola that is just wet enough to produce those lovely clusters, but dry enough to actually be granola cereal, instead of a granola bar (or a solid granola sheet!)

Even if you aren’t snow-bound, I hope you will give it a try. It barely counts as a baked indulgence, but it is such a treat and far superior to granola you buy at the store.

I’ve given you the “mother” recipe below, followed by a few of my favorite adaptations and combinations. Please let me know if you find a winning combination of your own – I’m always looking to mix it up!

Daily Granola

From Orangette
Makes 10 cups of granola

This is what I keep referring to as the “mother” recipe, which doesn’t do much to shed the hippie label, but this is how I think of it. The recipe as published on Orangette is a delicious basic granola and you will not be disappointed if you make it just as it is here. If you are looking for a little something extra or different in your granola, however, read on for my favorite adaptations.

Dry ingredients:

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 2 to 3 cups raw almonds or pecan halves, or a mixture
• 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
• 3/4 cup sesame seeds
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower

Preheat oven to 300°F.

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir to mix well. In a small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Stir to mix well.

Then, pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones, and stir well.

Spread the mixture evenly on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown.

Note: Every ten minutes while the granola bakes, you should rotate the pans and give the granola a good stir; this helps it to cook evenly.

When it’s ready, remove the pans from the oven, stir well – this will keep it from cooling into a hard, solid sheet – and set aside to cool. The finished granola may still feel slightly soft when it comes out of the oven, but it will crisp as it cools.

Scoop cooled granola into to a large zip-lock plastic bag or other airtight container.

Spicy Ginger Granola

I like to think of this one as my super-healthy version, although the other versions are mostly just as healthy.

Dry ingredients:

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raw pecan pieces
• 1 cup raw almonds, chopped
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup candied ginger pieces
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup agave nectar (or honey, if you don’t have agave)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Follow instructions for “mother” recipe above.

Cocoa Coconut Cherry Granola

This version is the “decadent” version in my head, but remember that cocoa nibs are a super food! They are a lot healthier for you than their descendants chocolate chips. So again, this version is basically just as healthy as the others…it just feels more indulgent. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Dry ingredients:

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups pecan pieces
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup roasted cocoa nibs
• 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp melted butter

After-baking ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried tart cherries

Follow instructions for “mother” recipe above. Once the granola has baked and come out of the oven, stir in the tart cherries (or any plump dried fruit you prefer).

Maple Coconut Granola

One of my favorite flavor combinations! Inspired by Shutterbean.

Dry ingredients:

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups raw almonds, chopped
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

Follow instructions for “mother” recipe above.