nuts and oats

At 8:53 last night I started putting together this granola, and by 9:04 it was in the oven. I love this recipe is because it’s so quick: stir, spread, bake. It makes your house smell like cinnamon and nutmeg which reminds me of cooler temps and what it’s like to not melt into a puddle of heat anger every time I walk outside. In case nobody noticed, it was almost cool outside this morning, which means fall is coming and I wont feel like murdering someone every time I leave the house because of how oppressively hot it is, and maybe I’ll stop looking up jobs and houses in colder states.

breakfast: granola with yogurt, honey drizzle and raisins.

I adapted this recipe from Deb’s The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. I dialed back the syrup a bit, because I like my granola to feel more savory with just a hint of sweetness. I also upped the cinnamon and added nutmeg, and used milled flax seed instead of wheat germ, which makes it gluten free and adds Omega 3 fatty acids (if you’re vegetarian this is a good way to get some of that in your diet). I like to eat this with plain Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey, topped with some raisins. Sometimes I toss in a few chopped dark chocolate pieces. It would also be yummy plain with milk or any other fruit, like bananas, strawberries or blueberries. I also think it would be delicious if you topped a stack of pancakes with this granola and garnished them with maple syrup and a dollop of cream. Just a brilliant idea.

Granola
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook’s Big Cluster Maple Granola

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup coarsely chopped unsalted walnuts, pecans or almonds, or a mixture.
1/4 cup ground flax seed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg white

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients except the egg white. Whisk the egg white until foamy, then stir into the granola. (the protein in the egg acts as a binding agent to give the granola clumps!) Bake for 20-25 minutes, then using a spatula, fold the granola to turn it over, being gentle and trying not to break any big clumps. Bake for another 25-30 minutes, until fragrant, golden brown and it has reached your desired level of toasted-ness. Let cool completely, store in an air tight container. We usually eat this within two weeks, if it lasts that long.