Lately, I’ve been out hiking and biking every chance I get, and the post-workout hunger hits hard. After a long day on the move, I want to eat something healthy that fuels me and actually tastes good... if I don’t plan ahead, I’ll eat anything in sight.

That’s where this granola comes in. It’s crunchy, sweet, salty, and totally satisfying. I love how easy it is to switch things up based on what I’m craving—sometimes I go heavy on the nuts and seeds, other times I add dried fruit or a sprinkle of dark chocolate. I stash some in my bag for the trail, and it’s just as good at home with yogurt or piled onto a smoothie bowl. This is quickly becoming a staple in my pantry.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
• 1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds (I used 1 cup pecans, 1/2 pistachios, and ½ cup pepitas
• ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt 
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
• ½ cup maple syrup or honey (I used 1/3 cup of maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large (I used dried cranberries)
• Optional additional mix-ins: ½ cup chocolate chips or coconut flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
3. Mix the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla together, and pour it into the bowl. Stir well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.
4. Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway (for extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer). The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
5. Add dried fruit toward or at the end of cooking, to prevent burning.
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The Very Best Granola
https://cookieandkate.com/healthy-granola-recipe/

Ingredients:
1.5 cups almond milk
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
4 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp pecans, chopped
1 ripe pear, diced
Pinch each: sea salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg 

Instructions:
1. Combine the ingredients together, except for the pecans and diced pears, and divide into two pint jars.
2. Cover and refrigerate. The mixture will thicken as it stands. It is ready to eat in fifteen minutes, but will keep for up to a week.
3. Stir before serving and top with pecans and diced pears.

Great for breakfast, snack, and also dessert!

An easy and hearty meal, I whipped this up for breakfast. As a plus - so easy to adapt to ingredients on hand!

Ingredients
2 cups sliced asparagus (½-inch pieces)*
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped*
*-substitute with whatever is in your fridge. I used broccoli, red peppers, and mushrooms
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons rice flour
3 eggs
1 cup chopped ham
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup (2 ounces) finely shredded Swiss cheese- used queso fresco

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine asparagus, bell pepper, and 1 tablespoon water in microwavable bowl. Cover with waxed paper; microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain. You can also sauté on an iron skillet with a little oil.

3. Whisk milk and rice flour in large bowl.

4. Whisk in eggs until well blended. Stir in vegetables, ham, tarragon, salt and black pepper.

5. Pour into 9-inch pie plate.
​
6. Bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the fritta; bake for 5 more minutes, or until center is set and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
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Makes 6 servings

You can eat this delicious granola with milk, kefir, on top of yogurt, or on overnight oats (recipe here). It gives a satisfying crunch.

Ingredients:

• 4  cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped
• 1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar or honey other. Both are delicious 😋 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  
  

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, mix the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, maple syrup, oil, brown sugar or honey, and 1 teaspoon salt until well combined.
• Spread the mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, for about 45 minutes total, until the granola is toasted.
• Remove the granola from the oven; season with additional salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving.
• Do ahead: can be made 1 month ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
  
  

These recipes are very similar - I used 4 c of oats and the dried fruits I had on hand. Make sure you add those after taking the tray out of the oven- fruits burns (I made that mistake). Sometimes I add 2/3 cups of tahini too! 
https://food52.com/recipes/15831-nekisia-davis-olive-oil-maple-granola
https://www.themediterraneandish.com/homemade-granola-recipe/
https://cookieandkate.com/healthy-granola-recipe/