Homemade Granola

This granola is perfect in my book.  My problem with store-bought granola is that it is so sugar-packed.  Let's be honest, it tastes more like cookies than anything else.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  But I wanted something that I wouldn't feel guilty about eating a bowl of in the morning. I suppose this is more like muesli in consistency...but I like calling it granola.

I should also probably fess up here - I've never actually made this on my own.  Thanks to the fiance for bringing this into my life.  And for letting me blog about it like I made it.

Ingredients:
6 cups rolled oats
2 cups mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews - up to you!)
1/3 cup seeds (flax, sunflower, sesame - again, your pick)
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1 dash salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, blueberries)

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT dried fruit and stir well to mix.

3.  Spread evenly onto 2 cookie sheets and bake for 30 minutes.  Give it a stir half-way through.

4.  Remove from oven, and allow to cool.  Place back into bowl and add dried fruit.

The browner it gets without burning, the crispier it will be! The olive oil helps with this.

Keep it in a sealed container or ziplock bag, and it lasts forever!


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Original Recipe:

This recipe comes from a friend, to whom I am very grateful.

Goat Cheese Quinoa Spinach Pilaf

This feels so decadent, but is really quite healthy.  A great side for anything - though salmon would go great with it.  This version makes a lot, so I recommend halving it.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 bag Spinach
1 cup Quinoa
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Raw Sunflower Seeds
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled (or Parmesan)

The un-crumbled goat cheese worked just as well.

1. Boil lightly salted water in a small pot.  Add quinoa and cook until tender - 15-20 minutes.

2. Drain quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in the drained pot and add sunflower seeds.  Cook until lightly toasted and brown, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Stir in cooled quinoa.  Add in spinach by the handful, stirring into the quinoa.  Cook until all spinach wilts.

If you cover the pot, the spinach will wilt quicker!

6. Stir in lemon juice and cheese; mix until cheese has melted.

I actually used too much cheese (though is there ever too much?), and could have only used 1/4 of the packet I bought.  Non-crumbled worked just as well.

Presto - healthy decadence.

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Original Recipe:

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