Good Morning Granola

Weekday breakfasts need to be fast, filling, and healthy. Lately I’ve been starting my work days with Greek yogurt and fruit, smothered in crunchy homemade granola, with a drizzle of honey.

The granola is not too sweet and is easy to make, filled with nutrients and fiber. I make a double batch about once every few weeks and dole it out a little at a time. The recipe is also easily adaptable; if you like nuts, add chopped, toasted nuts to the mixture. (Almonds, walnuts, and pecans are my favorites.) If you want it sweeter, add more brown sugar. Whatever you do, just keep the proportion of dry ingredients to liquid about the same, and it should turn out great.

Amount: about 1 quart

Time: about 1 hour

1/4 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/16 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup puffed rice

3 Tbsp. roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp. raw shelled pumpkin seeds

2 Tbsp. chia seeds

2 Tbsp. uncooked quinoa

1 Tbsp. flax seeds

1 cup chopped, roasted nuts like almonds, walnuts and pecans, optional

1. Preheat oven to 300^o.

2. In a small saucepan combine the cranberry juice concentrate, brown sugar, olive oil, cinnamon, and salt. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until brown sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add vanilla and set aside.

3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add cranberry juice mixture and stir to make sure all grains and seeds are well coated.

4. Using a sheet pan covered with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, spread granola in an even layer. Place sheet pan in middle rack of oven and bake until desired doneness, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. If not careful, it is easy to overcook the granola, so test it at 30 minutes and cook it longer if need be. Be mindful that the granola still cooks and darkens up a little with residual heat after it is removed from the oven.

5. Allow to cool on sheet pan, then store in an air tight container.

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