healthy nut & seed granola

Granola makes for a delicious breakfast or snack anytime of day, am I right? I’ve been known to enjoy it dry on its own, in a bowl with almond milk or Greek yogurt & fresh fruit, and even sprinkled on top of chia pudding or açaí bowls! And I have to say, it always hits the spot! Although it’s easy to buy granola pre-made, many store-bought versions are loaded with sugar and other unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients. At our house we tend to go through Costco-size bags of grain-free granola at a pretty rapid pace (it’s so addicting), and as I was finishing one off the other day, I decided to make some myself for a change! 

This recipe is super adaptable, so feel free to swap out other nuts and seeds if you prefer, or use what you have on hand. But do make sure to use plenty of them since they are the star- and super important for that tasty crunch! No one in my household avoids grains, so I did include rolled oats as well, since they make such a good base for granola. If you’d like to keep things gluten free, just make sure your oats are certified GF! My healthy nut & seed granola boasts a pretty impressive nutritional profile thanks to superfoods like chia & flax seeds, fiber-rich oats, and an extra dose of healthy fats from coconut oil. Plus, it’s lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup, which is much lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar and corn syrup, so it won’t spike your blood sugar! I definitely recommend adding pure vanilla extract and ground cinnamon for some added depth of flavor, but feel free to skip these if you prefer. You can also toss in some dried or freeze dried fruit after baking, if that’s your jam, as well. The options are endless! Homemade granola is so easy y’all- I don’t know why I haven’t done this more often, but I definitely will going forward! Not to mention it leaves your house smelling oh so delicious and fragrant! Enjoy!

Healthy Nut & Seed Granola:

healthy nut & seed granola

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan or large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and salt (keep coconut separate for now). Set aside. In a separate bowl, heat the coconut oil and maple syrup until melted. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well until oat mixture is completely coated.

Spread the granola on the baking sheet in an even layer and press down evenly with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top, and return to oven for a few more minutes, until just toasted. Granola should be nice and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to set. Feel free to break it into clumps or clusters if you prefer. Transfer to an airtight container or large mason jar.

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black rice & winter vegetable salad

I know the majority of recipes I post here are sweets, but I promise I do actually eat healthy things too! A lot of them, to be honest! While my husband is obviously the better chef in the family, I love to cook as well, just on a much simpler scale. My go-to savory dishes are easy and nutritious, and I typically prepare a lot of the components ahead of time, and make extra, so that I can just throw everything into a bowl and dig in! These bowls usually involve seasonal vegetables (roasted, shaved, etc.), whole grains of some sort (homemade bread or quinoa), a protein (likely chicken or legumes), and a good dressing (tahini or avocado-based). Various textural components, like nuts or sees, add a nice crunch as well. This one was being served as a side dish to meat and other dishes, so I kept this vegan and gluten free! There are a million ways to mix it up, so feel free to use whatever tastes good and is available to you!

Black Rice & Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad:

  • 2 cups black rice, rinsed
  • 2 bay leaves 
  • 4 sprigs thyme, separated
  • 1/4 cup chives, chopped
  • 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
  • 3 cups Brussels Sprouts, rooted & halved
  • 1 celery root, peeled & cubed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground paprika
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • 1 blood orange, segmented

Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Sriracha
  • 1 tsp honey (or agave syrup)
  • 1 tsp blood orange zest
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Topping:

  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • 1 blood orange, segmented
  • 2 tbsp chives, chopped
  • 1/2 cup micro-greens

Preheat oven to 450 F. Cook rice according to package instructions, seasoning the cooking liquid with salt, pepper, bay leaves and 2 sprigs thyme, until just al dente. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Spread out on sheet tray to cool completely, topping with chives and seasoning with salt & pepper to taste.

Drizzle sweet potatoes, 2 cups of Brussels sprouts (reserving one cup), and celery root with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Shave remaining cup of Brussels sprouts on a mandolin, and add to the rice. Add bell pepper, pumpkin seeds, blood orange segments, and the cooled roasted veggies to the rice mixture.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add to rice mixture, and stir to combine. Top with extra pumpkin seeds, blood orange segments, chives, and micro-greens. Enjoy!

fennel seed, flax & raisin bread

 
fennel flax raisin bread5.jpg
 

My husband and I were recently gifted a sourdough starter from a good friend of ours. There is not much better than freshly baked bread in my opinion, so we have had some fun experimenting with various flours and mix-ins. My husband is definitely the better bread-baker, as he has had some prior experience, but I'm watching and learning as he goes. Baking bread is such a science, from the exact proportions of ingredients to proofing time, but it's a great feeling to pull the final product out of the oven. We like the rustic shape and uniform crust it gets from baking in our beautiful Staub cast iron pans. This bread uses a mix of bread flour and whole wheat graham flour, which adds a nice whole grain touch, but keeps it from being too dense and hearty. We mixed plump raisins in to the dough, and coated the top in fennel and flax seeds. If you want to make your own sourdough bread, but are unsure where to start, The Clever Carrot provides an in-depth, step-by-step tutorial that proved very helpful for us.

Sourdough Bread:

  • 150g active sourdough starter

  • 250g water

  • 25g olive oil

  • 250g bread flour

  • 250g whole wheat graham flour

  • 10g sea salt

  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds

  • 1 tbsp flax seeds

  • 1/3 cup raisins

  • extra flour or cornmeal, for dusting

To make the dough, combine the starter, water, olive oil and both flours in a bowl. Mix everything together by hand until just combined, and then set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Dissolve the salt in 1/2 tsp water, and fold it well into the dough mix. Re-form the dough into a rough ball. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm spot to rise until it has doubled in size, which may take several hours.

While the dough is fermenting, you may stretch and fold it over itself a few times to strengthen the dough, and in turn increase the total volume of the bread. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat this process until you have come full circle. Do every 30 minutes for 2 hours. 

To cut and shape the dough, lightly flour one half of a clean surface (counter top, pastry slab, cutting board), and leave the other half clean. Remove the dough from the bowl, and place onto the floured section so that it does not stick.

To shape the dough, move it to the clean section of your surface. Fold the dough, side by side, over itself into the center. At this time, add the raisins so that they get fully incorporated. Flip the dough over and place it seam side down. Gently form your hands along the sides of the dough and rotate it until you are satisfied with its shape. Carefully coat the top of the bread with a mix of flax and fennel seeds.

Coat the bottom of your Staub pan (or dutch oven) with cornmeal or flour. Place the dough inside for a second shorter rise, about 1-2 hours, or until it looks slightly puffy.

Preheat your oven to 450F. Right before you're ready to bake your bread, make a shallow slash about 2 inches long in the center of the dough with a knife. Cover your dough with the lid, and place the pot into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the lid, and continue to bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until a nice golden brown crust has formed. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door, and leave the bread . This allows the moisture to escape, leaving your bread with a crisp crust. If you prefer to take the internal temperature of your bread, it should read about 205F.

Remove the bread from the oven, take it out of the pot, and allow it to cool for at least an hour before slicing. Now enjoy the results of all your hard work!

*Adapted from Sourdough Bread by The Clever Carrot.

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