Chia Coconut Granola

          Whew, what a wonderful couple of days since my last post! Best of all, I got to go camping with my funky friends, up in a beautiful site by Moffet Tunnel near Rollinsville, CO. The morning we left for camping, I was trying to figure out what was the best camping and summer food for our hike-in trip. Obviously, I settled on granola (if that was not obvious to you, let me tell you why it should have been...eh-hem) Granola is the greatet morning treat. Baked to crispy, crunchy or chewy perfection, good by the handful, with milk or yogurt and formed in endless combinations, granola and I have a summer fling love-affair. Especially when it comes to spending time in the great outdoors, we bond stupendously. I've got to be honest, there is something indescribably pleasant about a summer morning started with granola and fresh mountain air.

         

           Disclaimer: Everything tastes better when you have backpacked into a campsite and just spent the past 10 hours trying to sleep on rockzilla (Don't worry, by the end rockzilla and I were part of a totally understanding human-nature relationship and the granola was still good after I was back and rested, so both of those statements should not cause you to fear my views of nature or this granola.)

          My preference notes: Since produce in the summer is in such an abundance, I find it a shame to put dried things in my granola and not take advantage of the season that is upon us. Due to the time of the year then, I did not put dried goods in this, but rather served it with milk and a fresh, juicy peach. If you do care for dried fruit, just add that after you’ve removed the granola from the oven, as it cools off. I also heavily spiced this one. Personally, I like it how it upped the savory notes and added tons of depth. Others might not want to go as heavy handed...feel out how you like spices and adjust accordingly. 

          On a healthy living and mouth watering temptation note: This granola has a nice crunch, created by the egg whites, which add an extra protein source to fuel your morning. More importantly to me, is how it is extremely superfood-filled (casual foodie lingo for coolness points). Seriously though, packed with chia seeds, flax, oats, and multiple nuts, this granola is a natural body-supporting power house. If you top it with some fruit, you have likely added another superfood! Not to mention, all of these things add up to one heck of a fiber dosing to keep you full on your morning hike...or commute, which you dream about hiking during. Finally, cinnamon and ginger are gifts to your system. The first helps regulate blood sugar and fight diabetes, along with a myriad of other things. Ginger, is a tasty anti-inflamatory (inflammation of various areas is the source of the majority of American's health issues, so this is key). Finding ways to add these spices to your food is great, and granola is just one simple way to get them in. The possibilities with granola are vast, and I love it. This one is WONDERFUL, not overly sweet, and very lightly oiled.

 

       So weather you're sitting at you kitchen table or perched on a rock in the great outdoors this Fourth of July weekend, make something good for you and your friends or family. A cheers to good health America- here is to taking care of the health of nature and our bodies so we can enjoy both throughout our lives, and our future peeps can too!

Because no one should have to miss this!

Oven Temp: 300 F

Ingredients:

3 C rolled oats

½ C shredded, unsweetened coconut, if needed, pulse in food processor to get to desired size

1 ¼ C mix of nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts) roughly chopped or run through a food processer

¼ C chia seeds

½ TSP salt

1 TBSP cinnamon

1 TBSP ginger

3 TBSP ground flax seed

2 TBSP coconut oil

2 TBSP honey

2 TBSP maple syrup

2 egg whites (approx. 4 TBSP)

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 300F

2. Mix the rolled oats, coconut, nuts, chia seeds, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and ground flax in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the oil, honey and maple syrup and mix until the oat mixture is evenly, lightly coated.

4. Whisk egg whites in a mixing bowl until frothy, pour over granola and mix to coat.

4. Spread granola onto a cookie sheet (lined with a Silpat or parchment paper)

5.Bake for 20 minutes, stir around and let bake for another 25 minutes. For a total or 45-55 minutes. Remove when the granola starts to brown and transfer it to a cool rack to prevent further cooking.

Cooled, Sealed Up and Ready for the Pack.

*Let it cool, you can store this in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks

Stay happy.

Tart Apricot Crisp

The scoop I couldn't resist hot out of the oven.

         Growing up, pie at Thanksgiving meant the enjoyment of Buttersweeties the next morning. These decadent beyond dream treats are leftover pecan pie, heated in the skillet with generous amounts of butter. I learned at a young age, pie was destined to be enjoyed with a glass of milk the next morning, just as much as it was meant for the night before on your fancy set dinner table.
         I later found the same held true with all fruit crisps, crumbles, buckles, and cobblers alike. Peach cobbler in the morning became a favorite thing of mine. However, tweaked to be slightly less sweet and more wholesome than their evening counterparts, these crumbly fruit treats can in fact be intended for breakfast! 
               With apricots coming into season, I jumped onto the notion as soon as I saw it suggested in the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. Although Deb Perelman already changes the traditional crisp concept to be more suitable for breakfast, I tried to take it a tad further to a cold healthy topping for my summer morning yogurt and gosh darn-it was it tasty. Its tart quality paired so pleasantly on my honey yogurt, this summer's breakfast just got much brighter with a multitude of fruit crisps ready to please. The tart bite of the fresh apricot pairs balances so well with the creaminess of the yogurt, while the gentle crunchy off the oats and almonds form the texture I miss in just plain yogurt. The pleasant combination of the flavors lends itself to a breakfast sure to please, and it is so easy! Just throw it together Sunday evening and the beginning half of your week's breakfast needs are taken care of- or double it and take care of the whole week :)

Adapted from Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Apricot Filling**: 

5 apricots (about 3/4 lb.)

2 tbs sugar

1 tbs all purpose flour

1.5 tsp cinnamon

Crumble Topping:
4 tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla)
1/4 c. Sugar (mine was  quite tart, if you wanted a bit more sweetness, you could go up to 1/2 c)
1/2 c. Rolled Oats
1/2 c. Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 c roughly chopped raw almonds
A generous pinch of salt
A splash of milk at altitude

*I used a 3 cup baking dish from Pyrex and it was packed to the brim. You could easily use two(ish) apricots more and put it in a quart sized dish as well.
**Apricots are wonderful for the spring and summer season, but other fruits-peaches, plums, apples, ect could easily be substituted.

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Tear the apricots along their seams and then tears the halves two more times for bite sized pieces. This is a beautiful thing about apricots. All you need is your hands to twist them apart and rip them in half. They are so soft they lend themselves to being an easy fruit bottom for dishes (not to mention wonderful for minimal clean up). There skins are so soft and add a nice little texture, so no need to even remove them. 
3. Place the apricots at the base of a baking dish and add in flour, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix well.
4. Melt butter in a small sauce pan, add extract and salt-give it a minute to dissolve.
5. Once dissolved, add sugar, oats, flour, and finally almonds, one at a time. Let them combine before adding then next. After adding the almonds, the mixture will be well combined and clumpy.
6. If baking at altitude add a splash of milk as well for added moisture in baking process.
7. Top the apricot mixture with the crumble and cook for 30-35 minutes.
8. Enjoy warm with ice cream if you can't resist or let cool and place in fridge overnight to eat cold for breakfast the next morning- or heck do both!