Maple Almond Coconut Granola

I made this recipe for breakfast at the WHOLE WOMAN retreat that I worked at in March in Laguna Beach, California. It was a big hit.

Making this granola is one of my pantry staples. I do it about once a month and everyone really looks forward to breakfast. It's always going to be superior to make your own than it is to buy a packaged one in the store. The financial analysis is about the same, but the taste and the freshness are unbeatable. Plus, it makes your house smell really incredible for hours. There is room for many delicious substitutions here and I encourage you to experiment! This recipe incorporates healthy nut and seed oils, tons of fiber and plant - based protein and is even more delicious with dried or fresh fruit and a good greek yogurt, kefir or almond milk.

INGREDIENTS
4 1|2 cups old fashioned oats, not the instant variety
1 1|2 cups slivered or chopped raw almonds (almond meal is also a suitable substitute if needed)
3|4 cup walnuts or sunflower seeds or cashews etc...
1|4 flax seed and|or chia seed
1 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1|4 cup maple syrup
1|3 c softened coconut oil or non - gmo canola in a pinch
1|4 teaspoon sea salt
a handful of dried raisins, cranberries, apricots, mango etc... are great to throw in at the end of cooking

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 325. Put the oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, cinnamon and salt into a bowl and stir. Add the syrup and the oil and combine everything until evenly wet. Spread out onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan and stir, bringing the sides into the middle as they cook quicker. Return it to the oven and bake another 15 minutes. Remove it and stir one more time. Cook another 5 - 10 minutes, watching it carefully at this point as it can burn easily towards the end. When it's finished, allow it to cool completely on the sheet pan until you are ready to store it. At this step, you can mix in dried fruit or cacao nibs if you want. I use large canning jars for easy pantry storage. It keeps for a month or more. It stays really fresh and crunchy. But, it doesn't last more than a week around here.

ENJOY!

WHOLE WOMAN

In March, I was invited to participate in a healing workshop that was to take place in beautiful Laguna Beach, California.  Two dear friends of mine who I deeply admire and respect, were organizing a tribal intersection of women through modern culture.  It was called WHOLE WOMAN. I was asked to serve with my gift, which was to design and lovingly prepare the food for the retreat, and I accepted. The weekend was to be filled with a high vibration including yoga, guided meditation, chakra discovery, holistic body care, card reading, gemstones and pushing our feet through the ocean sand as we listened to our hearts echo across the water.  How could I possibly say no? The collective consciousness asked for a vegetarian, gluten-free menu.  It was an awesome challenge and I really wanted to bring some dishes that would carry the WOW factor and still be something that these women would be inspired to recreate at home for their families and friends. Luckily, since my hands were quite full in the kitchen the majority of the time, the mega talented Greer Inez of MAMA HUSSY was there snapping shots over my shoulder so that we would have some rad content to bring back to Oklahoma. This is the dinner I made on the first night that was delicious, healthy and very well received!

This recipe is a good substitution for a pasta dish when you want some traditional Italian flavors and is perfect served with salad and crusty bread.

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise, stem end trimmed
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
4-6 mushrooms, cremini, baby portabello or white button, sliced
1/2 red, white or yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced, optional
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
nutritional yeast to taste, optional
kosher salt + pepper
olive oil
fresh parsley, chopped + fresh basil, cut into ribbons
red sauce such as marinara or a homemade version
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
freshly grated parmesan cheese or mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Start your rice if it has not already been cooked
Scrape out your zucchini boats with a spoon, leaving 1/8 inch rim around the edge
Chop this and set aside for the stuffing
Start your sautee by heating the olive oil to medium in a large skillet
Add the onion and sprinkle with a little salt, cook about 5 minutes
Add the mushrooms, zucchini, garlic and red bell if using, cook another 5-7 minutes until tender
In a large bowl, combine your sautee with the rice and about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast
Adjust the salt + pepper, add a little cayenne if you like it spicy and a handful of the parsley
Stuff your zucchini with a spoon and press down into the cavity so that there are no pockets
Lay them out face up on a sheet pan
Top them with parmesan or mozzarella if using and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the zucchini shells are tender when pierced and golden on top
As you bake, warm up your red sauce on the stove
Serve  by placing a large spoonful of sauce in the middle of the plate
Position your zucchini directly on top and garnish with parmesan and the basil ribbons

Always serve cooked food with a raw salad for optimum digestion