Chocolate Cherry Granola

This granola recipe is ridiculously popular with my friends and family!


1/2 c raw honey  (make sure you know where your honey came from--lots of honey from the grocery store is actually high fructose corn syrup)
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/4 c coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 c organic oats (you can use gf oats if you are making this for someone with gluten intolerance)
1 c nuts of your choice (I usually use 1/2 c almonds and 1/2 c cocoa nibs)
1/2 c unsweetened coconut
1/2 c dried fruit (I usually use cherries or cranberries)
dash of sea salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, combine honey, cocoa powder, vanilla, and coconut oil.  Heat on medium low until melted.  Add oats, nuts, coconut, dried fruit and sea salt.  Be sure to keep stirring so that the cocoa doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan.

Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and then spread the granola mixture over the parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes.  Take granola out of the oven and allow it to cool.  This is what will make the granola clump.  Once it is cool  and in chunks, you can store it in an airtight container.

Asparagus with Lemon Butter Sauce

Pastured Butter and Fresh Lemon
bring out the best of the Asparagus

Asparagus is in season!

This recipe is excellent.  Even my non-asparagus loving husband asked for seconds.

To get all of the benefits of the healthy fats, choose grass-fed butter and grass-fed cheese.








1 bunch fresh, organic Asparagus
1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons pastured butter (I use Kerrygold or Kate's)
sea salt
black pepper
1/4 cup grated or finely shredded Parmesan Cheese




1)Melt the butter over low to medium heat.  As the butter melts, cut the lemon into small chunks.  Remove the seeds, squeeze the juice from the lemon wedges into the pan and then put the whole wedge in.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Let the lemon wedges sizzle and soften for 2-5 minutes.


2)Trim the bottoms off the asparagus and put the asparagus into the sizzling lemon butter sauce.  Toss the asparagus to coat in the sauce and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus are tender, 5-7 minutes.


3)Plate asparagus and sprinkle with cheese.


Enjoy!

Maple-Pecan-Coconut Granola

This granola is delicious, and even popular among the folks I know who are not into health food.  If you need this recipe to be gluten-free, just be sure that you get your oats from a gluten-free source.  

If you like your granola to have chunks of oats and nuts, the key to keeping that consistency is in the turn between bakes.  Use a flat spatula and simply flip the oats once, keeping the chunks intact.  Stirring the oats instead of turning them will separate the oats and get rid of the chunks.  

This recipe was adapted from the Whole Foods Market Anniversary Cookbook.

Maple-Pecan-Coconut Granola

Serves 6-8

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup unsweetened organic coconut, finely shredded

Pinch of sea salt

2/3 cup maple syrup

6 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil plus enough to grease the pan

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Blend the oats, flour, coconut, and salt together in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until completely incorporated.  Add to the oat mixture, stirring well to coat.  Place mixture on a large pan that has been greased with coconut oil.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Pull the granola out of the oven and add the pecans, turning the granola once to mix them in.  Continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes.  Allow the granola to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place or in the refrigerator.