Orange and Pepita Granola

Christmas is over, a new year is here and I feel more exhausted than I did before the holidays began! Did I eat far too much of my mother in-law’s delicious Christmas Pudding over the Christmas break? Yes (I regret nothing). Did I drink a little more red wine than I intended because my family’s Monopoly session started to get a little too serious? Possibly (It was a fight to the death/bankruptcy). Do I now feel like I’m carrying my own little Christmas pudding around my middle? Perhaps. No one can be perfect all the time, but everyone can eat a breakfast that tastes like perfection. I found this granola recipe in one of my favourite cookbooks - YumUniverse. I replaced some of the sweetener with orange juice and ended up with a granola that is crunchy, zesty and so tasty that I often eat it dry as a snack. 

Ingredients

Wet

• 1/4 cup of Blackstrap Molasses - found at most grocery stores (or sweetener of your choice)
• 3/4 Cup orange juice

Dry

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
• Zest from 2 navel oranges
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch of ground cardamom
• Pinch of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 150°C or 350°F.

Stir together wet ingredients in a small bowl.

Throw the dry ingredients into a large bowl and toss to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine (you can use your hands).

Pour the mixture evenly onto two trays lined with baking paper, ensuring that they aren't overcrowded (the granola won't toast evenly otherwise). 

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the granola is golden brown and toasted.

Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool and harden. Enjoy with your favourite non-dairy milk or by itself.

Chia Seed Breakfast Pudding

I like to think I’m a morning person. And, I guess I am a morning person. I’m just not a very pleasant one - at least not when other humans are also trying to be morning people. Like my husband for example, who when rising early likes to turn on the TV, loudly. Or listen to guitar solos on Instagram, loudly. Or empty the cutlery from the dishwasher by throwing each knife, fork and spoon from the cutlery basket into the drawer; you guessed it – VERY LOUDLY. Honestly I’m getting irritable just thinking about it. Which is why, even though I like to think that I can get up and make a nourishing, tasty breakfast each morning, I’m not sure I can do it and stay happily married. Also, this little lady has to get paid so between trying to fit in a morning yoga practice, attempting to apply makeup in between sneezes because I may have indulged in a glass or two of wine the night before, even though I KNOW it’s going to cause me to have hay-fever (life is all about balance right?), and spending at least 15 minutes running around the house frantically searching for my keys/wallet/shoe – how do I ALWAYS misplace one shoe? It’s always comforting to know that even though my mind might be as scattered as leaves blowing in the wind first thing in the morning, I know that in my magic treasure box (also known as the fridge) I can pull out a jar full of the tastiest, breakfast-goodness I have ever had the pleasure of devouring.

I normally prepare a week’s worth of these on a Sunday afternoon and leave them in the fridge. You can either add the fruit and nuts or muesli before eating (in which case the puddings will keep for up to 5 days) or add once the pudding has set and then freeze the jars until ready to eat.

Ingredients (makes one jar):

• ¼ cup Chia Seeds
• 1 cup coconut milk

Add the chia seeds and coconut milk to the jar and stir well to combine (if not stirred enough some of the chia seeds can stick together and will not soften properly so you’ll end up with a chewy ball of chia in the middle of your delicious pudding).

Pop the jar into the fridge to set overnight. Once set, top with fruit, nuts and or muesli of your choice. My favourite combination is Mango, Strawberry, Passionfruit and almonds.