Olive Oil and Sea Salt Granola

You know when you make something and the smell of it in the oven is so insanely delicious you know it’s going to be good? That was definitely the case with this Olive Oil and Sea Salt Granola.

I found the recipe in a cookbook my mom had recently gifted me entitled, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.” The cookbook revolves around the principle that by mastering just four elements – salt, fat, acid and heat – everything you cook will be delicious. She goes in depth on each premise . . . salt’s effect on flavor, how salt works, how salt affects meat, seafood, vegetables and fruits, cooking foods in salted water vs. seasoning with salt and so on. It’s a wonderful read if you like anything to do with cooking. Here’s the link if you are interested in checking it out. I love it and am so glad I have it to add to my cookbook collection. Thanks mom!

But, back to the recipe which incorporates all four elements from her book – salt in the form of sea salt, fat through olive oil, acid in the form of grade A maple syrup (which has a light acidity) and heat from a slow roast in the oven. I loved the way the taste profile turned out on this and I’ll definitely be adding it to my repertoire so I knew I definitely wanted to share it with you. It turns out golden and delicious with just the right amount of salty and sweet. Side note: I didn’t have the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds so I just substituted other nuts like almonds and some mixed nuts I had on hand and it was divinely delicious nonetheless.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips or flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 cups halved pecans
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup, preferably dark Grade A
• 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Sea salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

The recipe part of this couldn’t be easier. You simply dump everything into a bowl and stir which makes it great for adults and kids alike.

Line a pan with parchment paper and once all your ingredients are fully incorporated, pour onto the parchment paper and pop into the oven.

Stir every 10 – 15 minutes to make sure everything gets an even brown and cook for about 45-50 minutes. I started checking at the 40 min. mark. You want it to be a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and feel free to season with more sea salt if you so desire. And that’s it! Allow to cool completely.

This recipe makes a ton so leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for about a month.

Simple, delicious with the perfect balance of salt, fat, acid and heat! Eat plain as a snack, in a bowl like cereal, on top of yogurt or smoothie or however else you please!

Enjoy and Happy Sunday.