Lunch Stand-By

I'm a very exciting girl.  I eat the same thing pretty much every day for lunch.  Fortunately, it's pretty healthy...and a hell of a lot cheaper than going out every day!

I'm also a generous girl, so I thought I'd share my recipe ;)

[Lacking a Cute Name] Granola

(adapted from a NY Times recipe, which I stole from Ryan)

What I really like about this granola is that it's made with olive oil, which gives it good flavor and better nutritional standing than most other recipes I've seen. 

You can sub in and out just about anything.  Usually I use dried cranberries, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and pistachios.  The first time I made it, I stupidly went to Whole Foods and spent a fortune, but I wasn't sure where else to go.  Over Thanksgiving I went to a (no shit) Mennonite grocery store in Bedford that is amazing for their inventory and price (yes, yes, Bedford jokes, I know...)  I stocked up then and have only recently run out.  My parents visited this weekend and Mom brought stuff she had on hand:  sunflower seeds and soy nuts.  They worked pretty well.  One other note, I keep thinking I should try this recipe with less sugar, because I feel pretty confident it would work, but I haven't yet.

Here's my version of the original:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raw pistachios, hulled
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup cashews
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled

3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup dried cranberries


1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine everything except the cranberries. 
2. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown and well toasted.
3. Transfer granola to a large bowl and add cranberries, tossing to combine.

I store in 2 glass mason jars.  Tom and I each take one to work/school and it lasts a week or so.  I also have a supply of fat free yogurts (usually Trader Joe's chocolate or mocha, if I'm being honest) in the office fridge, so that when lunch time comes, I just grab one of those, a bowl, and a half cup or so of granola and I'm all set.  Filling and tasty and not so boring that I want to kill myself at the site of yet another bowl.  Enjoy!