breakfast at my house... nutty granola with dried apricots and cherries

    
     Life for me slows down in January.  The holidays are over.  The Christmas tree has been taken down.  Preparing for our New Year's Day brunch is history.  I finally have the time to sit and peruse cookbooks and the stacks of recipes I've pulled throughout the year.  It's a great time to recharge. 
     I also feel like my eating takes a radical change of direction in January.  I've eradicated all cookies from the house!  My thoughts have returned to healthy foods with vegetables overtaking my counters, refrigerator, and menus. And with bright, white light, reflecting off the snow and pouring in through the windows of my house, I have some of the best conditions of the year for photographing my work in the kitchen.  Days full of experimentation await! 
     This morning for breakfast I'm eating Greek yogurt with honey and fruit-filled granola.

   

+ Nutty Granola with Dried Cherries and Apricots
                   recipe from Zoe Nathan | Food & Wine, July 2014

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1/3 cup raw pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup flaxseeds
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• Greek yogurt, for serving
• Optional:  I took some frozen Maine blueberries combined with a sprinkling of sugar and heated mixture gently over low heat until syrupy, then cooled.  Serve along with the yogurt and granola, if desired.

1.  Preheat oven to 325˚F.  In a large bowl, mix the oats, butter, honey, salt and cinnamon until evenly covered.  Spread the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until mixture just begins to brown.
2.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Add the coconut, almonds, walnuts, pepitas, and flaxseeds and stir well to combine.  Continue to bake an additional 25 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until the granola is golden brown. 
3.  Remove granola from oven and stir in the dried apricots and cherries.  Allow mixture to cool completely on baking sheet before transferring to a storage container.

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