Chai-Spiced Granola

Crazy times we’re living in… Nobody is unaffected by what’s happening in our world right now and it seems like the lives of those of us working in the hospitality industry have been especially undermined. I feel the utmost empathy for the restaurant owners, chefs, cooks, servers and anyone else who’s life has drastically changed, temporarily or not, due to this virus. It’s strange, we’ve never had to deal with something of this nature and now here we are, facing a situation for which we were unprepared.

I have a friend who suffered from an infection when she was in high school that set her life back a few years. She told me that although it was one of the worst experiences of her life, it taught her a valuable lesson: life is unpredictable. Yes, plan for the future, save money, have goals and aspirations but also be flexible, because life doesn't care about your trip to Europe or plan to move to a new city next spring. I never fully understood what she meant until my life, along with so many others’, shifted so drastically because of this virus and it’s impact on our world. Suddenly, I was uncertain of my future and of how long I would feel this way. For us to feel victimized or frustrated by the unpredictable events caused by life’s heavy hand is natural, but when something is out of our control what more can we do than move on? And keep moving, change those plans, and do our best to make the most of the situation.

It was pouring rain this morning but now the sun has found a way around the clouds and a warm breeze hints at the spring days not too far off. I went for not one but two! walks today and did some gardening. One good thing to come from social isolation is more time to appreciate days like this. Keeping busy by making and being creative is comforting to me, so thats what I’ll be doing for the foreseeable future, take care everyone x.

Chai-Spiced Granola

Makes ~5 cups of granola

4 cups whole rolled oats

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cashews (or other nuts)

2/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking tray with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Add oats, spices, salt and cashews to a large mixing bowl.

Mix coconut oil, maple syrup and ground flax together in a small bowl.

Pour maple syrup mixture into the oat mixture and stir until evenly coated, then transfer mixture to the prepared baking tray and spread it into an even layer, using a spatula to pack it down. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-24 minutes until golden brown, checking halfway to ensure no burning around the edges - if this is the case fold the browning bits into the middle without stirring the middle too much.

Let cool for at least half an hour before breaking into chunks. Serve with milk or yogurt and fruit, granola will keep for about 1 week in a sealed jar.