Nutty olive oil low FODMAP granola! When it comes to the start of the year, I’m all about taking it easy and giving yourself a bit of a break. I’ve been reading Period Power by Masie Hill and I’ve never been more into the idea that we should be listening to our bodies! And not only embracing and getting the most out of our cycles, but out of the real seasons (Masie refers to the different stages of your cycle as seasons in her book) too.
After the craziness of December, January and February have been a welcome calm, with many nights spent on the sofa in front of the telly, lots of walks, and recently, dinners and drinks with a cheeky game of cards (nomination wist is the current fave). I’ve been embracing the simpler, more routine days (at least on some weeks) and giving myself a chance to relax and enjoy the small things, all while taking stock of last year and thinking about some goals for this year too.
Some of the things I’ve been loving over the last six weeks:
As well as all of the above, I’ve been loving cooking. With things a bit less hectic, I’ve been going through my huge stash of cookbooks and picking out recipes that I’ve had my eye on for a while. The latest was a lower FODMAP version of Claire Thomson’s Massaman curry from her brilliant cookbook, New Kitchen Basics. A rich, mild Thai curry, it’s so delicious. For breakfast I’ve been getting back in to overnight oats or granola, with milk or yogurt. And after playing around in the kitchen the other day, I came up with this recipe and couldn’t wait to share. This nutty olive oil low FODMAP granola has become my go-to bake on a Sunday morning for the week ahead. Think sweet, but not too sweet, with crunchy clumpy bits that soften oh-so-slightly when swirled into cold milk. I like the oats for the fibre (keeping it real) and the fact that this granola makes such a great snack too.
I never used to put egg white in granola recipes, but I kept spotting more and more recipes including it. Turns out, those including it were pretty wise, because it really does help keep things crisp and light. You could add millet or quinoa instead of half the oats if you like, and play around with the olive oil and maple syrup depending on how sweet you like things.
Photographs by Emma Croman.
40g olive oil
120ml maple syrup
2 teaspoons flaky salt
350g rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
100g mixed nuts, roughly chopped (I like almonds, walnuts, pecans and/or macadamias)
50g pumpkin seeds
1 large egg white
Preheat your oven to 160C, gas mark 3 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix until everything is evenly coated. Tip the mixture on to your baking tray and spread into a single layer.
Bake until everything is crispy and golden brown, around 50-60 minutes. Stir every 20 minutes or so while baking, to make sure everything cooks evenly.
Let cool completely before storing in glass jars or containers of your choice. It will last about a week.