Nutty olive oil low FODMAP granola

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:

• Sunny mornings, when dappled light shines through my kitchen window
• Coffee catch ups with work and life friends I haven’t seen in far too long
• Late night walks – helps the gut digest! – devising life plans
• A local power cut that lasted all night and ended in a candlelit steak dinner
• Finishing off decorating our flat
• Pub drinks with loved ones
• Upping my food photography game, thanks to Leiths School of Food & Wine
• Classes at my local gym (I like 45 minute circuit-type ones, or kick boxing, then yoga which is always good for my tum)
• A few fun events in central – making pizzas with AEG, and celebrating all things maple syrup with Maple from Canada UK
• Planning holidays, including a big LA – San Fran road trip we’ve been saving up for
• Cheer, on Netflix! Jerry you sweet sweet angel
• The Goop Lab, on Netflix! Some of the episodes weren’t for me but I can’t help think Gwyneth Paltrow is a genius
• Jane the Virgin, on Netflix! Can you see a pattern here…

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.