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How To Make Your Own Granola

For breakfast, I’ve always loved granola. As a kid, I had an Uncle who kept granola in his pantry at all times. My home was usually stocked with Grape Nuts and skim milk, so granola with yogurt was a huge treat! Since then, I’ve almost always kept granola stocked in my kitchen as well. However, I can’t believe I’ve been paying for it all this time when it’s soooo simple to make your own granola! For the most part, granola only requires ingredients that you’ll already find in your kitchen cupboards. So, I decided to learn (and teach you) how to make your own! Get ready to level up your smoothie bowl and breakfast recipes!

Recipes for granola all are very versatile because the main component is rolled oats! I read that you won’t want to use quick oats because they don’t hold up as well after baking. This recipe is a great activity to do with family or friends and—perhaps even more so—it’s a quick and easy option to impress some early (or entirely unexpected) guests! Let’s not forget it as a budget option either since granola works as a meal or as a simple grab and go snack.

To make your own granola requires as little or as many ingredients as you’d like and only takes about an hour to make from start to finish.

For my granola, I wanted something that was tropical and kind of sweet. I knew I’d be putting it over plain Greek yogurt and wanted to include what I already had too much of in my pantry.

In this recipe, I added an egg white for added protein. However, granola only needs a ratio of around 1:6 wet to dry. You can make a simple syrup or use honey/agave, egg whites, and oil for your wet ingredients like I did. If you’re adding dried fruits like raisins, goji, apricots, etc., you’ll want to wait to add those until the mix is baked through and transferred to a bowl.

Make Your Own Granola

Print Recipe

Serves: 10 Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup of extra-finely shredded coconut
1/2 cup of pepitas
1/2 cup of crushed almonds
3 tbsp. bee pollen
1/3 cup honey/ agave
1/3 cup warmed coconut oil
1 egg white
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
dash of cardamom
dash of cinnamon
1/3 cup green raisins
1/4 cup goji berries
1 packet of Mango Açaí fruit snacks

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 300°F

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts, and other dry ingredients in a bowl

Add your spices and salt to the dry mix and combine thoroughly

Stir in your wet mixture until all the ingredients and coated

Spread your mix on a parchment lined baking sheet

Bake for 40-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes

Transfer your mix to a bowl and add your berries and dried fruits

Serve!

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make your own granola! Check back often for more recipes and kitchen tips Xo.

Recipe

Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper / Okra Dish

*This was originally posted as Vegan Fried Okra, but apparently it’s Shishito Peppers! Lol I’m an idiot. The recipe is great for either, though, so carry on!

Southern cooking has my heart. All the delicious, buttery comfort food gives me the warm and fuzzies. I’m a huge fan of The Pioneer Women, Ree. After getting her cookbook a few years ago, I immediately began cooking anything and everything Southern. Just ask my husband or brother, for a while they’d come home to a new pie every day. I felt like a Disney Princess, whistling around my kitchen, in hopes that a group of birds would come in and help with the dishes. One of my favorite southern dishes is Fried Okra! Now that I’m blogging with more of an emphasis on Vegan/ Veg food, I thought I’d give you a Vegan Fried ~~Okra~~ Shishito Pepper dish to try for yourself! I’d never made it before, so this was a great opportunity to learn something new!

As much as I love Sothern Cooking, my waistline doesn’t. This Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper dish is one of the rare unhealthy things that you’ll see me post. It’s deep fried, covered in corn meal and flour goodness, and guaranteed to please. Just maybe walk around a bit after you eat it 😝

For thisVegan Fried Shishito Pepper/ Okra dish, I made a few modifications to try to get the best consistency possible. I used unsweetened almond milk instead of the buttermilk the traditional recipe calls for, and after the first batch, I thickened the almond milk up a little by adding 1/2 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum. Xanthan gum is a “natural” thickener, and it’s great to use in smoothies, dressings, and soups as well. I was turned on to it during my raw vegan days. It gets some flack because it’s unclear if it’s bad for you or not, but I figured if I’m deep-frying my dinner, who tf cares?? You judge for yourself, I’m not yo momma!

Additionally, for this Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper recipe, I tried using Panko (bread crumbs) in addition to the corn meal and flour mix. This combination didn’t work as well as I’d thought because the almond milk was still a bit runny. If I had been using a recipe with egg or butter, it might have worked better. In the end, I found that the corn meal and flour mix did the best job of (kind of) keeping the breading on the okra.

Okay, here we go with Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper!

Gather and rinse your Shishito Peppers/ okra
Cut off the stem and bottom of your Shishito Peppers/ okra, then slice into 1″ pieces
Mix your dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, seasoning), and mix your almond milk with your xanthan gum in a separate bowl, and put your oil in a deep frying/ sauté pan and warm it over medium heat
Set up a little assembly line for yourself next to your stove. Dunk your shishito peppers/ okra morsels into the almond milk to coat it, then cover it with the dry mix, so it’s completely covered
Gently—so you don’t burn yourself—drop the shishito peppers/ okra into the hot oil. Sorry, no picture of steps five and six because I was trying to not set myself aflame!
You may have to do it in batches, when the okra is a nice golden brown, transfer it onto a cookie sheet with a layer of paper towels on it, to help soak up and drain some of the oil
Serve with your favorite other southern dishes; I chose mashed potatoes!

Vegan Fried Okra

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. of Okra, rinsed and cut
3-6 cups of oil depending on the depth of your pan. You want the okra to be able to fully submerge, but the pan half full or less
1/2 cup corn meal
1 cup of flour
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 cup of almond milk
1/4 tsp. of paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of seasoning salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/8 cup of garlic powder (or 1/4 if you don't have seasoning salt) LESS IS MORE

Instructions

Gather and rinse your okra

Cut off the stem and bottom of your okra, then slice into 1" pieces

Mix your dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, seasoning), and mix your almond milk with your xanthan gum in a separate bowl

Put your oil in a deep frying/ sauté pan and warm it over medium heat

Set up a little assembly line for yourself next to your stove. Dunk your okra morsels into the almond milk to coat it, then cover it with the dry mix, so it's completely covered

Gently—so you don't burn yourself—drop the okra into the hot oil

You may have to do it in batches, when the okra is a nice golden brown, transfer it onto a cookie sheet with a layer of paper towels on it, to help soak up and drain some of the oil

Serve with your favorite other southern dishes; I chose mashed potatoes!

Recipe

Simple 4 Ingredient Recipe for Vegan Parmesan

A recipe for vegan Parmesan is a must in any vegan kitchen! After all, one of the things that turns a lot of people away from veganism is the lack of cheese. I’m not vegan anymore, but when I was considering trying it years ago, I couldn’t picture myself abstaining from parmesan on my pasta or pizza. Vegan cheese has come really far since the 90’s, I mean cashew cheese like changed everything. Meltable vegan cheese?? Yes, please!

Oftentimes with veganism the thing people miss is the consistency or texture that comes from cheeses and creams. Furthermore, in a lot of cooking cream based sauces can be a vehicle for other spices and flavors. Vegan cheeses with a cashew base have revolutionized raw and vegan cooking. This recipe for vegan Parmesan is no exception!

Use it to top salads, rice bowls, pasta, and in your raw vegan creations! I love to use it on a vegan Caesar or even to garnish a soup. Again, the possibilities are endless.

Wow your naysayer guests with this recipe for vegan parmesan.

Recipe for Vegan Parmesan

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup of raw cashews
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp salt (add more for taste, start slow if you don't enjoy saltiness)
1/3 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor until it's super fine and resembles Parmesan cheese flakes. You're done!

Recipe

Cauliflower Rice for Lazy People

Do you ever look at a complicated recipe and just say “fuck it,” and order pizza instead? Been there…many…many…times! But it doesn’t have to be that way! Cooking can be easy, fun, and no longer something you dread. With this in mind, I bring you, Cauliflower Rice for Lazy People!

When I first heard of cauliflower rice and cauliflower mash, it involved a lot of boiling and steaming.

It was just too much, and I feel like I always ended up with a watery, piss poor excuse for my favorite starches. This Cauliflower Rice can be used as a rice replacement in almost any rice dish. You can add butter, cheese, or a vegan alternative like nutritional yeast to flavor it.

This is such a fantastic option because it’s a simple way to take in fewer calories and carbs. Especially serving it at night, it’s hugely beneficial to lower your carb intake after 3:00 pm or so. I for one always feel like total shit if I eat something heavy for dinner. My husband and I eat at like 7:00 pm usually and it’s close enough to bedtime to make me feel like crap, plus I hate sleeping on a full stomach. You can incorporate this recipe for cauliflower rice into most fad diets! Keto or Atkins, add some butter! Eating “clean,” don’t add a thing! I’m sure even your Weight Watchers coach would approve!

Cauliflower Rice for Lazy People

Print Recipe

Serves: 1 Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 tbsp. of oil
Cheese Grater (boxed is best)

Instructions

Wash the cauliflower

Dry if off as much as you can

Remove the greens and any large stem from the bottom

Quarter it lengthwise down the stem

Grate the cauliflower like you would cheese

Saute it, covered, over medium heat with the oil for about 7 minutes. Stirring occasionally

Season it however you want. I use salt & pepper, you could also add cheese or nutritional yeast.

Recipe

Roasted Root Vegetable Over Cauliflower Rice

Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice

I’ve been playing around with basic rice bowls and root vegetables lately. If you’ve seen my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup then you know I’m pretty much obsessed with fall foods and roasted veggies. Don’t get me wrong, I love a fresh summer salad, but Fall will always have my heart.

This Roasted Root Vegetable Over Cauliflower Rice is quick and breezy to prep. I love the ease of walking away from a meal, cooking it that is. Especially relevant, roasting is great for the house person or stay-at-home mom/dad because it allows you the freedom to do a ton of other stuff as you wait to plate. Furthermore, seasonal veggies are so accessible to almost any region. Hit up your local farmers market and see what they have seasonally. Many of the proprietors will be able to tell you what they stock, and when, so you can prepare menus a couple weeks out.

Cauliflower rice is simple and quick to make. Once you get these simple steps down, the possibilities are endless. Most of all, food in bowl form is such a relief. It plates beautifully and it’s often the easiest style to prepare.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice.

Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice

Print Recipe

Serves: 6 Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 Large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
2 Sweet potatoes
2 Golden beets
2 Large beets
1 Large red onion
1 Acorn squash
6 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to a roasting temp of 425 °F

Cut all your veggies. Wash and scrub the beets and dice into 1" cubes, quarter the onions, slice the peeled and deseeded squash into 1/2" slices, slice or cube the sweet potatos, and dice the carrots

Toss the veggies in the olive oil, spread on a foiled rimmed baking sheet. I did two rounds (2 sheets) at 45 minutes each. Make sure to toss/ turn over your veggies halfway through

Remove from oven and serve over a rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Try it with my Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce!

Notes

This recipe wins for meal prep because—if it's just you and a roomie/ spouse—this can be lunch for a week! Bring it to spice up your bland side-salad at the office! I absolutely love sending my husband to work with additions like these. A side of roasted veggies can go a long way, and your pocketbook will notice too! Waaaay better to spend $6 on lunch every day than $15!