Cacao Coconut Cluster Granola

This recipe is too good for words, so I thought I would let the pictures do the talking this time.

Cacao Coconut Cluster Granola (Makes about 2 1/2 cups of granola)

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Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp toasted unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup raw buckwheat groats
• 3 tbsp millet
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
• 1-2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300*F. Place the shredded coconut + coconut flakes on a baking sheet lined with parchement paper and toast in the oven for 8 minutes, stirring halfway through. Watch carefully that the coconut doesn't burn. Let cool and transfer to a bowl for later. Keep the parchement on the baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, raw buckwheat groats, millet, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and sea salt.
3. To the dry ingredients add the vanilla, maple syrup and coconut oil and stir until all the ingredients are well coated
4. Transfer the mixture to a the baking seet and spread into a thin even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes stirring every 10 minutes to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and stir in toasted coconut and cacao nibs.
5. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Banana Breakfast Bread

Good morning everyone!

TGIF!!! Don't you just love that feeling when the weekend is right around the corner? I do.

I start thinking about those fabulous lazy mornings that I don't have to wake up early. I love mornings when I don't have to rush around. You also have more time to make things like this...

A warm slice of banana bread is a great way to change up your breakfast routine. The same old thing day-in and day-out gets dreary after awhile. Sort of like the weather. I saw a glimpse of sunshine today, the first in a week and that was between the persistent snow squalls. If you're Canadian then you know what I'm talking about. One minute the sun is shining brightly and the next thing you know there's a blizzard outside your window. Yeesh! It doesn't make for a fun drive, but does make for some pretty sweet snowboarding conditions, which is what I really wish I could be doing this weekend.

I have to say as much as I love winter and being Canadian, I still love warm temperatures more. It's only January and I think I'm already in need of a break from this weather. So I'm glad to say that instead of letting it drive me to drink..eek!.. it drove me to the kitchen.

This is a reasonably healthy quick bread that I slightly adapted from the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook. It's got heart healthy flaxseed (nearly a whole cup), and only half a cup of sucanat, which is an unrefined dark brown sugar that retains it's molasses content and is basically pure dried sugar cane juice. It's also sourced from Costa Rica quite possibly one of my favourite places in the world right now. Le sigh.

It's also partly sweetend with the help of apple butter and is full of fibre.

Spread some pure Canadian maple butter on a slice for your breakfast, make a fresh pot of tea or coffee, sit back and watch the snow fly because it ain't going nowhere to soon.

Banana Breakfast Bread (makes 1 loaf)

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium-sized bananas)
• 1/2 cup sucanat or other unrefined sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup apple butter
• 3 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or red fife flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Grease a loaf pan and if desired line with parchment paper so that it hangs over the two long sides.
3. In a large bowl, combine banana, sucanat, vanilla, and apple butter. Add eggs one at a time and beat together until smooth.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda and powder, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together with a spatula until completely incorporated.
6. Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into middle of the bread comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

One thing is for sure: breakfast will not stand to be dull and dreary.