Hoo Doo Granola

HooDoos in Bryce Canyon

I have just returned from a 7 day hiking adventure in Utah.  #7days7hikes   #hikethehoodoos It was a fantastic week in Park City, Deer Valley, Sundance and Bryce Canyon.  We put some miles on our weary feet and had one awesome meal (and a beer, mojito, bloody mary or something along those lines) every day at the end of the hike.  So breakfast every morning was a lighter affair, after all, who could hike with Sunday Brunch in their bellies? 

Bryce Canyon on the Navajo Trail

 

I made a batch of this granola for the trip, and we all devoured it.  It is high in fiber, high in flavor, and yes, there is sugar.  But if you have ever spent a day hiking a canyon in the sweltering sun, you come to appreciate a rounded out diet.  Your body needs it all to perform.  It's named for our favorite rock formation, the hoo doo.  Rhymes with lot of funny things, (hiking can make you semi delirious!) and makes you sing Paul Simon in your head and out loud for, well, hours!

The original recipe is found here on epicurious, and I have shared it with many.  Below is my version, and of course it is like a blank slate just begging for your own variations.  Dried fruit?  Different nuts?  Another grain?  Whatever you like.  Just add a little Greek yogurt (unsweetened 2% for me) and a little fresh fruit and breakfast is served.  I also like it warm with a little almond milk in the winter!  So, what are you waiting for?  Go take a hike!!

HooDoo Granola

4 cups Bob's extra thick rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup roasted sunflower seeds (this is all I can find here)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix these ingredients in a large bowl so there are no brown sugar chunks.

In a small saucepan, combine the following...

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

1 Tablespoon sugar

Bring to a simmer and take off heat.  When it is no longer bubbling, add

2 Tablespoons vanilla paste

Stir well, until all the oats and nuts are coated.  Then spread onto a sheet pan that has been sprayed or coated with oil.  And bake for 20-30 minutes at 300º.  Remember if using convection, it will be hotter and cook faster.  It will harden as it cools and can then be broken up.  Grab a spoon while it's hot though and give it a taste...Delicious!!!