In my early twenties I lived in Boston for about a year. After culinary school and I interned at America’s Test Kitchen and once that finished up I got a job in a restaurant. This was one of those ‘rude awakening’ moments where my 21 year old brain needed to comprehend just because I tried something didn’t mean it would work out. The next few months ended up being full of ‘first time in the world” hardships that weren’t hard.
At this point being single in an isolating city was my biggest hardship, but I had my sister nearby, some amazing friends to rely on, and an apartment to call home. I experienced weight gain for what I thought was some inexplicable reason (spoiler alert: I drank a lot back then) and struggling at work because I felt uninspired, but that meant my previous blog flourished. In retrospect, there are memories of Boston that I cherish and some that I wish I could change.
Sometimes I think back to my time in Boston and wonder what would have happened if I had applied to the company I work at now. Maybe my career in corporate america would have begun then or its possible I wouldn’t have gotten my fill of the restaurant industry. It doesn’t matter much because I’m happy with where I am now, but over the years I experienced a few ‘what if’ moments.
Looking back on my time in Boston I’m reminded of some happy memories, like delivery frozen yogurt on Friday’s with my sister, watching How I Met Your Mother on Monday nights with my roommate, and going out far too often with a few of my friends. There are recipes I cherish from this period in my life and Early Bird Granola is one of them.
This recipe came out in 2012 or 2013 and took the restaurant I was working at by storm. The owners were obsessed with it, the employees were addicted to it, even some of our patrons caught the Early Bird Granola fever. I’d be lying if I said I had any self-control with this granola. These mugs full of granola? I ate them that same day. It doesn’t even need to be eaten with anything either, it’s delicious all on it’s own.
To this day this is still my favorite granola recipe. It’s easy enough to adjust if you’re allergic to one of the ingredients and it’ll hold up in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Here’s what you’ll need (adapted from here):
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup unsalted pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
- 1 ½ cups pecans, chopped
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 cup dried sour cherries
Preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit Mix oats, pepitas, pecans, and shredded coconut in a medium bowl. Add maple syrup, olive oil, and brown sugar to the oat mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Pour the granola onto a sheet tray and spread into an even layer. Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, mixing every ten minutes. After the second mixing sprinkle cayenne pepper over the granola.
Remove the granola from the oven and sprinkle with the sea salt. Let cool and package up. The granola will stay for up to two weeks…if you can keep it for that long.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit Mix oats, pepitas, pecans, and shredded coconut in a medium bowl. Add maple syrup, olive oil, and brown sugar to the oat mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Pour the granola onto a sheet tray and spread into an even layer. Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, mixing every ten minutes. After the second mixing sprinkle cayenne pepper over the granola.
Remove the granola from the oven and sprinkle with the sea salt. Let cool and package up. The granola will stay for up to two weeks…if you can keep it for that long.