Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Morning Glory Granola
By Chef Linda
If you're one of those people who loves to make every recipe your own, this recipe for Morning Glory Granola was made for you. If you don’t like one ingredient, just replace it with the same amount of one of your favorites. Have a nut allergy? Substitute the nuts for more sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Prefer dried apricots or figs over cranberries? Go ahead and use them instead of…or even in addition to the cranberries. Loaded with nutrients and light on the sweetener and oil, this guilt-free and easy-to-make granola will leave you wondering why you ever ate store-bought.
My favorite way to enjoy this granola is with homemade cashew milk. It’s rich, creamy and feels sooo decadent. When I pack a lunch, I make up little mason jars, one for the granola and one for the milk. Bring a container of fresh berries or a banana to cut up and you have a healthy, filling and really nutrient-dense meal to take on the road. If you don't have a batch of cashew milk ready-made, top with store-bought coconut milk yogurt or almond yogurt.
Chock full of nuts and seeds, your protein's taken care of with this recipe. Here, we use hemp seeds, which you can find in most healthy grocery stores and conveniently contain all the essential amino acids that make up a protein. If you elect to use goji berries in this recipe, they can also be located at your healthy grocery store or purchased online. These small, firm, usually dried berries are not only a great source of protein, they're also packed with antioxidants and considered a superfood!
Ingredients
3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup mixed raw nuts (walnut, sliced almond, cashews)
1 cup raw, unsalted seeds (like pumpkin or sunflower)
½ cup shredded, unsweetened large flake coconut
¼ cup ground flax seeds (optional)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup real maple syrup
½ cup oil
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup dried fruit (like cranberries, cherries, or blueberries)
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a very large bowl, mix together; oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, and flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour this into the bowl with dry ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Spread granola on the prepared baking tray. Bake granola about 10 to 15 minutes; stir, then bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until oats are lightly browned and granola is fragrant. Remove tray from oven and mix in dried fruit. Let cool completely. Store in sealed plastic bags or mason jars.
Notes
Morning Glory Granola
About 2 quarts (halve recipe for less)
INGREDIENTS
3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup mixed raw nuts (walnut, sliced almond, cashews)
1 cup raw, unsalted seeds (like pumpkin or sunflower)
½ cup shredded, unsweetened large flake coconut
¼ cup ground flax seeds (optional)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup real maple syrup
½ cup oil
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup dried fruit (like cranberries, cherries, or blueberries)
DIRECTIONS
1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a very large bowl, mix together; oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, and flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour this into the bowl with dry ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Spread granola on the prepared baking tray. Bake granola about 10 to 15 minutes; stir, then bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until oats are lightly browned and granola is fragrant. Remove tray from oven and mix in dried fruit. Let cool completely. Store in sealed plastic bags or mason jars.