Granola Goodness

I went through a period of time when I ate Fage 2% Greek Yogurt every single day and then inevitably got so sick of eating it, I was forced to banish it from my diet.  I do this often.  I knew though, that someday I would make a return to my beloved greek yogurt and that day has officially come.  What better yogurt topper than granola, and when I came across this recipe from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (author of Jamie's Food Revolution), I decided to give it a go.  The first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly and the granola was delicious, but for me it just wasn't quite crunchy enough.  I tweaked it a bit for my second try and the end result was utter perfection.  The great thing is that you can change it up to suit your tastes by using different nuts, dried fruit, etc.  I don't know about you, but I know I could never go back to eating store bought again.

Easy "Cherry Vanilla" Granola (adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution)
Serving size: 1/3 cup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, mix together: 2 cups quick cooking oatmeal (not instant), 1 heaped cup mixed nuts (i like slivered almonds, hazlenuts and walnuts), 1/3 wheat germ, 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
3. In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg white and  1/2 tsp kosher/sea salt until frothy, then stir in 5 tbsp real maple syrup, 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract
4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and stir until evenly coated
5. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet
6. Cook 15 minutes, then gently flip the granola over with a spatula and continue to cook until golden, about 10 minutes more
7. Remove from oven and mix in 1 heaping cup dried cherries 
8. Let cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks