Granola is one of the most rewarding things to bake, from stirring the big bowl of grains, nuts and seeds to the comforting smell wafting out of the oven. I love to play around with the ingredients and it’s much healthier and more delicious than the shop-bought stuff, cutting out unnecessary sugar and additives. Try to find organic rolled oats rather than instant oats, as these are better for you, slowly releasing energy throughout your morning. Add a tsp of cinnamon if you like – it’s great for blood sugar levels.

Makes 2 big jars.

250g Organic jumbo oats

150g of Mixed seeds (pumpkin, linseed, sunflower, sesame)

200g in total (approx) of bigger nuts such as pecans, almonds, cashews, roughly chopped. Add more if you want, but I feel 200g is enough otherwise the fat content goes up.

Pinch of sea salt

80g coconut oil

120g maple syrup

2 tablespoons honey

80g coconut chips

1.     Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C/gas 2.

2.     Put the oats and any other grains, seeds, nuts and sea salt into a large mixing bowl and stir together.

3.     Melt the coconut oil, maple syrup and honey together in a pan over a medium heat. When it starts to bubble remove from the heat and slowly pour over the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon as you go.

4.     Tip the granola onto a large baking tray, spread it out evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until everything is golden. After 20 minutes add the coconut chips (optional) -this is to make sure they don’t burn.

5.     Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray. Once cooled, store the granola in airtight jars – it will keep for at least a month.

Have 2 tablespoons with some natural yoghurt and enjoy!

FOR THIS SMOOTHIE BOWL

1 cup frozen berries

1 frozen banana

Almond milk or natural yoghurt

Blend together. The consistency should be like frozen yoghurt. Top with fresh blueberries, chia seeds, granola.