Meyer Lemon Guava Granola

Growing up, my little sister couldn't stand vegetables. Cooked broccoli could not sit next to her at the dinner table. She briefly became a vegetarian in high school after learning about factory farms, but it was an unsustainable venture without veggies.

How times have changed. Broccoli is now one of her favorites, and she eats like a vegetarian queen. She's the best veggie cook I know, wowing her friends with homemade chili, nursing her own sourdough starter, and concocting fabulous vegetable soups. We talk food more and more these days, and her commitment to whole grain, natural ingredients motivates me to keep my kitchen healthy. More veggies in the crisper, less white sugar in my baked goods, more brown rice in the cupboard. This granola is sweetened by one of my all-natural, unrefined choices--agave syrup--notable for its low glycemic index. The thought of adding citrus zest came from the granola recipe in Super Natural Cooking, and it will make your home smell fantastic as the granola bakes.

Meyer Lemon Guava Granola

4 cups oats
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)
Cinnamon
1/4 cup wheat germ
Zest of two Meyer lemons
1/2 stick butter
scant 1/4 cup honey
scant 1/4 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup chopped, dried guava (I found the most amazing discs of dried guava at Fairway)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, cinnamon, wheat germ and lemon zest.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix the butter, honey and agave syrup until everything dissolves together. Stir constantly. Set aside and cool for a few minutes.

Pour butter mixture over the oats. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix well.

Spread oat mixture onto a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove and let cool, then stir in chopped guava. Store in an airtight container.

Click here for another Erin's Kitchen granola recipe.