Fig, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt Granola

Now that we're all sitting at our work desks, realizing just how much our stomach is drooping over our pants, it's time to put those New Year's resolutions in action. These new life alterations aren't typically something that anyone ever really looks forward to but after this break, we think it's time to take action against everything bad that we did to our bodies during the last month. In our world, these regrets mainly revolve around the copious amounts of booze and the delicious grub that we've binged on during holiday parties. Normal people may join a gym, vow to stop drinking, or go on a juice cleanse to get ready for the sunny weekends at Rockaway that lie ahead, but we're not into changing our dietary habits in any extreme matter. Like at all. I mean, c'mon dudes, we have Empire Mayo on hand at all times so needless to say it's impossible. Instead, we're trying to change some of the little things like cutting down on eating that amazing crack butter from Roberta's, minimizing our intake of Hazelnut Whisky Sandwich Cookies by Whimsy & Spice, and chilin' out on all those elderflower and gin cocktails that took over our afternoons during the last intoxicating month.  

We're not the apple and wheatgrass type of crew here at Dep, but we do like to eat semi-healthy every once in a while. Because of this, we decided to share a homemade granola recipe to help inspire you to eat better and to…let's be honest here…make us feel a little bit better about ourselves. By using local and organic ingredients and not going overboard on certain things that probably would have made it even more delicious, we were able to make an insanely addicting sweet and savory granola that is packed full of protein and fiber. The sweetness from the muscovato sugar balances perfectly with the salty maldon flakes, and the olive oil, well, that just crisps everything up into perfect little golden clusters that we might just be obsessed with. If you can't tell, we're pretty proud of ourselves.

Ingredients

2 cups of Farm to Table Organic Pure Oatmeal

3 tbsp Bee Raw Maine Blueberry Honey

3 tbsp Salvatore BKLYN Olive OIl

2 tbsp Muscovato Light Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper

1 tbsp Maldon Sea Salt

2 tbsp dried figs, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup mixed nuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F and place two cups of oats in a shallow baking sheet. Toast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oats begin to transition from a light pale white to a toasty golden-tan color.

2. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan combine honey, olive oil, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper and heat over low until sugar is dissolved.

3. Add the nuts and figs to the toasted oats and drizzle liquid over top; stir thoroughly until all of the oats are coated. Spread granola into an even layer on the baking sheet and cook for another 30 minutes - stirring every ten minutes to create clusters.

4. After thirty minutes the granola will still appear wet but after you transfer the mixture to a sheet of wax paper and allow it to dry, it will become super crispy and full of clusters.

Thai Chile Infused Olive Oil

Remember that amazing olive oil by Frankies that we were telling you about a few days ago? Well, we're totally obsessed with turning it into a spicy thai chile oil that packs quite a kick. This fiery oil is perfect drizzled over freshly cooked pasta and broccoli; top with a sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano for a quick dish that's huge on flavor. It's good for a couple of months if kept refrigerated or in a cool, dry place, but when you take how delicious it is into consideration, it will probably only last a few days.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of Frankies Olive Oil
• 10-15 dried Thai chiles, slit down the middle

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil until small bubbles begin to form at the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat and stir in chiles. Let come to room temperature and strain. Pour remaining oil into a glass dispenser (we bought ours from Whisk) and store in the fridge. It should last until for a month or so or it becomes cloudy; at that point, throw it away.

Frankies Olive Oil

"The warm Sicilian sun, the rich volcanic soil, and the steady saline breeze from the Mediterranean come together to make this extra virgin olive oil one of the best in Italy every year." If that's not olive oil poetry, we don't know what is. Frankies DOP certified olive oil tastes just as smooth as that last sentence rolls off the tongue. The trees from their vineyards are between 300-400 years old and because they own almost all of the acreage in their own DOP, Frankies has complete control over the regions production, which ensures that you get the highest quality olive oil possible.

When this olive oil is served at room temp, the flavors are bright, fruity, clean and crisp tasting but when it's heated the entire flavor profile changes to release a butter-like oil that could even fool Paula Deen. We like to infuse Frankies with thai chiles (check for the recipe on Wednesday!). It's a perfect topping to drizzle over pizza or mild Thai dishes that need an extra kick. Or if you'd like to use it for something more refreshing, drizzle it over fresh watermelon and finish with flakes of sea salt. Or just pour it in your mouth. We won't judge.

Satur Farms Mixed Kale

With vibrant green and punchy purple leaves, this clam shell of mixed kale is not only visual appealing, but it's also super good for you. Unlike store-bought, tough kale, with big veins that are simply inedible, Satur Farms takes the hard work out of eating your greens and does the prepping (de-veining that is) for you. All you have to do is throw it in the pan, cook it down for a bit, and enjoy the natural flavors and health benefits from these tasty leafy greens (and purples!). Personally we recommend cooking them up with a little bacon, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and finishing it with a nice bright zing of lemon juice. We also recommend that you eat it up right away before anyone else can get their hands on it. You'll see what we mean once you make this bright and tangy yet deep and smoky dish.

Rainbow Kale with Lemon and Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 clam shell of Satur Farms Mixed Kale
• 2 tbsp olive oil such as our LA Organic - Delicate Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 thick slices of Nueske's bacon
• 1 lemon wedge
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse kale thoroughly, finely julienne one clove of garlic, and cut bacon into half inch pieces.

2. In a large pan add bacon and allow to cook until browned and crisped; about 4 minutes. Add cut garlic and cook for one minute until it starts to get tender. Add red pepper flakes and olive oil and stir for about thirty seconds.

3. Add kale and cover, stirring occasionally until the amount has reduced by half and the greens are tender and slightly wilted; about ten minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.