3 Fab Recipes from The Ranch at Live Oak Cookbook

This June, I celebrated a milestone birthday with a four day visit to the Ranch at Live Oak Malibu. Wow. Hours of hiking each day and the best vegan food I have ever tasted. Every dish was unique and every meal was a treat. It is no surprise that countless guests have asked for hundreds of their recipes and the Ranch has finally complied with the recent release of The Ranch at Live Oak Cookbook.

The Ranch has graciously invited us to share the following three recipes with you.

1. The Famous Ranch Granola
Every spa has a signature granola recipe, but guests find our granola especially irresistible due to its unique cookie-like texture - it's all about the crunch! - and malty maple syrup flavor. We love switching out the nuts and dried fruit, for example, swapping in raw cashews for the walnuts, or golden raisins for the dried apricots. Makes about 20 cups (40 servings)

Ingredients

• Unrefined virgin coconut oil, for brushing
• 6 cups walnut halves
• 4 cups steel-cut oats
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 2 cups almonds, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups sunflower seeds
• 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 large egg whites
• 1 3/4 cups maple syrup
• 1 cup dried blueberries
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 cup dried dates, chopped

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with coconut oil.

In a large bowl, using your hands, mix the walnuts, oats, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, gently whisk the egg whites and maple syrup with a fork, taking care to keep the foam to a minimum. Pour the egg white mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with your hands evenly to coat.

Transfer the granola mixture to the baking sheet, spreading it out so that the layer is slightly thicker toward the sides. This will prevent the granola at the edges from sticking during baking. Bake the granola mixture for about 25 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes more. Remove from the oven, carefully mix the granola with a spatula, and then bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cool, then add the dried blueberries, apricots, and dates and mix thoroughly to combine. (The granola can be stores in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.) Serve as a wholesome breakfast wit homemade almond milk.

Each 1/2-cp serving: 364 calories (kcal) • 23 g fat • 0 mg cholesterol
32 g carbohydrates • 6 g dietary fiber • 10 g protein • 38 mg sodium • 47 IU vitamin A
trace vitamin C • 57 mg calcium • 2 mg iron



2. White Bean Salad with Olives and Arugula
Wild arugula grows in The Ranch’s garden—it’s pretty and adds peppery green zing to this colorful mix. This salad can be composed (as shown) with salad dressing served on the side, or tossed. Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed,
• seeded, and diced
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• ¾ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 cups wild arugula leaves
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the olive and sesame oils, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Add the beans, carrots, bell pepper, onion, olives, and basil and toss until coated. (Salad can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Before serving, toss in the arugula, tomatoes, and sesame seeds. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Each Serving: 287 calories (kcal) • 20 g fat • 0 mg cholesterol
23 g carbohydrates • 7 g dietary fiber • 7 g protein • 224 mg sodium
3,963 IU vitamin A • 24 mg vitamin C • 83 mg calcium • 3 mg iron



3. Watermelon, Lime, and Hibiscus Ice Pops
Dried hibiscus flowers produce a lovely crimson-colored tea that makes an amazing refresher poured over ice on a summer day. It’s super tart (and packed with vitamin C). Here we mellowed it with watermelon and turned it into ice pops that are fun for kids and adults. Makes about 6 ice pops

Ingredients

• ¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers*
• 2½ cups watermelon chunks (from about 1¼ pounds watermelon or ½ mini watermelon)
• ¼ cup raw agave nectar
• ½ teaspoon lime zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

In a small saucepan, bring ¾ cup water and the dried hibiscus flowers to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let stand until cool. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

In a food processor, blend the watermelon chunks until liquefied. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with muslin into a pitcher; discard any solids. (You should have about 1½ cups watermelon juice.)

Stir the hibiscus water, agave nectar, and lime zest and juice into the watermelon juice. Pour the juice mixture into ice pop molds and freeze until firm, about 7 hours.

Each ice pop: 64 calories (kcal) • 0 g fat • 0 mg cholesterol • 16 g carbohydrates
0 g dietary fiber • 0 g protein • 1 mg sodium • 308 IU vitamin A
11 mg vitamin C • 4 mg calcium • 2 mg iron

*Ingredient Note: You can buy dried hibiscus flowers (also known as sorrel) in Indian, Latin, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern markets.

For more healthy deliciousness, the cookbook is available on Amazon.